For years, saying goodbye at the airport has usually meant stopping at the security line, where loved ones and friends could go no farther. Now, at select U.S. airports, that long-standing boundary is beginning to shift.
The Transportation Security Administration is rolling out a new access program that lets certain eligible TSA PreCheck members who are not flying move through airport security and visit gate areas. The change brings back a piece of the pre-Sept. 11, 2001, attacks travel experience, when non-ticketed visitors were commonly allowed to accompany passengers all the way to their departure gates.
TSA describes the initiative as a special perk for its most trusted travelers, saying on its website that it is designed to make airport send-offs and reunions easier, allow people to meet friends during layovers, and give visitors a chance to use post-security restaurants and shops — restoring some of the personal moments that once made air travel feel less restricted.
Before 9/11, gate access for people without boarding passes was a routine part of the airport experience. The terrorist attacks led to major changes in U.S. aviation security, including tighter limits on who could enter secure airport zones beyond TSA checkpoints.
The new program, known as “Gateside by TSA PreCheck,” is free to use, but visitors must submit an online application one to three days before they plan to go to the airport and must be approved in advance. Those who receive approval can use a TSA PreCheck lane with an accepted ID. The pass is good for one calendar day and allows re-entry during that same day.
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TSA says members of other trusted-traveler programs who have a Known Traveler Number also can apply for access to the gates.
The program is initially available at 13 airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City International Airport, according to TSA. But the agency says it plans to expand the program to more airports in the coming months.
Several airports throughout the country already have their own version of the program. Pittsburgh International Airport launched the myPITpass in 2017, although the program was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained on hold during construction at the airport.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport began a similar program a year later, allowing gate access for up to 300 people without tickets a day. Other airports that have their own versions of the program include Philadelphia International Airport and Kansas City International Airport.