Your clear card is no longer valid
The Clear Traveler program, also known as Fly Clear, has shut down and stopped issuing clear cards. The Fly Clear program helped frequent flyers avoid lengthy security lines by issuing users clear card, which gave them access to separate, dedicated security security screening.
There was little or no advance notice to members of the Fly Clear plan that their clear cards would no longer be valid as of yesterday. Furthermore, the people who spent $200 on a clear card will not get back their money now.
Message to clear card holders
The Fly Clear service web site has been replaced the following message to customers:
Clear Lanes Are No Longer Available.
At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.
What will happen to my personal information?
Applicant and Member data is currently secured in accordance with the Transportation Security Administration’s Security, Privacy and Compliance Standards. Verified Identity Pass, Inc. will continue to secure such information and will take appropriate steps to delete the information.
Will I receive a refund for membership in Clear?
At the present time, because of its financial condition, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. cannot issue refunds.
Short and sweet?
The lines Fly Clear passengers used were short, and so was the duration of this business’s operations. The Clear Traveler program started issuing clear cards in 2005, and it only grew slightly during its four-year stint.
The company’s abrupt end followed fluctuating prices and some automatic, unauthorized renewals of clear cards. Of course, the automatic renewals started murmurings of a class action lawsuit, and shortly thereafter Fly Clear announced it was bankrupt.
Maybe not so sweet …
It seems there are some organizations, or at least bloggers, out there who are not huge fans of Fly Clear. Here is an excerpt from BlackBook:
It seems that their credit line has run out, perhaps due to their lackluster customer base and lousy, horrible service. … The writing was on the wall in the past year when they jacked up their prices from the original $99 to a $199 (or $179 to renew) and started aggressively renewing old cards automatically. There will most likely be a class action lawsuit in play for all those who recently renewed their card, and my guess is that it might be lead by one Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg, who apparently bought his Clear Card the same day they announced bankruptcy.
Fly Clear background
The company, called Clear but more often referred to as Fly Clear, was started by Stephen Brill, the same man who founded Court TV. Last year Fly Clear ran into big trouble when a laptop containing extensive personal information on its customers was stolen.
TSA found that the laptop broke airport security protocol because it was unencrypted. Less than two weeks later, the laptop that had been reported stolen was found in the same room it had gone missing at San Francisco International Airport.
