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SALT LAKE CITY -- Clear Lanes, which is a paid service that helps expedite customers through security at 18 U.S. airports including Salt Lake International, went out of business literally overnight.
The Web site www.flyclear.com shows only a white screen with a brief message saying as of Monday night Clear's parent company wasn't able to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor.
"We were notified yesterday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m. that they'd cease operation at 11 o'clock last night," said Barbara Gann, spokeswoman for Salt Lake International Airport.
The Los Angeles Times reports Clear Lanes had 260,000 subscribers as of June 4. Those people paid about $200 a year for the service.
Gann says there were 2,400 subscribers in Salt Lake and surrounding areas and that the lane had been used more than 36,000 times since opening in June of 2008.
Customers who saw the Clear Lanes machines roped off at Salt Lake International Tuesday morning weren't happy.
"It's disturbing to have invested that money, and I don't know what's going to happen now," said Pierre LaBelle.
Louise McCarren was initially stunned. "I use them all the time. I used them yesterday in Washington, D.C. We came back from D.C. last night," she said.
But McCarren added, "Hey, when you travel, bad things happen."
Bob Barnes had just used the lane yesterday. "It's a little disappointing that they didn't give us more notice. I actually used it yesterday morning in Denver before I came out here," he said.
Just last week, Barnes paid $179 to renew his annual pass. He's not sure he'll be able to get the money back but says he will try and get his credit card company to give him a refund.
In a statement posted on it's Web site, Clear Lanes says, "At the present time, because of its financial condition, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. cannot issue refunds."
Gann says Clear does have a competitor, but she is not sure at this time if it will come to the Salt Lake International airport.
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Story compiled with contributions from Courtney Orton and Andrew Adams.