The Guide to Clear Reserve

Clear Reserve is a free service that allows you to reserve a time slot for airport security screening at select airports, helping to reduce wait times. It’s offered by Clear Secure, known for its paid Clear Plus membership which speeds up the security checkpoint process.

Unlike Clear Plus, Clear Reserve still requires you to show your ID and doesn’t grant access to the dedicated Clear lane. However, For travelers tired of waiting in line, it’s a no-cost solution worth trying.

Let’s say you want to use Clear Reserve at Orlando International Airport (MCO). You’ll want to navigate to Clear Reserve’s website before your flight.

From there, you can select the airport through which you’re traveling.

You’ll be prompted to enter information including your travel dates, who’s flying, your airline, where you’re going and your personal details.

You’ll then be able to schedule a time to arrive at security. When you get to the airport, you won’t join the standard security line; instead, you’ll go to the Clear Reserve line. If you’re running a little ahead or behind, don’t worry. Each appointment time is held for a 20-minute window.

Note that Clear Reserve is a separate line from Clear Plus and TSA PreCheck. If you have either of these statuses, you’ll want to use them instead.

Clear Reserve appointments can be made for groups of up to 10, though everyone in your party must show up at the same time.

Clear Reserve is available at 17 airports worldwide.

Clear Plus, the paid membership from Clear, is available at 50 airports nationwide. It’s open to those with or without TSA PreCheck, and there are different Clear Plus lines depending on your status.

Clear Plus is pricey; you’ll need to renew your membership each year, but because you have a separate line from standard security, it can be a good option when Clear Reserve isn’t available.

The cost of Clear Plus will depend on whether you have an individual or family membership:

• Individual membership: $199 per year.

• Family membership: $199 per year plus $119 per family member. 

Unlike with Clear Reserve, those who have Clear Plus need to enroll. To do so, you’ll need your personal information, including biometrics such as your fingerprints and eyes. When you travel, you’ll be able to use those biometrics rather than your government-issued ID. This is one of the biggest differences between Clear and Clear Plus.

Although Clear Plus costs money, there are still plenty of ways to save on your membership.

Clear Mobile is a paid service that lets you access dedicated security lanes by showing a QR code. It’s still relatively new and available at only five airports:

• Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR).

• Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF). 

• Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO).

• Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ).

• Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV).

Clear Mobile is free for Clear Plus members. Others can purchase a day pass to use Clear Mobile before their flights.

The cost for this can vary. For example, a day pass for the Louisville airport costs $19 per passenger. Once acquired, the day pass is valid for a 24-hour window.