Clear Gone, But Airport Ads Added

The Clear service, a fee-based program for frequent travelers that was designed to help people pass through airport security checkpoints faster, has gone out of business. Those who shelled out the annual $200.00 membership fee are now back to waiting in the long airport lines, and no refunds are being offered.

According to the company's website, "At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear ceased operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc., was unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations. Verified Identity Pass regrets that Clear will not be able to continue operations."

Meanwhile, travelers in many U.S. airports will begin seeing display advertisements on the baggage claim conveyor belts as they pick up their checked luggage after a flight. It's a program designed to boost revenues for airports, while taking advantage of a captive audience of travelers waiting for their luggage. Is a program created by Double Take Marketing that will soon launch within at least 15 U.S. airports.

Holiday Gift Ideas For Frequent Travelers

The holidays are just around the corner, so if you're looking for some last-minute holiday gift ideas for a frequent traveler, here are my top suggestions...

GIFT IDEA #1...

A Timbuk2 Messenger Bag or one of the company's new suitcases. These bags are made using extremely durable nylon and are water-resistant. You can custom-design your own messenger bag, choose its size and colors, plus add extras (like a padded shoulder strap or a padded insert for a laptop computer). 

The messenger bags are priced starting around $90.00, but plan on spending about $150.00 for a really nice one with all of the extras. I personally own two of these bags and have traveled all over the world with them. 

The larger messenger bag holds my laptop, camera, papers, etc., and is a perfect carry-on bag. The Timbuk2 bags offer a great design, they're extremely durable, and you can personalize them to match your needs and personality. If you're buying one as a gift for someone, consider getting them a gift card from Timbuk2, so the recipient can design their own bag online and have it shipped to them within a few days.

GIFT IDEA #2...

Anyone who travels often by airplane knows how annoying it is to be surrounded by chatty people, crying babies, plus the noise of the airplane's engines. One of the greatest travel accessories that any frequent flier will come to love is a pair of Bose Noise Canceling Headphones. 

Bose's prices range from $299.00 to $349.00, depending on the model, but each offers a rechargeable battery plus a carrying case. These headsets allow the wearer to literally tune out the noise around them and get some sleep, or enjoy the flight's movie or in-flight music programming. 

Pair up these headphones with an Apple iPod or iTouch (which allows you to watch TV shows and movies), and you have the perfect entertainment system while on-the-go. Less expensive noise canceling headphones are available from other companies, like Sony.

GIFT IDEA #3...

If you live in a city where the airport has a CLEAR kiosk at the security checkpoint, give a membership to the CLEAR program as a holiday gift, so your favorite frequent traveler can get through airport security much faster and more efficiently. Depending on how busy the airport is, being a CLEAR member can save the user 15 to 45 minutes per trip. See my earlier blog entry about CLEAR. Annual membership is priced at $199.00.

GIFT IDEA #4...

Especially for frequent travelers who visit sunny climates, it's essential to be protected from the harsh sun. Sure, wearing sunblock and sunglasses is essential, but adding a Tilley Endurables hat to a frequent traveler's wardrobe will keep them looking stylish and well protected from sun or rain. 

I own a Tilley Hemp Hat (price: $79.00), which I've traveled all over the world with. It's extremely durable, comfortable and excellent in sunny or rainy weather. So, whether you're hiking through the Amazon jungle, white water rafting in Mexico, relaxing on a beach in Hawaii, or sailing throughout the Caribbean on a cruise ship, a Tilley hat makes the perfect travel fashion accessory. 

The company offers over a dozen different hat styles, plus a large selection of other clothing designed for frequent travelers. The prices aren't cheap, but the quality is top-notch. All of Tilley's products have a lifetime warrantee. They'll even replace a hat that gets lost or stolen while the wearer is traveling.

GIFT IDEA #5...

If the person you're shopping for utilizes the same airline often, a membership to that airline's club or lounges will be a welcome gift. The airline clubs/lounges offer concierge service, drinks, snacks, comfortable couches, quiet work areas and other amenities designed to make a long layover at an airport more relaxing and/or productive. 

All of the major airlines have their own clubs. Membership to the US Airways Club, for example, starts at $315.00 per year. However, one-day guest passes are available for $40.00 each. Annual membership to United Airline's Red Carpet Club costs $500.00. (One-day guest passes cost $50.00 each.) To learn more about gift memberships for the clubs and lounges offered by other airlines, visit the airline's website.

ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR TRAVELERS...

If you're looking for a less expensive gift for a frequent traveler, some great options include:

• Leather Passport Cover (Price: $35.00 to $200.00)
• Handheld Luggage Scale (Price: Under $50.00)
• Travel Power Adapters (Price: $20.00 and up)
• Padded Eye Mask (Price: $20.00 to $40.00
• Downloadable Audio Books for an MP3 Player (from Audible.com)

For any iPod, iTouch or iPhone user, one "must have" accessory that I can't recommend highly enough is the $49.95 Rechargeable Backup Battery Pack from Richard Solo. 

These battery packs give the user many hours of extra usage, which is ideal for long flights or for using an iPhone when there's no electrical outlet nearby to recharge the phone. My iPod's battery normally lasts for about two hours of video watching. Using my Richard Solo Rechargeable Backup Battery, I get at least six hours of continuous usage (just about enough for a coast-to-coast flight). 

Oh, another great gift or an iPod, iTouch or iPhone user is a gift card for Apple's iTunes service. These can be used by the receiver to purchase music, TV show episodes or movies that can be watched while on-the-go. Gift cards for $15.00, $25.00, $50.00 or $100.00 are available and they can be redeemed online using the popular iTunes service.

As you get your shopping done this holiday season, remember to spend some quality time with the frequent traveler you're shopping for, before he or she takes off on their next trip. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

CLEAR Offers A Quick Way To Get Through Long Airport Security Lines

If you're fed up with those long lines at airport security checkpoints, for $199.00 per year, you can become a member of the CLEAR program, which will allow you to fly through these lines in under five (5) minutes. 

Sure, you'll still need to have your carry-on bags put through an X-ray machine, and you'll walk through a metal detector, but when you participate in the CLEAR program, you'll be entitled to utilize special lanes at security checkpoints (within participating airports), and your screening process will be quicker than passing through TSA security checkpoints, plus there will be no wait.

Currently, CLEAR is offered at 21 major U.S. airports, including LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports in New York. By the end of 2009, Steven Brill, the founder and CEO of Verified Identity Pass, Inc., the company which offers CLEAR, reports upwards of 40 airports will be participating in the program. Additional venues, including sports arenas and train stations, where security bottlenecks often occur, are also starting to participate in this program.

Brill also stated that the company has developed technology that will allow passengers to keep their shoes on when passing through airport security checkpoints. This technology will be introduced shortly, once it's approved by the TSA. 

After completing an online application, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. will verify each applicant's identity at a CLEAR kiosk, and then have their fingerprints and iris eye scan data encoded onto their personalized CLEAR membership card.

Brill explained that the application process takes just minutes, and the identity verification process is done within three to five business days. For frequent travelers who leave from or visit participating airports often, being a CLEAR member can save them up to an hour per trip waiting in long airport security checkpoint lines.

Unfortunately, members still often need to wait in line to check in at their airline's ticket counter and, if applicable, check their luggage. Yet, CLEAR members report that the time savings they do experience each time they use their card makes the annual membership fee well worth it.

The $199.00 annual membership fee applies to individual members, however, family and corporate discounts are available, as are discounts if you pre-pay for a multi-year membership.

If you're interested in becoming a CLEAR member, visit the CLEAR kiosk at any participating airport, call (866) 848-2415, or visit www.FlyClear.com.