Pay To Skip To The Front Of Security Line At MIA
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Would you be willing to pay to skip to the front at the airport for security screening?
A company called CLEAR is betting on it and has asked the Miami-Dade County Commission to approve starting operations at Miami International Airport (MIA).
MIA Spokesman Greg Chin said it's similar to TSA Pre-Check, but different.
"What it's going to do is give passengers a spot at the front of the line," said Chin. "You're paying to be pre-cleared for the security checkpoint."
MIA will be the first South Florida airport to have CLEAR, which qualifies as anti-terrorism technology under the Federal Safety Act. CLEAR is an ATM-like machine that uses a card, finger print, and retina scans to speed you through the screening process.
"We know that passengers want options," said Chin. "They want the ability to get through fast, if they need to, if they're in a rush."
CLEAR's website said the service costs $179.00 per year. There is a $50.00 fee for each additional family member. Kids under the age of 18 can be registered on their parent's CLEAR account for free.
CLEAR is currently used at airports in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Las Vegas and Orlando.
To operate at MIA, CLEAR has negotiated a 5-year contract, giving the county 10 percent of its gross revenues which are projected to be nearly $3-million dollars a year. The airport said it believes the new CLEAR lanes will be running at the South Terminal and Concourse E by Thanksgiving, which is the airport's busiest travel time of the year.
"We're really trying to implement as many new technologies as we can to enhance the travel experience," said Chin.
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