Canter Bridge

Air travel these days provides a harried soul with very few levers of control. One often feels at the mercy of large forces that swirl about, making a guy on his way home from San Diego feel like the flotsam tossed about by some enormous waves.

So does the Clear Registered Traveler program come as welcome news to the frequent traveler. For a modest annual fee and the provision of enough personal details, one gets an escorted whiz through airport security. I’ve been using this program for a year. It has got me onto a handful of flights I would otherwise have missed and—more importantly—provided me with the luxury of countless hours at home or work that I would have spent standing in a long security line.

Clear adds new airports almost monthly. My home airport, Indianapolis International, was among the first to sign on.

There is a downside: As of this writing, Clear has dedicated security lines in only a few airports. This means the Clear registered traveler endures the scowls and growls of non-registered travelers as he is escorted in front of them in the line. Clear promises that dedicated lines are coming on-line. Time will tell.

Even with this deficiency, the product is a huge time-saver and stress-minimizer.