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The future of travel may soon appear at an airport near you.
Biometric security company Clear is launching eGates at select airports across the country, matching passengers’ faces with their IDs and boarding passes, the company shared with Travel + Leisure. Clear said it hopes the new automated technology will help “modernize and streamline” airport security screenings.
“The U.S. should be leading on security, hospitality, and the travel experience,” Clear’s CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said in a statement. “This partnership with TSA is a powerful example of how public and private sectors can work together to enhance security and improve the aviation ecosystem… CLEAR’s secure identity platform will help unlock a better, safer, and more frictionless experience for all travelers.”
To start, Clear will roll out the new eGates at five different airports across the country: the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Currently, members of Clear must scan their fingerprints, eyes, or facial image before verifying their identity a second time with a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer. The new eGate will instead verify the passenger’s identity for the entire security process and allow them to go directly to the conveyor belt for baggage screening, streamlining the process.
The use of the eGates requires a Clear+ subscription, which costs $209 per year. However, frequent flyers may be able to obtain a free or discounted membership through their credit card or airline loyalty program.
The company said all of the technology and infrastructure was installed without taxpayer funding.
On social media, travelers quickly recognized the impact the new eGates could have on speeding up airport security with some calling it “phenomenal.”
“This is huge,” one traveler wrote in a Reddit post about the new technology. “Because instead of sharing the same agent who verify Precheck (passengers) as well, now we have a dedicated lane and maybe multiple meaning no stopping and faster to get through.”
Clear first introduced the eGates in August. The company said it hopes to expand the technology to airports across the United States in time to serve the nearly 20 million sports fans who it said are expected to travel to the U.S. in 2026 for the World Cup, which will take place at several locations across North America.
In addition to Clear, travelers can sign up for the TSA’s expedited security program, TSA PreCheckwhich allows passengers to leave their belts and light jackets on and keep their laptops, tablets, and approved liquids in their suitcase as they go through the screening process.
Currently, members of Clear must scan their fingerprints, eyes, or facial image before verifying their identity a second time with a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer. The new eGate will instead verify the passenger’s identity for the entire security process and allow them to go directly to the conveyor belt for baggage screening, streamlining the process.
The use of the eGates requires a Clear+ subscription, which costs $209 per year. However, frequent flyers may be able to obtain a free or discounted membership through their credit card or airline loyalty program.
The company said all of the technology and infrastructure was installed without taxpayer funding.
On social media, travelers quickly recognized the impact the new eGates could have on speeding up airport security with some calling it “phenomenal.”
“This is huge,” one traveler wrote in a Reddit post about the new technology. “Because instead of sharing the same agent who verify Precheck (passengers) as well, now we have a dedicated lane and maybe multiple meaning no stopping and faster to get through.”
Clear first introduced the eGates in August. The company said it hopes to expand the technology to airports across the United States in time to serve the nearly 20 million sports fans who it said are expected to travel to the U.S. in 2026 for the World Cup, which will take place at several locations across North America.
In addition to Clear, travelers can sign up for the TSA’s expedited security program, TSA PreCheckwhich allows passengers to leave their belts and light jackets on and keep their laptops, tablets, and approved liquids in their suitcase as they go through the screening process.
