At least 3 firms want new registered traveler service; OIA talking

At least three companies are bidding to buy the customer lists and assets of Clear, the company that ran a "registered travelers" program at Orlando International and a network of other participating airports. The companies seek to re-establish the express service for security checkpoints, and assemble a new national network of participating airports.

FLO Corporation of Delaware, Henry Inc. of California, and at least one other bidder that has not been publicly-identified made formal pitches to Morgan Stanley, which gained control of the assets after Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, shut down June 22.

A FLO offiical said he expects the new service could emerge within a month or two and that larger airports such as Orlando could see it by next spring.

Offiicals of FLO and Henry each told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee last week that they would want to re-subscribe Clear client but did not expect to offer refunds to anyone. Most Clear clients paid $200 a year. Some signed multiple-year contracts.

Orlando debuted the Clear service in 2005 and became its biggest host airport, in terms of registered traveler clients. In the end, Clear operated in 18 airports, including those in New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Denver and San Francisco. It's estimated 200,000 clients included as many as 51,000 who registered in Orlando.

FLO ran a similar program in the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

GOAA spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell indicated the agency is interested, because so many customers liked Clear. But she said GOAA, burned by Clear, will be cautious of any new deal’s financial and operational viability. Also, Clear owed GOAA $85,000 and the airport would want that debt paid, she said.