Closed For Business: Clear Airport Security Lanes

The dreaded airport security line. We've all been stuck in line behind the one passenger who forgets to take off every piece of metal jewelry, uses 5 bins to send their items through the scanners, and brings the entire security process to a screaching halt. Well, unfortunately, the security line just got a little longer with the sudden closure of the leading registered traveler program.

The Clear program, a fast-track security lane for airline passengers, has ceased operations at 18 airports as of yesterday. Major airports such as Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Indianapolis, Orlando, San Francisco and the three New York City airports are affected by the program's bankruptcy.

Verified Identity Pass, Inc. which operated the CLEAR lanes, has posted the following statement:

As you can imagine, the news of Clear's failure is bad news for its registered travelers. Besides missing out on a quick trip through the security line, participants in the Clear program should not expect to get their $200 annual fee back. Currently, refunds will not be issued to registered travelers and, with creditors already lining up, participants in the four-year old program should not expect a refund anytime soon, if ever.

Verified Identity Pass is not very forthcoming with additional details on the program's failure. For those individuals registered in the Clear program, check out these other articles from USA Today, CNN, Wired Magazine, and The Los Angeles Times concerning the program's sudden demise.