The dreaded security lines at airports are the reason why travelers show up hours early before a flight. You never know long it’ll take to queue until it’s your turn to go through the humdrum of the security inspection. Of course, there are ways to make the process faster, namely becoming a member of the TSA Precheck program, or signing up for CLEAR Plus. Both services allow you to skip the security lines, but TSA Precheck requires you to apply and go though an interview with a TSA agent, and CLEAR asks $189 per year for the benefit.
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The 20 Airports Where You Can Skip the Security Line For Free by Reserving Ahead
If neither of those options work for you, there is now a third solution: RESERVE. RESERVE, a service offered by CLEAR, allows travelers to book a spot for the security inspection, thereby bypassing the lines entirely, but it does not cost a penny, and does not require any paperwork or subscription of any kind. All your have to do is visit the RESERVE webpage, select the airport you’re going to depart from, enter your flight information and the number of travelers in your party, and book the time that works best for you to go through security.
There is a 20-minute grace period in case you are late and you can book a spot for up to 10 people. How far in advance you need to book that spot, however, depends on the airport you’re departing from.
While CLEAR Plus is offered in 55-plus airports around the world, RESERVE is a service offered in 20 airports, including six airports in Canada, six airports in Europe, and eight airports in the US:
In Canada:
- Toronto (YYZ)
- Vancouver (YVR)
- Montreal (YUL)
- Calgary (YYC)
- Edmonton (YEG)
- Halifax (YHZ)
In Europe:
- Amsterdam (AMS)
- Berlin (BER Runway)
- Frankfurt (FRA)
- Hannover (HAJ)
- London (LHR)
- Rome (QPass)
In the US:
- Denver (DEN)
- Los Angeles (LAX Fast Lane)
- Minneapolis (MSP)
- New York (JFK)
- Newark (EWR)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Seattle (SEA Spot Saver)
