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In the US, there are two different systems that might have been the intended meaning. There's Clear, which is a service (and not a cheap one) that essentially l

In the US, there are two different systems that might have been the intended meaning. There's Clear, which is a service (and not a cheap one) that essentially lets you go straight to the front of the screening line (although the screen is subject to the normal rules). And there's PreCheck, which not only involves a different line but has different rules (keep your belt, coat, and shoes on; metal detector and X-ray of carryon baggage only; keep your laptop in your bag). You can have both. Clear requires IIRC an iris scan, while PreCheck requires a background check and interview and fingerprinting. Most PreCheck users get it as part of Global Entry, which expedites the immigration and customs experience when entering the US. GE has saved me many hours of waiting in lines. The most I've ever had to wait was about five minutes, because there were 10 air crew in front of me. It's open to citizens of a variety of countries; if you have to travel to the US with any regularity, it is well worth the $100 cost every five years.

tavavex 3y ago
Thanks for explaining! Honestly, if this was the intended meaning, I don't really see a connection - this isn't a fee to skip the line directly, but kind of a "doing part of your security clearance before arriving" thing. I don't think it's worth it for me as I barely ever visit the US, but for Canadians it's even cheaper at $50/5 years, so I might look into that if I ever need to cross the border often.
- devilbunny 3y ago
  The Canadian program you're probably looking at is NEXUS, which is not only cheaper but better - in that you can use NEXUS lanes entering Canada and Global Entry lanes entering the US. My father-in-law is a salesman who represents a couple of Canada-based lines, so he's there at least twice a year for sales meetings, etc. He's got NEXUS. Flying into Montreal, he saves tons of time. You are correct that it's simply a matter of certifying yourself as a low security risk (for GE/PreCheck). But pretty much anyone can get Clear, which is indeed just paying to skip (most of) the line. It's only at certain airports, though. If you fly through a smaller airport, it's not usually worth it; if you fly out of (e.g.) Orlando, which has a huge tourist business that means that most of the passengers rarely or almost never fly, and so are unfamiliar with the routine, it almost certainly is. Even if PreCheck lines are as long or longer than "regular" security lines, the typical PreCheck passenger flies at least several times a year and knows the routine, so it goes much more quickly even before you account for the lighter screening. When we skipped past an immigration line that would have been at least two and a half hours long coming back from the UK, getting through in less than five minutes, I turned to my wife and said, "that was the best $200 we have ever spent".

tavavex 3y ago

Thanks for explaining! Honestly, if this was the intended meaning, I don't really see a connection - this isn't a fee to skip the line directly, but kind of a "doing part of your security clearance before arriving" thing. I don't think it's worth it for me as I barely ever visit the US, but for Canadians it's even cheaper at $50/5 years, so I might look into that if I ever need to cross the border often.

devilbunny 3y ago
The Canadian program you're probably looking at is NEXUS, which is not only cheaper but better - in that you can use NEXUS lanes entering Canada and Global Entry lanes entering the US. My father-in-law is a salesman who represents a couple of Canada-based lines, so he's there at least twice a year for sales meetings, etc. He's got NEXUS. Flying into Montreal, he saves tons of time. You are correct that it's simply a matter of certifying yourself as a low security risk (for GE/PreCheck). But pretty much anyone can get Clear, which is indeed just paying to skip (most of) the line. It's only at certain airports, though. If you fly through a smaller airport, it's not usually worth it; if you fly out of (e.g.) Orlando, which has a huge tourist business that means that most of the passengers rarely or almost never fly, and so are unfamiliar with the routine, it almost certainly is. Even if PreCheck lines are as long or longer than "regular" security lines, the typical PreCheck passenger flies at least several times a year and knows the routine, so it goes much more quickly even before you account for the lighter screening. When we skipped past an immigration line that would have been at least two and a half hours long coming back from the UK, getting through in less than five minutes, I turned to my wife and said, "that was the best $200 we have ever spent".