TPG exclusive: Clear is testing out new biometric gates at several airports

The security screening company Clear is now testing out new e-gates at three U.S. airports, and TPG got an exclusive first look at the new gates in action at Oakland International Airport (OAK).

If you have a membership in the expedited security program Clear Plus, you can use the new gates during trials at OAK, Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina.

Eventually, these super futuristic-looking gates will be able to scan passengers via biometrics, further automating the screening process. But for now, they provide a way for passengers to self-screen by scanning their boarding passes.

Once you’ve scanned your boarding pass, the gate turns green, and you can proceed to the biometric verification or using your eyes or fingerprints. Helpful Clear agents are nearby to assist passengers.

After you are verified, you will be escorted to the front of the security line to wait for baggage screening as normal.

When I was at Clear’s headquarters in New York a few weeks ago, Clear showed me the new gates and explained everything they’d eventually be capable of doing, including full biometric scans. For now, though, they offer another way to enter Clear lanes more quickly and efficiently.

The prototype e-gates can also flag Clear or other airport employees if someone doesn’t have access (or a membership) via Clear or if there is a security issue.

“What you’re seeing evolving today is the efforts of many years of innovation … and collaboration and partnership with the TSA,” Kyle McLaughlin, executive vice president of travel and aviation at Clear, told TPG. “The idea is that at some point in the future, you would be able to walk through e-gates without having any kind of your boarding pass out, your ID out, all via biometric screening.”

“We’re investing heavily in e-gates and lane automation technology to be able to scan your boarding pass and automate the entry portion of the Clear lane,” McLaughlin continued, “but we see a vision down the road where you’ll be able to use those e-gates to do your whole verification experience and have a completely automated path.”

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Clear told me that, eventually, their podlike devices called “EnVe” will be attached to the gate hardware. This will eliminate the need for a second scan and create an even better member experience.

The next stop for these gates will be Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., and the goal is to put them in more airports this summer.

You may be wondering what happens to your local Clear employee if it all becomes automated. Employees will stick around and become focused on hospitality. They will be there “to help guide you and navigate you through that experience … [so you get that] concierge level of experience through the Clear lane,” McLaughlin said.

“But automation and a true frictionless walking speed experience is the North Star that we’re aiming for,” he added.

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