Passengers at 12 airports in the U.S. will have access to a faster screening process when it comes to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checks during Thanksgiving travel this year.
Thanksgiving is a hugely busy time of year for air travel across the country as people make long journeys to spend the holidays with friends and family.
CLEAR, the secure identity company that offers a faster security check experience at 58 airports in the country, has announced new camera and face-scanning technology, called EnVe Pods, at a dozen airports.
Passengers queue at Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida, November â14, â2021. The technology firm CLEAR is promising faster security at 12 airports this Thanksgiving.Passengers queue at Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida, November â14, â2021. The technology firm CLEAR is promising faster security at 12 airports this Thanksgiving.XiFotos/Getty ImagesThese pods will make identification five times faster, the company says, with no finger print or eye scan required. Instead, the pods utilize a high-resolution, wide-angle camera, as well as the firm's NextGen Identity+ technology for face scanning.
The company says members of its CLEAR Plus and Ambassadors schemes will see a reduction in the time it takes to complete identity checks at no extra cost.
The EnVe pods will be available to members at the following airports during the Thanksgiving period:
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Texas
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), New York
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Kentucky
Denver International Airport (DEN), Colorado
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York
Oakland International Airport (OAK), California
Orlando International Airport (MCO), Florida
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Pennsylvania
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Virginia
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Utah
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), California.
The company said it would continue to roll out the pods throughout 2025 across all 58 airports in the CLEAR Plus network. This includes Dallas Love Field Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and Boston Logan International Airport.
CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said: "We're passionate about helping members win the day of travel from home to gate and back again.
"CLEAR's Lane of the Future is here with our new EnVe Pods delivering a 5x faster verification. CLEAR Plus Members will now enjoy a faster and more predictable experience nationwide."
As well as in airports, CLEAR technology is also used to provide faster security checks in places like arenas and sports venues, such as Barclays Center in New York, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
CLEAR uses collected data on a person's unique physical characteristics to make these processes quicker. To become a member, people first have to visit a kiosk and register their details and allow their biometric data to be collected.
For individuals, it costs $199 per year. It is the same price for families, with an additional charge of $119 per person added to the plan.
CLEAR currently has over 27 million members.
Has a dream vacation turned into a nightmare? Whether it's a missed flight or lost luggage, we want to hear about your travel disasters. Let us know via life@newsweek.com, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
