At a few airports around the country, there are free programs that let you skip ahead in the security lines.
We all know about CLEAR, which costs $209 a year, but did you know they offered a free program called Reserve powered by CLEAR?
For example, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has the SEA Spot Saver program. It allows you to skip the security line if you pre-register and it’s completely free. You just find your flight (airline, destination, flight number), pick a checkpoint and a time. Then, when it’s time to go through security, head to the checkpoint and look for the SEA Spot Saver queue.
A few years ago, the program was available at nearly a dozen airports in the U.S. It’s since slipped a little bit, as I couldn’t find details of the Newark Airport program or the Houston Airport program, but still available at a few other airports.
Look below to see if your airport still has a program:
Table of Contents
- Important Note: No PreCheck Benefits
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 (JFK)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Important Note: No PreCheck Benefits
If you have TSA PreCheck, the free scheduling is for general screening. In my research, I discovered that you lose all the benefits of TSA PreCheck if you go this route. So, you’ll have to take off your shoes, belts, jacket, remove laptops, liquids, etc.
There is no downside to making a reservation and not showing up. When you make a reservation, you get a QR code that you can scan to enter the faster queue. If you opt not to use it and enter the CLEAR or TSA PreCheck line, your reservation just expires.
So you can reserve a spot, get to the airport and then decide whether you want to use it.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- How many days in advance can I schedule? Three days.
- At what times can I use this? 5AM to 1PM
- Can I keep TSA PreCheck benefits? No, the screening process will be general screening.
The program at LAX is called LAX Fast Lane and is currently a pilot program. When you get the airport, look for the LAX Fast Lane marked lanes and speed through!
Denver International Airport (DEN)
- How many days in advance can I schedule? Fourteen days.
- At what times can I use this? 5AM to 5PM
- Can I keep TSA PreCheck benefits? No, the screening process will be general screening.
Denver offers DEN Reserve, which is a free program operated by CLEAR.
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
- How many days in advance can I schedule? Seven days.
- At what times can I use this? 3:45AM to 7:45PM @ Terminal 1, 3:45AM to 8AM, 12-4PM @ Terminal 2
- Can I keep TSA PreCheck benefits? No, the screening process will be general screening.
MSP travelers can use MSP Reserve, which is a free program operated by CLEAR. When you go the MSP Reserve page, you have to toggle the drop down under the image – it says MCO Reserve. From there you can access the link to set up your reservation.
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- How many days in advance can I schedule? Seven days.
- At what times can I use this? 5AM to 5PM
- Can I keep TSA PreCheck benefits? No, the screening process will be general screening.
Orlando offers MCO Reserve, which is a free program operated by CLEAR.
John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 (JFK)
- How many days in advance can I schedule? Three days.
- At what times can I use this? 5AM to 10AM, 3PM to 8PM.
- Can I keep TSA PreCheck benefits? No, the screening process will be general screening.
At JFK’s Terminal 4, passengers can use JFK T4 Reserve. It’s a free program operated by CLEAR.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- How many days in advance can I schedule? Six days.
- At what times can I use this? Anytime @ Terminal 3, 3:15am-7:30PM at Terminal 4
- Can I keep TSA PreCheck benefits? No, the screening process will be general screening.
PHX offers PHX Reserve, a free reservation program operated by CLEAR>
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
If you research the Reserve powered by Clear program, you’ll see a lot of other sources list Newark. When I asked CLEAR’s chatbot/digital ambassador, it did not list Newark on its list of participant airports. If you try to look for a page on Newark’s website, you will not be able to find it. I suspect it’s gone from Newark.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- How many days in advance can I schedule? Five days.
- At what times can I use this? 4AM to 10PM
- Can I keep TSA PreCheck benefits? No, the screening process will be general screening.
As we mentioned at the top, Seattle offers the SEA Spot Saver program, which lets travelers reserve a free timed entry slot at general security checkpoints. Available daily from early morning until evening.
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About Jim Wang
Jim Wang is a forty-something father of four who is a frequent contributor to Forbes and Vanguard’s Blog. He has also been fortunate to have appeared in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Entrepreneur, and Marketplace Money.
Jim has a B.S. in Computer Science and Economics from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. in Information Technology – Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. His approach to personal finance is that of an engineer, breaking down complex subjects into bite-sized easily understood concepts that you can use in your daily life.
One of his favorite tools (here’s my treasure chest of tools, everything I use) is Empower Personal Dashboard, which enables him to manage his finances in just 15-minutes each month. They also offer financial planning, such as a Retirement Planning Tool that can tell you if you’re on track to retire when you want. It’s free.
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or financial institution. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
