Are TSA PreCheck, Clear, and Global Entry worth it?

• Insider asked three frequent fliers for their advice on using expedited airport services.
• TSA PreCheck is ideal for domestic travel, and Global Entry is best for international travel.
• This article is part of “Work + Play,” a series about blending business travel with personal experiences.

One of the biggest downsides to flying is the long lines for security and immigration screenings. But with the help of expedited airport services, you can make your trip a little more hassle-free. If you’re wondering whether services like TSA PreCheck, Clear, or Global Entry are worth it, Insider asked three frequent travelers for their advice and experience using expedited airport services. 

TSA PreCheck and Clear are ideal for domestic travel 

If you mostly fly domestic, it may be enough to have access to TSA PreCheck or Clear, two programs that shorten the process of going through airport security. TSA PreCheck grants users access to a shorter security line while Clear allows users to skip to the front of the security line after verifying their ID and boarding pass. 

Keep in mind that not all airports offer Clear, so many travelers choose to have both. Currently, TSA PreCheck is $78 for five years, and Clear is $189 a year. 

For both TSA PreCheck and Clear, travelers can apply online but both require an in-person appointment to complete the application.

John Jennings, the president and chief strategist of the St. Louis Trust & Family Office investment firm, said that he has both Clear and TSA PreCheck, which come in handy when he travels at least twice a month for business. 

“My work travel is split between visiting clients and attending or speaking at conferences, and TSA PreCheck makes getting through security so much easier and quicker,” he said. “It’s nice not taking off shoes or removing toiletries, and I’m constantly surprised at the long lines in regular security.” 

Consider Global Entry for frequent international travel

If you take several international trips a year, Global Entry is great for getting through immigration screenings faster, and the service currently costs $100 for five years. 

Shriya Boppana, an account management consulting analyst at Accenture, has Global Entry and said she likes the fact that it also comes with TSA PreCheck.

“With Global Entry, immigration lines are an absolute breeze, especially if you have to go through these after long international flights,” she said. “Also skipping long TSA lines means hours saved, especially during the peak holiday seasons.” 

Like TSA PreCheck and Clear, the Global Entry application requires an in-person interview, which can often have a long wait. 

“The application time for Global Entry access can be incredibly daunting, and booking the interview and fingerprinting is sometimes a year’s wait in high-traffic airports like the Dulles International Airport in Virginia,” Boppana told Insider. “I had to go to a different state to have my application completed.” 

But you can skip the long wait by scheduling your interview when you return from your next international trip. Author and entrepreneur Morgan Angelique Owens said that she scheduled her Global Entry interview at the airport to coincide with her return date from an international trip, which ended up being earlier than her original appointment. Owens said that the service is now essential to her travels. 

“While traveling internationally, Global Entry has saved me so much time,” she explained. “I came back from Paris once and didn’t have Global Entry. The line was over two hours long, and I ended up missing my flight home and had to rebook on another airline on a later flight. I knew right there and then I needed to get Global Entry.” 

Adjust your travel time with caution 

By using TSA PreCheck or Clear, some travelers take advantage of the extra time before their flight leaves. Jennings said, “Because I have both TSA Pre and Clear, I arrive at the airport much later than I would otherwise — at least 20-30 minutes later. I know that if I have a plane that is boarding at 9 a.m., I don’t need to get to the airport (if I’m not checking bags) until about 8:45.” 

But others are still as cautious about travel time, especially during peak travel seasons. “I definitely don’t go to the airport as early as I need to with expedited security programs, however, I would caution that if I am not familiar with that airport then I still get to the airport early,” Owens said. “You never know if they don’t have Clear or if their PreCheck lane is not going to be open. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” 

Add expedited services for family members 

Once you get expedited airport services for yourself, consider getting access for your family. For TSA PreCheck, children who are 12 years old and under can travel with an enrolled parent without restriction, while children who are between the ages of 13 and 17 need to travel with an enrolled parent and have their boarding pass marked. For Clear, you can add up to three family members or friends for $70 each, and kids 18 or younger can join the Clear Lane for free. Global Entry has the most restrictions: all family members and children, no matter their age, must have their own membership to take advantage of the expedited services. 

Adding family or friends to your expedited services makes sense if you travel together often and want to streamline the process. “I’ve purchased TSA PreCheck for my whole family so that they can enjoy the ease of traveling, and we now arrive at the airport later because we don’t have such long wait times to expect,” Boppana said. “Expedited services are great for the elderly or families traveling with children. We can now arrive at the airport a bit later because we don’t have to factor in such long wait times.”