Travel Tips

Should I Become a Registered Traveler?

Locations in this article:  London, England

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Dear Peter,

Is it worth it to go out to JFK (from which we usually fly to London Heathrow), and go through the process by which we would hope to become CLEAR Registered Travelers? Peter has spoken about this option in earlier newsletters, but I wanted to know if he thinks it would really facilitate our passage through security and get us to the boarding lounge more quickly. I should add that my husband is in a wheelchair and that we always travel, if possible, in First (or Upper, as Virgin Atlantic likes to call it) class.

Since going out to the CLEAR site at JFK would be about four hours round-trip plus paying a fee, from the feedback Peter gets from other travelers, does he feel it would be worth it for us to do this? I am for anything that will simplify the process.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this note.

Margery R.

Peter responds:

Thanks for your letter Margery. This one is a tough call. I’m a big supporter of Registered Traveler program in concept, but the execution of it so far has been spotty at best. It promises to a streamlined process, but the TSA will be the first to tell you that they can do second screening of anybody. Until it’s applied at every airport with identical protocols, it’s not something that I (one of the most frequent fliers in the world) have chosen to use.

The concept behind Registered Traveler programs is that frequent fliers can pay about $99, provide personal information, pass background checks and submit biometric information such as fingerprints for a Registered Traveler ID. When reaching airport security, members pass through a shorter line where they go through detection equipment operated by TSA employees

CLEAR, which is currently the largest operators of a Registered Traveler program, claims that more 55,000 travelers have signed up for its program, most of whom are flying at least 20 times a year. The program is currently effect at JFK in Terminals 1, 4 and 7. Virgin Atlantic, which you fly on most frequently, operates out of Terminal 4. But something to keep in mind…the Registered Traveler program isn’t currently operating anywhere outside of the U.S.—so you it won’t be any easier to get through Heathrow’s horrific security process.

There has been a lot of debate about the Registered Programs in recent weeks. Operators tout benefits such as participants not having to remove their shoes at checkpoints, but the TSA has held off on approving the shoe-scanning technology that makes this possible. The lesson here? It’s simply too early in the game to tell whether this program will be effective and efficient.

Here’s one handy Web site: Find out the historical wait times for specific airport terminals at https://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html

For more on airport security, check out “My Middle Initial Is Not ‘SSSS'”.