How to Get a Clear Membership Discount Through Airline Loyalty

United and Delta members can get discounted or free Clear membership depending on elite status and credit cards.
Meghan Coyle
By Meghan Coyle 
Updated
Edited by Meg Lee

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Members of certain airline loyalty programs can save at least $60 on Clear memberships, which allows travelers to speed through airport security. United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles both offer discounts on Clear membership to their members, and the savings increase for higher levels of elite status.

Since it’s free to join airline loyalty programs, there’s almost no reason to pay full price for Clear.

The Clear membership allows passengers to skip the ID check and use dedicated lanes to verify their identity at Clear kiosks with facial recognition technology and fingerprint scanning.

This is separate from Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. While Clear allows members to skip the identity verification in favor of biometric screening, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry expedite the physical screening process. Travelers with TSA PreCheck don’t have to take laptops or liquids out of their bags and can keep their belts and shoes on. The services are complementary; they don't overlap.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to get a discount on Clear membership with a frequent flyer membership, elite status or travel credit cards.

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Clear discount for United and Delta members

Both airline rewards programs offer similar discounts to members. Every member is eligible to receive a $70 discount. If you earn elite status or hold one of the airline’s credit cards, you can get a $80 discount. The members with the top tier of elite status can get a Clear membership for free. Typically, a Clear membership is $189 per year.

» Learn more: Is Clear worth it?

Cost of Clear membership for United and Delta members

$10 Clear discount ($179)

$40 Clear discount ($149)

Free Clear membership

United MileagePlus

Members.

Premier 1K members.

Delta SkyMiles

Members.

Existing Clear members can get the discount on their next renewal by adding their MileagePlus or SkyMiles number to their Clear accounts. These discounts apply only to U.S.-based members.

Airports with Clear

More than 30 U.S. airports have Clear lanes, including several United and Delta hubs.

1. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). 2. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). 3. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM). 4. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). 5. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). 6. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW). 7. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). 8. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). 9. Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL). 10. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). 11. Denver International Airport (DEN). 12. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). 13. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). 14. George Bush International Airport (IAH). 15. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). 16. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). 17. LaGuardia Airport (LGA). 18. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). 19. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY). 20. McCarran International Airport (LAS). 21. Miami International Airport (MIA). 22. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). 23. Nashville International Airport (BNA). 24. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). 25. Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC). 26. Oakland International Airport (OAK). 27. Orlando International Airport (MCO). 28. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). 29. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). 30. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). 31. San Antonio International Airport (SAT). 32. San Francisco International Airport (SFO). 33. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). 34. St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL). 35. Westchester County Airport (HPN). 36. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). 37. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU).

United is also supporting Clear’s efforts to start operating at Chicago-O’Hare, Newark and Houston-Intercontinental in the coming months.

How to get the offer

  1. Enroll in Clear before your trip using this link for United or this link for Delta.

  2. Finish your enrollment by visiting a Clear location, where a representative will help capture your eyes and fingerprints. It should only take about five minutes, and you don’t need an appointment.

  3. Start using the Clear dedicated lanes at the airport. Your biometric data (eyes and fingerprints) will confirm your identity. Then keep moving to the luggage screening and body scan.

Further maximize savings on trusted traveler programs

If you want to skip both the identity verification and the physical screening, you’ll need Clear and either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. While Delta and United have similar discounts for Clear, United has a slight advantage credit card-wise. The United℠ Explorer Card already comes with a $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit, so cardholders could get both Clear and TSA PreCheck and save a total of $180.

If you want to save even more on Clear, one option is through the American Express® Gold Card, which comes with a $100 Clear credit. Terms apply. If you utilize both the credit and the discounts from United or Delta, your Clear membership will effectively only cost $9 per year.

People who have The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can enroll in Clear and get a statement credit towards the full cost of a membership. Terms apply.

This type of perk makes airport travel more convenient and faster, but it’s probably worth purchasing the Clear membership only if you’re a frequent traveler who consistently flies out of participating airports.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

United Cards from our Partners
Chase United Airlines Mileage Plus Credit Card

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Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Business Credit Card

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60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

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