Have you ever rushed through the airport to catch a flight only to run into a jammed security screening hall? Does the thought of spending an hour or more in a security line make you want to scream?

The simplest way to get through security as quickly and painlessly as possible is to enroll in one of three trusted traveler programs. Each has slightly different features, so make your choices based on what offers you the greatest value and benefits. If your frequent flyer status is high enough, your airline might pay part or all of the cost of any of the following programs. Some credit cards also pay the fees for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.

TSA PreCheck. The best-known program is the Transportation Security Administration program — www.tsa.gov/precheck. Enrollment is relatively easy. It takes five minutes to submit an online application and schedule an in-person appointment that includes a background check and fingerprinting at an enrollment center. The wait for the required interview and fingerprinting can run several months or more, though. Once you’ve completed your interview, you usually receive notification of acceptance in a month or less. The PreCheck advantages? You don’t usually have to remove shoes, light jackets, computers, belts or your one-quart baggie of liquids and gels. You also don’t normally have to go through the full-body scanner — just the metal detector. Shoes with steel shanks, large belt buckles and any internal or external medical devices could necessitate removal or a scan. This program costs $78 for five years.

CBP Global Entry. If you travel internationally two to three times a year or more, the Customs and Border Patrol Global Entry program — www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry — can really speed you through immigration and customs when returning to the United States. Travelers must be preapproved for the Global Entry program. Applicants undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interviews before enrollment.
As with PreCheck®, the process can take four to six months or longer.

This program minimizes the lines for re-entry by using special kiosks and a dedicated CBP Officer. The entry process varies somewhat at each participating airport. Members proceed to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place their fingerprints on the scanner for fingerprint verification and complete a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit. CBP is going paperless, so at many airports you may use a retinal scanner and not insert your passport or scan your fingers. In this case, you show your passport to the CBP officer who compares the scan and passport photo to your face. Once through the kiosk area, you proceed to baggage claim and out through customs. The program costs $100 for five years and includes TSA PreCheck.

CLEAR. The CLEAR program — www.clearme.com — allows for a quick identity verification experience. You face a CLEAR pod and verify you are who you are with your eyes or fingerprint. Then a CLEAR ambassador escorts you to the front of the TSA screening line. In theory, you only need your boarding pass. But due to recent issues with unauthorized users, you should expect to show your identification and boarding pass to the TSA officer. CLEAR doesn’t exempt you from having to remove shoes, belts, jacket and large electronics unless you also have TSA PreCheck. The cost for CLEAR is $179 a year. Enrollment is easy and quick.

Take time to assess and compare programs. In the case of CLEAR, consider the airports you fly out of most often. Grand Junction doesn’t offer CLEAR. So if most of your travel originates here, CLEAR might not be worth the annual cost.