We’ve all been through them at an airport: designated Clear and TSA PreCheck lines promising shorter wait times and an easier screening process. They become extra enticing at a busy airport, when the regular security line seems never-ending and its 6 a.m. But recent reports from passengers using both Clear and TSA PreCheck show not everything is as it’s cracked up to be.

A Clear membership costs $189 per year and advertises the chance for travelers to “get through faster.” The private security company currently offers its program in more than 55 airports across the United States.

But do members actually pass through security faster than those waiting in the ordinary line? According to some recent passengers, it’s becoming less of a perk and more of a fee for nearly nothing in return. Many travelers with Clear memberships recently found the wait times with Clear are the same, if not longer, than regular security lines.

Some passengers even canceled their subscription after many years because of increasingly long lines at airports. In December 2022, it was estimated about 6 percent of all TSA checkpoint volume in the country went through a Clear lane, compared to 4 percent from the previous year. And with travel continuing to increase, this could also go up in 2024 and beyond.

Reports cite specific airports facing long Clear lane lines, including Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. There’s also indications TSA have been checking IDs in the Clear lanes more often after some recent security issues, resulting in a much slower process for Clear members.

For half the price of a Clear membership, TSA PreCheck also seeks to move travelers considered a low risk more quickly through lines. Debuting in 2011, by 2016, the program amassed 2 million flyers. By 2023, more than 18 million travelers enrolled in the program.

Like Clear, with more travelers buying into the program, wait times have increased. Many TSA PreCheck members have taken to social media to complain of longer wait times than regular security lines.

Earlier this year, TSA reported 92 percent of PreCheck passengers waited less than five minutes to get past security, and 99 percent wait less than 10 minutes.

Another cause for delay in wait times are the new 3-D luggage scanning machines. Although they let passengers leave devices and small liquids within  bags, the machines take longer to scan bags, resulting in further delays.

And with more people traveling now since COVID-19, passengers with TSA PreCheck and Clear could continue to face delays.

In essence, deciding which program to purchase is somewhat strategic. For instance, Clear lines in some airports may be shorter than TSA PreCheck lines, while they may run longer in others. Looking at airports and the program they support (like Delta in Atlanta and United in Chicago investing in Clear), as well as your typical airports you fly in and out of, can also help determine which program to select.

Do you have TSA PreCheck, Clear or both? What do you like about the program? What do you wish could be improved? Have you experienced a time where your line was longer than the regular security line? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.