TSA PreCheck vs. CLEAR: Which Gets You Through Faster (and Cheaper)

A few months ago, I was standing in the security line at JFK behind a traveler who looked like she’d just completed a triathlon—sprinting from check-in, dragging two roller bags, and sweatily waving her phone like a passport wand. Meanwhile, I glided past that line and straight into the TSA PreCheck lane, shoes on, laptop tucked in my backpack. She gave me a look that was part envy, part curiosity.