We've spent years paying for different ways to get through airport security faster. Here are our top 3 picks.
My husband and I both travel quite a bit, and we've tried TSA PreCheck, Clear, airline status, and other ways to get through security faster.
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- There are multiple ways to get through airport security quicker, and we've tried most of them.
- Clear makes the security lines much quicker at some airports.
- TSA PreCheck, however, has the added benefit of a less stressful security process.
Earlier in my career, I worked for big multinational companies, often in global roles requiring extensive domestic and international travel. One year I took 36 flights visiting nine countries on four different continents.
My husband also travels a lot for work, and we like to take family vacations whenever we can.
Between the two of us, we've tried several different ways to skip the line at airport security. Here are our top three favorite methods.
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Available at more than 200 airports across the US, TSA PreCheck is consistently one of the fastest ways to get through airport security.
Depending on which provider you go through, the five-year membership costs between $77 and $85, and renewal rates are $59 to $78.
My husband has TSA PreCheck and raves about it.
Beyond accessing a shorter line — usually a wait time of no more than 10 minutes — there's an added benefit of keeping your shoes and light jackets on and not having to remove liquids or laptops from your bags.
It's nice to avoid the post-security scramble of grabbing all of your stuff out of the bins and putting your jacket back on while trying not to forget anything.
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Clear is a biometric screening service in which members scan their eyes and fingerprints at a pod to be escorted to the front of the security line.
Memberships cost $200 a year, and the service is available at 59 airports across the US. As a bonus, some big stadiums and concert venues also use it.
It may not be available everywhere, but it suits my travel needs pretty well.
Because I live in the Chicago area and write about Disney World, O'Hare International and Orlando International are two of my most frequently visited airports. Both have Clear, which saves me a ton of time — the lines can get hectic in both cities, especially during popular travel days.
I've raced my husband in the Clear line at Orlando to see if it's faster than TSA PreCheck. I almost always get to the scanners first.
However, he usually makes up some of the time by not having to take off his shoes or remove items from his bag.
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In addition to lounge access, complimentary food and drinks, and better seats, flying business or first class often includes a special security line.
At busy airports, this saves a lot of time and stress.
I've flown business class a few times for work, but these days, I have a much stricter personal travel budget. That said, I think upgrading flights, particularly long international ones, is a great use of airline miles.
I've done a 22-hour flight from Hong Kong to Chicago in coach and would happily save up points to never do it again.
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Waiting in line is just part of most airline travel. If you're looking for the absolute fastest way to avoid that, I think investing in Clear and bundling a membership with TSA PreCheck is probably your best bet.
There are surely other ways to skip the security line — Global Entry, premier airline status, and random free upgrades, to name a few.
However, regardless of which one works best for you, I think they're almost always worth it. Making a travel day even just a little less stressful is pretty priceless.
