How to get 2 free months of a CLEAR membership and bypass long airport security lines

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Airport security can be one of the most frustrating parts of any trip — especially with the busy holiday travel period coming up.

CLEAR is a service that lets you skip the security line — it uses biometric scans to confirm your identity, and allows you to keep your ID and travel documents tucked away as you bypass the queue.

Business Insider readers can get two free months of CLEAR by using the code “INSIDER” when applying.

The hassle of getting through security is one of the most stressful things about holiday travel, but it doesn't have to be. Imagine if you knew exactly how long it would take to go through security — about two minutes — and if you could keep your hands free, instead of fumbling with IDs, boarding passes, and your clear plastic bag full of travel-size toiletries？

Thanks to a service called CLEAR, that's actually possible.

Rather than having to wait in line to show an ID and boarding pass to a TSA officer, CLEAR members can head over to a kiosk, where they'll confirm their identity by scanning either their fingerprints or retina. It takes a few seconds, and once confirmed, the passenger can head past the stop-point and go through the X-ray machine — there's no line, no fumbling with documents, and no wait.

CLEAR applies whether or not you also have TSA PreCheck. If you do, you'll skip to the front of the PreCheck line and still not have to bother with your travel documents — as usual, with PreCheck, you can leave your shoes, belts, and light jackets on, and leave liquids and often laptops in your bag. If you don't have PreCheck, you'll skip to the front of the regular security line and go through the normal process from there.

TSA PreCheck coupled with CLEAR means that in most cases, you can get through the airport security checkpoint in minutes, if not seconds, with virtually no hassle.

The process of applying for PreCheck is fairly easy, but involves an interview that may not be possible to complete before Thanksgiving travel — if you're interested in applying for PreCheck, take a look at this article on how to get a credit to cover the application fee from your credit card.

CLEAR, on the other hand, is quick and easy to apply for, and you can complete the application and scan your biometrics at the airport on your way to a flight — that process can easily be quicker than the regular security line.

While CLEAR isn't available at every airport and terminal yet, its availability is expanding rapidly at major airports — you can see a full list here.

Most recently, CLEAR announced that it's arriving at JFK's busy Terminal 4 before Thanksgiving, making now an ideal time to apply if you expect to transit through New York with Delta, Virgin Atlantic, or any of a number of other major carriers.

Best of all, Business Insider readers can get two free months of CLEAR — enough to cover the whole holiday period — when they apply and use promo code INSIDER. Readers can also choose a $30 discount on their first year, instead — that's $149 for the first year instead of the usual $179 — by using code INSIDER149.

If you're interested in learning more about how CLEAR works, check out our in-depth article here.

Click here to learn more about CLEAR and sign up with our exclusive discounts.