Customers of Preferred Traveler, an authorized participant in Homeland Security’s Registered Traveler program, started worrying about their local Registered Traveler program when Clear folded last month. The worries were justified. Another one has bitten the dust after all.

Preferred Traveler, operated by Vigilant Solutions, has dismantled their security line. Reader “Mooner” sends in a link from their site with photographic evidence from Friday, July 17, showing the carting-off of the secure lane equipment at 4:21 pm.

Someone needs to let Vigilant know that their website is still showing that they’re in business… the site, which doesn’t seem to have been updated for a month, reads:

As many of you are aware, Clear put out a statement stating “At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.”

Be assured, that while we are interoperable with all Clear lanes, we are not Clear and will continue to operate on a limited basis. We are working on gathering information and are having discussions with other industry members and will provide you information as we receive it.

Gives new meaning to “limited basis” …

The company was operating at two airports: Jacksonville and Louisville. Their partnership with Clear gave them a broader reach of more than 20 airports, but after Clear went belly-up, that breadth disappeared. With only two airports in the network, I’m sure many questioned the value they were getting for the $175 annual fee.

As before, when Clear went under, there are questions about refunds, and questions about the security of users’ private data. To participate in a registered traveler program, passengers needed to permit a detailed background check, which was stored by a private company contracted with the federal government. Registered Traveler was a poorly planned concept from the get-go. All for a shorter line. And now…?

(Thanks, Mooner!)

UPDATE: Via e-mail Joe Brancatelli points out that the FLO Corporation, which managed a similar program in Reno, has also closed. (Thanks, Joe!)

A Q&A from the TSA regarding the Registered Traveler program is found here.