I Tried CLEAR Concierge, but Was It Worth the Price?

I booked CLEAR Concierge, CLEAR’s new, premium guided airport service, convinced I already knew how it would turn out: an unnecessarily expensive add-on that’s only helpful if you’ve never been in an airport before. But my assumptions were unexpectedly upended, and the true value of CLEAR Concierge became clear during heavy traffic on the Kennedy Expressway.

Here’s why I found CLEAR Concierge surprisingly useful in certain circumstances, even for seasoned travelers who frequent Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

What Is CLEAR Concierge?

CLEAR Concierge is a service CLEAR introduced in 2025 that extends its CLEAR+ expedited security program. It’s available to CLEAR+ members traveling from select airports, though travelers at Miami International Airport (MIA) don’t need to be CLEAR+ members to book the service.

After adding CLEAR Concierge to your flight, a CLEAR ambassador meets you at the curb of the airport terminal or at the CLEAR+ stations inside, then guides you through all the preflight rigmarole — bag check, security, etc. — and walks you to your gate.

The primary appeal of the service is that the CLEAR ambassador escorts you through the CLEAR+ lines, so you get through even faster than you would with a typical CLEAR+ visit. I’ve rarely had to wait more than a few minutes to go through CLEAR+, though, so I didn’t expect CLEAR Concierge to be much of an added benefit.

The Concierge Express service costs $99 on its own. Concierge Gate Service costs an additional $80, bringing the total to $179. It covers up to 5 passengers on the same reservation.

How To Book CLEAR Concierge

I booked CLEAR Concierge on a return flight from O’Hare in early June. I went to the CLEAR Concierge page, clicked on the date of my family’s flight, entered our flight details when prompted, and confirmed payment for the full Concierge Gate Service.

Soon after, I received an email from CLEAR confirming my booking and stating that a CLEAR ambassador would text me the day before the flight.

Though CLEAR normally charges $179 for the service, I took advantage of the promotion that lets CLEAR members get their first CLEAR Concierge experience for free with the code LAUNCH100.

Before We Reached the Airport

The day before our flight out of O’Hare, I received a text from an 844 toll-free number asking how we planned on getting to the airport. I replied that we’d use a ride-sharing service. Early the next morning, I received another text from the same number introducing our CLEAR ambassador and asking me to text when we were about 15 minutes away from the airport.

About 40 minutes before departure, another CLEAR ambassador, Lin, texted from the toll-free number, introducing herself, telling us what terminal to use, and describing how to identify her when we arrived. At this point, we were stuck in molasses-speed traffic on the dreaded Kennedy Expressway. I kept Lin apprised of our progress, but we arrived at O’Hare an hour late.

My wife and I have both lived in Chicago, are familiar with both O’Hare and the Kennedy Expressway, and are well-traveled. Our 8-year-old is pretty well-traveled, completely at ease, and quickly learns his way around most airports. Based on experience and that morning’s traffic reports, we expected to have a 2-hour cushion after security before boarding.

We were now looking at a nerve-racking window of less than an hour to check our bags, get through security, feed our kid, and get to our gate. Suddenly, CLEAR Concierge made a lot more sense to me.

Through it all, Lin was responsive and pleasant, messaging to ask what model of car we were arriving in so she could keep an eye out for us.

CLEAR Concierge at the Airport

Because it was that kind of day, our driver overshot the designated drop-off point, forcing us to backtrack on foot with our bags to meet Lin. She offered to help us with our luggage (we had it well in hand, and she was probably no bigger than our trunk, to boot).

Then she led us to our bag drop, waited patiently while we rearranged the contents of said trunk, which was a little overweight because I had to stock up on neon green relish. She then took us straight to the CLEAR+ queue.

Flashing her CLEAR badge and an infectious smile, Lin got us through CLEAR+ in minutes and ushered us to the TSA security checkpoint. She temporarily split off while we completed security screening, then met us on the other side and asked whether we’d like to visit a lounge or grab food.

We weren’t eligible for any lounges in Terminal 8 (O’Hare really is a desert for airport lounges), but our son was hungry, so she took us to grab a quick burger and fries and somehow managed to get us to the front of even that line. With our food in hand, we all walked together to our gate before parting ways.

All the while, Lin was cheerful and amiable, managing to keep up her patter with a talkative, inquisitive second-grader while answering the adults’ questions, keeping everyone’s spirits up, and helping turn what could have been a stressful airport experience into a surprisingly pleasant one.

Who Should Get CLEAR Concierge?

I was too hasty to dismiss CLEAR Concierge. While not everyone will find it worth the fee, people who travel regularly (especially those who know the airport in question) don’t need their hands held to find the bag drop, get through security, or find their gate.

However, I can easily see the value for those who aren’t frequent flyers, who have anxiety about flying or airports, or who have trouble finding their way. It’s also particularly useful when things don’t go according to plan.

If you’ve never used CLEAR+ before, the complimentary CLEAR Concierge trial is also a low-risk way to familiarize yourself with the service and see how it works.

Final Thoughts

Would I pay $179 for CLEAR Concierge again? Probably not. I’ll remind myself to factor in another hour on the Kennedy Expressway the next time I fly out of O’Hare. But we were really glad CLEAR Concierge and Lin were there for us this time.