Airport fast-lane program Clear shuts down - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Clear had faced criticism despite promises of a faster security members still had to go through standard airport security The shutdown occurred at midnight MDT betweejn Mondayand Tuesday. "Clear's parent , has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor tocontinue operations," the companyu said in an emaipl to its members. A similar message appeara on its . The email did not specify what will happen to the annual membership fees paid byits customers. The fee originallt was $100 but had risen to Brill -- a writer and publisher who founded Coury TV and several magazines andwebsites -- launchedf Clear in 2005 and had been its CEO.
that he had left Verifies Identity Pass in Marchto , a nationapl venture to help newspapers and magazines collecf revenue for online content. Brillk said he was surprised thecompany -- whichu was was funded by Lockheed GE Security, Lehman Bros., and several venture-capitalo firms -- could not reach an agreemenr with creditors. Clear at its peak had about 250,000o members and operated at 18 USAToday reported. Clear was marketed as a way for frequent flieras to get through airport securitgy lines more rapidly by having their identities checkerin advance. Members first had their fingerprints taken and irisimagess scanned.
A background check was also A competingservice -- FLO Card -- operatesz at several airports. Such fast-lane services were createcd underthe 's post-9/11 "registered program, which allowed private companies to prescreen fliers and set up reserved security lines at But TSA still require registered travelers to go through its regula r security screening procedures. Clear provideds "no real customer convenience or security David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport told USA Today. The ATA, an airlinse trade group, had opposee the registered-traveler program.