How CLEAR is elevating member hospitality with AI.

CLEAR is the secure identity platform that makes everyday experiences—like airport travel—faster, easier, and more secure. Whether through CLEAR Plus at the airport or biometric authentication in healthcare and retail, CLEAR delivers frictionless, high-trust interactions for millions of members.

To match the speed and simplicity of its product, CLEAR set out to create a member experience that felt just as seamless. “As we often say, ‘you are you.’ We believe you shouldn’t have to pull out your wallet or passport to prove who you are,” said Adam Luebbers, CLEAR’s VP of Member Experience. “Everything we do is about making experiences faster, easier, and more secure—and that includes member support.”

Outgrowing a rigid system

Before Sierra, CLEAR used a traditional support tool limited to rigid, logic-based responses. It couldn’t infer intent, adapt its tone, or scale to meet the evolving needs of CLEAR’s growing member base. This created friction at key moments—exactly the kind of experience the team was working to eliminate. “Our previous tool wasn’t leveraging GenAI," said Adam. "It lacked the context and fluidity we needed to truly support our members—and that’s a problem when your brand is obsessed with frictionless experiences.”

In searching for a new partner, CLEAR wanted more than a technology vendor. They needed a team that understood the importance of member-first design and hospitality. Sierra stood out not just for its product, but for its responsiveness and shared commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

Turning an AI agent into a member of the team

CLEAR launched its AI agent built on Sierra across web and mobile, enabling members to ask questions about everything from airport locations and product details to account management and service comparisons. With the previous system, much of this information wasn’t available in the mobile app—and even on the web, the incumbent system struggled to handle nuance.

With Sierra, the experience feels dramatically different. “As an example, members are sometimes confused about the difference between CLEAR Plus and TSA PreCheck, and assume they need only one,” Adam said. “With Sierra, we’ve been able to clarify that the two are actually complementary. The agent explains how they work together to create a faster, more frictionless travel experience—which has been a game changer for member understanding and adoption.”

Just as important as functionality was tone. From day one, CLEAR worked closely with Sierra to ensure the agent reflected the company’s brand voice. The teams exchanged process docs, past marketing communications, and live feedback to get it right. “I’ve been impressed with how quickly we’ve been able to tailor it,” Adam said. “It now speaks the way we do—warm, direct, and member-first.”

And while Sierra is capable of handling thousands of interactions autonomously, it was never intended to replace the people behind CLEAR’s member care team. Rather, as Adam puts it, the AI agent is designed to “give our member care agents superpowers.”

“Sierra gives us back time,” Adam said. “Our support team is now focused on more complex, meaningful conversations. If a member wants to speak to a human, that’s always an option. This is about augmentation, not elimination.”

Measurable impact where it matters most

In the first few months post-launch, CLEAR began seeing meaningful improvements. The resolution rate increased, and even during Sierra’s training phase, customer satisfaction scores improved, reaching an average of 4.7. “We were looking for parity out of the gate, knowing there would be a learning curve,” said Adam. “But even in the early days, we saw substantial improvements. It’s already outperforming our expectations, and we still have a lot of room to grow.”

The impact extends to CLEAR’s internal teams as well. With Sierra handling a high volume of inquiries, member care agents are empowered to do more rewarding work. “The feedback from the team has been really positive,” Adam said. “They’re more engaged because the interactions they’re having are more complex and less repetitive. And the quality of the handoffs from Sierra has been excellent—it gives us a complete view of the member’s journey.”

A roadmap for AI-enabled hospitality

CLEAR views Sierra as a long-term innovation partner, and the roadmap for expansion is already underway. The team is exploring ways to embed the agent directly into the enrollment flow, providing support for potential members as they navigate sign-up. They are planning to expand into additional channels, including voice. And for CLEAR’s airport ambassadors—who currently search the brand’s content libraries to answer member questions during check-in—the team envisions a real-time, Sierra-powered assistant that surfaces tailored information instantly.

For CLEAR, AI isn’t about automating support—it’s about creating more space for connection. With Sierra, the company is proving that intelligent automation and human hospitality can go hand-in-hand.

“At CLEAR, we’re building a secure identity platform grounded in trust, ease, and hospitality,” says CLEAR CEO, Caryn Seidman Becker. “Our partnership with Sierra reflects that commitment—using cutting-edge technology to deliver seamless, human-centered experiences at scale. Innovation is in our DNA, and Sierra helps us bring that to life in how we care for our Members every day.”