The Seattle-based carrier announced a partnership with secure identity company CLEAR to offer passengers enrolled in its Mileage Plan program a CLEAR Plus membership, a perk that may offer a smoother airport security experience.

 

Harnessing Biometric Information to Smooth the Way

As an opt-in program, CLEAR Plus allows members to use their unique biometric details to verify their identity at a CLEAR kiosk, thus negating the need for paper identification. Once these details are confirmed, participating Alaska Airlines travelers will be escorted to the appropriate TSA checkpoint by a dedicated CLEAR Ambassador using a special lane, thus saving travelers from standing in line. CLEAR Plus has been rolled out at 52 airports across the United States, including at key Alaska hubs in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco.

 

In a statement, Alaska confirmed that all of its Mileage Plan members can enroll in CLEAR Plus for a special annual rate of $179 and add up to three relatives and friends to their account for $70 each. Additionally, those who do so before July 16, 2023 will receive 1,000 Mileage Plan bonus miles. While this offer is open to all Mileage Plan members, elite status holders will be rewarded with 1,500 Mileage Plan bonus miles. Those elite members who choose to renew their CLEAR Plus membership stand to receive 1,250 additional Mileage Plan bonus miles per year.

 

While CLEAR Plus is seeking to offer a less frustrating and more efficient airport security experience, it is worth noting that this membership program is completely independent of TSA PreCheck.

 

The Best Possible Travel Experience

Commenting on the collaboration, Shane Jones, vice president of real estate and business development at Alaska Airlines, said, “We understand from our guests how important it is for them to have the best possible experience when traveling with us, and part of that is saving time when they’re at the airport. Our frequent flyers are already big fans of CLEAR Plus. With a discounted CLEAR Plus membership available to all of our Mileage Plan members, we believe more of our guests will appreciate this valuable travel benefit.”

 

Speaking on behalf of CLEAR, Kasra Moshkani, the company’s executive vice president of operations, said, “CLEAR is obsessed with delivering the best customer experience, so we’re excited to provide Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan members with the confidence and predictability of CLEAR Plus. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Alaska to continue unlocking seamless experiences for their frequent flyers from home to gate and beyond.”

 

More information on the partnership is available here.

 

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Source: frugal travel guy