Registered travel

A new scheme in the US aims to allow frequent travellers to pass through airport security quickly

The terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September 2001, didn’t just destroy lives – they changed the way the world’s most powerful nation viewed its own national security.

The Clear Registered Traveller programme should help regular
travellers beat the queues at airports in the US

One of the many changes put in place afterwards were widespread modifications to air travel security procedures. Whereas before 9/11 American airports were relatively relaxed, with friends and relatives of passengers often allowed to accompany their loved ones all the way to the aircraft, after the disaster more rigid and careful processes were put in place. As a result queues grew longer, and the time travellers needed to spend at airports lengthened.

Verified Identity Pass Inc is the first organisation to unveil a solution that allows passengers to travel through the airport quickly and easily, while still meeting the stringent security rules laid down by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The company arranges for the pre-vetting of passengers, allowing them to check in quicker – and the model it uses could theoretically be adapted for other fields.

“It was a response to a lot of the security bottlenecks following 9/11,” says Courtney Nichols, chief operating officer of Verified Identity Pass. “The country was trying to pay close attention to passengers – but the question was, could you help passengers who fly frequently to get through that process more quickly, and by doing so, reduce the workload that the TSA had to sort through.”

Verified Identity Pass was set up three years ago by Steven Brill, an entrepreneur who is responsible for setting up a string of magazines, websites and TV stations. Its scheme, Clear Registered Traveller, was rolled out a year ago in Orlando, Florida, and became the first registered traveller programme in the US. Essentially, travellers pay an annual subscription fee, and then provide biometric and basic personal details, which are vetted by the TSA.

“Once you’ve enrolled, we take your biometrics – your prints and a picture of your iris – and you provide some background information, but less than you give to a credit card,” says Nichols. “That information is sent to the TSA. All we get back from the TSA is a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.”

Clear’s customers appreciate the faster check-in times

Once a traveller has been “verified” by the TSA, they are then provided with a card, which allows them to use Clear’s fast check-in lane – a benefit Nichols says, that consumers appreciate.

“The thing that we hear is most frustrating to frequent fliers is not how long that they stand in line – it’s the inability to predict,” she says. “Because of this, they give themselves a huge buffer. With this card they give themselves a more consistent experience. It’s also less of a hassle – it allows them to get back an hour with their family or in the office.”

According to Nichols, the scheme has been a success. Clear now has 26,000 members, and on some days Clear Lanes process 12 per cent of the visitors to Orlando Airport. Verified Identity Pass are now looking to expand into four more airports, and Nichols believes the scheme could have wider applications.

She says: “It seems to us that the demand for expedited screening in any environment is big now, because everyone is used to a much more intense security environment. People are paying to have expedited screening.

“If you were thinking about the Olympics, then there are two applications. One is for the athletes – they would have a card that has their biometric data on it, and no one would have the ability to steal it. This has ability to increase security enormously.

“Secondly, a similar scheme could be used to allow pre-vetted spectators to pass straight through security checks. Theoretically, marketing partners could provide such cards for free to their best customers.”

However, the idea of a “registered traveller” programme is not without its critics. In early June this year America’s Air Transport Association (ATA) sent letters to the directors of 79 airports in the US, urging them to reject schemes similar to Verified Identity Pass, saying that the programme would drain limited resources “and ultimately may disadvantage passengers”. Others have complained that requiring passengers to submit biometric and personal information is an infringement of civil liberties. Soon, many people were voicing concern about systems such as Clear.

Verified Identity Pass dismisses these claims out of hand. “We operate under government oversight, and that’s how it should be,” says Nichols. “They inspect everything that we do. They audit everything that we do, and they expect everything to be in order.

“Our lanes are now serving as a test-bed for advanced technology that will eventually be extended to all passengers. For example, we have created a kiosk to provide advanced screening, and in future this may lead to a situation where travellers will not have to do things like take off their shoes when they pass through security.

“When it comes to the issue of civil liberties – we have set up privacy policies, such as an identity theft guarantee, so if there was any data theft, we would be responsible. We have an ombudsman, and we go through a privacy audit. We promise that it would not possible to track people through our system. We do not share any information with any third parties.

“There’s also the issue of speed. If our lane moves faster, then naturally all the lanes move faster. It’s a measurable effect. You may be paying for a benefit, but it is a requirement of the TSA that we are never doing that to the detriment of other passengers. The more people that participate, the shorter all the lines get.”