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Starwood Preferred Guest(R) and Clear(R) to Speed Millions Through Airport Security SPG Rewards Members With Clear(R) Cards

By: Starwood Hotels & Resorts |  2 Shares     167 Reads

White Plains, N.Y. & New York--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), and its award winning hotel loyalty program Starwood Preferred Guest(R), today announce a new offer to ensure its members fly through airport security free and clear. SPG(R) has teamed up with Clear(R), the airport security fast pass, to reward its Platinum members with Clear(R) cards, complimentary for one year. SPG Gold and Preferred members will receive three-month Clear card trial offers.

"Starwood Preferred Guest strives to discover new ways to further enhance our loyal guests' entire travel experience," said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President of Distribution, Loyalty, and Partnership Marketing for Starwood. "With the Clear card, we can help provide our guests a speedy trip through airport security as they head to their ultimate destination, whether it be home or one of our hotels."

The Clear card offers will be sent to Starwood Preferred Guest members beginning in December, and registration can be completed through February 28, 2009.

"Together, SPG and Clear can serve the nation's business travelers and upscale road warriors by bringing customers what they want - top-notch service, expedited handling and friendly, courteous treatment," said Steven Brill, Clear's CEO. "We're excited to welcome these new Clear cardholders to our lanes so they can begin flying through security at the nation's airports this holiday season and in the coming year."

Clear members have their identities authenticated and, after application completion which involves providing iris and fingerprint images, receive a card that allows access to Clear's security lanes nationwide. Clear lanes, which feature concierge staff whose assistance speeds throughput while making passage through security more hassle-free, are already operating in airports in Atlanta, Denver, Orlando, San Francisco, New York, Washington, and 12 other cities.

Clear cardholders also receive fast entry to stadiums including the Georgia Dome, San Francisco's Candlestick Park, and Denver's INVESCO Field at Mile High, during home team football games.

About Starwood Preferred Guest

The SPG program's breakthrough policy of No Blackout Dates at the world's most sought after collection of hotels, reinvented the hospitality loyalty program when it launched in 1999. By creating a program centered on its members, SPG has developed the most passionate and knowledgeable membership base in the hotel loyalty space. Through its use of new technologies and innovative channels such as SPG.com, SPG.com/flights, thelobby.com, SPG Check-In, and others, SPG continues to innovate and lead the industry. By offering No Blackouts on standard rooms at 890 properties, No Blackouts on hundreds of airlines, and once in a lifetime experiences available through SPG Moments, the program has proven to be a big draw for the world's most frequent travelers, and a significant competitive advantage for Starwood.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Meridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched AloftSM, and ElementSM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.

About Clear

Clear, operated by Verified Identity Pass, Inc., has signed up more than 235,000 travelers nationwide and has processed more than two million fliers through its Clear lanes since the service began in July 2005. Clear cards are now accepted at 21 U.S. airports: Albany, Atlanta, Boston's Logan (Terminal A), Cincinnati, Denver, Gulfport-Biloxi, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, LaGuardia (Central Terminal B and Terminal D), Little Rock, New York JFK (Terminals 1, 2, 4 and 7), Newark (Terminal B1 and B2), Oakland, Orlando, Reno, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Jose, Washington, DC's Reagan and Dulles, and Westchester. Clear members have their identities authenticated and are provided with a high-tech card which allows them to access designated security lanes nationwide for an annual fee of $199. Clear members pass through the security checkpoint faster, with more predictability and less hassle. Applicants start their enrollment at flyclear.com and complete the process at a Clear enrollment location where their fingerprints and iris images are captured and their identification is validated.

Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

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