As Travel Delays Worsen Amid Partial Shutdown, Experts Suggest Using Tsa Precheck And Clear+

The partial government shutdown has caused lengthy wait times for travelers at some airport security checkpoints where the Transportation Security Administration is short-staffed.

Amid the backlog, experts are recommending travelers enroll in programs like TSA PreCheck or CLEAR to keep things moving as quickly as possible before your next departure.

Travel tips amid partial shutdown, airport security delays

"I want to warn people it's not every airport is horrible, but some are worse than others," The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly told "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, referring to the current state of travel.

Kelly said he recently witnessed firsthand the extensive 90-minute wait arriving to New York from Morocco at John F. Kennedy International Airport, which he described as "a disaster" with "huge lines" due to the Global Entry program -- a Trusted Traveler program like PreCheck for those who travel internationally -- being suspended for the time being.

"I generally recommend [that travelers] get Mobile Passport Control. There's a separate app that in most airports will get you through pretty quickly," Kelly said, adding that "unfortunately, some terminals don't have the technology."

How to enroll in and use TSA PreCheck

For domestic travel, Kelly said some of the nation's busiest airports like Houston Hobby can have TSA PreCheck wait times of around 10 to 15 minutes, so he encouraged people to "not wait to sign up" for the Trusted Traveler program.

"You can go to your local Staples, submit your application," Kelly said, as opposed to enrolling in TSA PreCheck at the airport, where newly enrolled participants "have to give it three to five days" to use at security checkpoints.

For $85 or less, Trusted Travelers using the PreCheck program will have five years of benefits for speedier security in dedicated lanes across the U.S.

To sign up, travelers can first find a local TSA PreCheck enrollment location and submit the initial application online. Then, they can make an appointment or walk in, and the team will check any required documents, take fingerprints and a photo, and collect the payment.

Some credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum offer a statement credit to reimburse cardholders who purchase Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Once approved and finished, PreCheck users will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN), which can be added to airline reservations and travel profiles when booking to get TSA PreCheck on their boarding pass, allowing use of the specialty security lane.

"It is well worth the investment, and your kids can go through," Kelly said.

Travelers can also get TSA PreCheck free when they join CLEAR+ (more on that below).

How to get and use CLEAR+ at the airport

"If you go to the airport, and it's a really long line," Kelly suggested using CLEAR+, an expedited security lane service that uses biometrics to help travelers speed through security to get to their gate.

The service can also be used at certain sports and entertainment venues, according to the CLEAR website.

Customers can purchase CLEAR+ for $209 per year, and kids 17 and under can be added to a user's account for free. There's also a discounted rate for military service members and government employees for $125 per year.

New members can sign up in person or online.

"You can sign up at the airport for CLEAR," Kelly said. "So if the CLEAR line, which almost always moves quicker, is available, you can sign up for that program at the airport."

With a CLEAR+ membership, travelers at the airport need only scan their boarding pass at the CLEAR+ Lane "and walk straight up to a CLEAR Pod or eGate ... verify with out face-first technology and head to bag screening," the company's website states.

The website notes that CLEAR+ can also be used in conjunction with TSA PreCheck "for the fastest way to your gate."