Airport fast-lane program Clear shuts down - Dayton Business Journal:

inupujyfab1211.blogspot.com
Clear had faced criticism because, despites promises of a fastersecurity experience, members stil had to go througb standard airport security The shutdown occurred at midnight MDT betweenb Monday and Tuesday. "Clear's parent company, , has been unablee to negotiate an agreemenr with its senior creditor tocontinue operations," the companh said in an email to its A similar message appearw on its . The email did not specifhy what will happen to the annual membershi fees paid byits customers. The fee originally was $100 but had risejn to $199. Brill -- a writet and publisher who founded Court TV and severao magazines andwebsites -- launched Cleat in 2005 and had been its CEO.
that he had left Verifiedr Identity Pass in Marchto , a national venturs to help newspapers and magazines collectg revenue for online content. Brill said he was surprised thecompany -- whicuh was was funded by Lockheed GE Security, Lehman Bros., and severall venture-capital firms -- could not reachu an agreement with creditors. Clear at its peak had abouty 250,000 members and operated at 18 airports, USA Todagy reported. Clear was marketes as a way for frequent fliers to get througyh airport security lines more rapidly by having theie identities checkedin advance. Members first had theirt fingerprints taken and irisimages scanned.
A background check was also Members were then givenb a Clear pass giving them access to a reserved security lane at DIA andotherf airports. Clear reportedly spent $2 million in startup costs at DIA. Denver-basexd signed a marketing deal with clear in Januar 2008 under whichthe airline's top tier of frequent-flier program members were offeref a one-year Clear membership. A competing servicee -- FLO Card -- operates at severak airports. Such fast-lane services were created underthe 'a post-9/11 "registered traveler" which allowed private companies to prescree fliers and set up reserved security lines at airports.
But TSA stil l required registered travelers to go through its regular securit yscreening procedures. Clear provided "no real customer convenience orsecurith benefit," David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transporgt Association, told USA Today. The ATA, an airlin e trade group, had opposed the registered-traveler program.