[Infowarrior] - Clear Shuts Down Registered Traveler Lanes

[Richard Forno]

Clear Shuts Down Registered Traveler Lanes
Posted by Benet Wilson at 6/22/2009 6:00 PM CDT

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/commercial_aviation/ThingsWithWings/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a7a78f54e-b3dd-4fa6-ae6e-dff2ffd7bdbbPost%3ad3867997-f8fd-403d-93ef-a7c047cd849a&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending

Verified Identity Pass’s Clear registered traveler lanes, located at  
20 airports, are shutting down at 11:00 p.m. Pacific time tonight.

The company web site was blank except for a white page with the  
official statement and no calls were returned.  Clear said it was  
“unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue  
operations.”

Orlando International Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said they  
had not received notice until late this afternoon via email that Clear  
was ceasing operations.  "We haven't had time to evaluate the impact  
or get further information," she said.

The pilot program was rolled out with great fanfare July 18, 2005, in  
Orlando.   Travelers initially paid $99 a year for a card that was  
supposed to target those who posed a minimum security risk, and give  
them a special line that would process them through airport security  
more quickly.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was slow to release  
the program from the pilot phase, finally giving the green light to  
roll out the program in January 2007.  The program hit a snag after  
TSA halted the use of GE SRT kiosks designed to serve as a shoe  
scanner and explosives detection system, blunting one of the program’s  
key benefits – allowing passengers to keep on shoes and jackets, and  
keep laptop computers in their bags.

And opponents of the program called Clear nothing but “a "glorified  
frequent flyer" program.  “The demise of Clear is an effect the  
recession and fall-off in travelers and people willing to pay the  
higher prices that Clear is charging,” said Henry Harteveldt, vice  
president and principal analyst for airline and travel research at  
Forrester Research, and a former Clear customer.

Clear almost doubled its prices last fall, said Harteveldt.  “They  
misread consumer demand for a limited service like theirs, failed to  
do customer win back after the price hike and failed to secure access  
to enough major airports,” he said.

Founder and CEO Steven Brill resigned his position in March to focus  
on projects in journalism and public service.