013 | 3 Must-Haves for Hassle-free Domestic Air Travel
013 | 3 Must-Haves for Hassle-free Domestic Air Travel
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Traveling can be a hair pulling experience especially in today’s day in age with security concerns. Frequent air travelers agree there are tricks to “the system”.
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Today, I am going to share with you my 3 must-haves, what they are, and why you need them. Some of them are free or relatively inexpensive while others cost a bit of money.
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The first on my list is TSA Precheck. If you travel a decent amount, you may have seen the notation on the top of your paper ticket or the green check on your mobile ticket. (Side note: If you are not using a mobile ticket, we need to talk…another day, another blog.)
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TSA Precheck is essentially a government service which clears you as a known traveler allowing you to go through expediated security at any US domestic airport which has it. Expediated security means you don’t have to take off your shoes, you don’t take your liquids out (yes, you still adhere to the 3-ounce rule), you don’t take your laptop/iPad out, or even take your jacket off as long as it is not a heavy coat. This is a time saver and it gets you in line with a lot of frequent travelers who don’t fool around.
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It is important to note that all airports that have TSA precheck may not follow the same rules and each airport has different times that TSA Precheck is available. You usually find less availability and different stipulations for precheck at smaller locations.
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If you don’t travel enough or you don’t get TSA Precheck clearance every time you travel. You definitely want to purchase TSA Precheck. To be honest, if you travel once a year the cost is worth it. The cost is $85 and is good for 5 years…essentially making it a $17/year purchase. Beyond the fee, the only other thing you need to do is a short in-person interview essentially verifying your personal information.
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Would you pay $17 to jump the airport security line and have less hassle? I would and do. This is a no brainer.
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Clear is the newest hack to expediating security and the hassle…especially with air travel. Clear is a private company’s biometric security ID using your fingerprints or eyes instead of your ID documents. (Yes, you heard that right. You don’t have to show your ID at security anymore.) Clear encrypts the data it collects from you at the kiosk and allows you to verify yourself bypassing the “people delay” of travel.
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If you think precheck is great, Clear is the next step up. With extra benefits, comes an extra price…if you travel enough and the airports you frequent are members*, well, it’s worth it.
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Clear costs $179 annually without any promotions. This is a bit of a hefty price, but there are constantly promotions doing on and if you travel for work, most companies pick up the cost. Each additional family member is $50 for the year. You need to decide what the value of your time is and at what cost dependent on your travel schedule.
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(*It should be noted that Clear is not only available at airports, but also at various concert and sporting venues across the US which will help you get your money’s worth! Clear is also a partner with Delta. Every major airport with a Delta hub or a lot of Delta flights is Clear friendly. If your home airport is an American hub, double check whether it accepts Clear. You can do that here.)
The last item, you need to know about and learn how to play the game on is airline status. Airline status is a traveler loyalty program where you get benefits of expeditated boarding, free baggage, collect miles towards free airfare, and additional promotions.
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We each have our own airline we love due to location, cost, or experience. It is important to understand the possible value of airline status for any carrier based out of your home airport and/or you use frequently. In my opinion, some carriers and/or status levels are more valuable than others. You need to truly research the options and figure out which programs work for you and at what level does it make sense. (In a future post, I will explain Delta’s airline statuses, as that is the loyalty program I use, in detail along with my thoughts and how I use it to amp my travel.)
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Using TSA Precheck, Clear, and airline status assists in providing hassle-free travel. These 3 services are my must-haves to domestic air travel.
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With love,
Kelly
