Consumer News: TSA will allow non-travelers through security at some airports

New Gateside program allows eligible visitors to accompany or greet travelers at the gate

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• TSA is allowing some people without airline tickets to pass through security and visit airport gates, reviving a practice that largely disappeared after the Sept. 11 attacks.

• The new Gateside by TSA PreCheck program is initially available at 13 U.S. airports and is limited to eligible TSA PreCheck and other trusted-traveler members.

• Visitors must apply one to three days in advance, receive approval, and go through airport security just as passengers do.

For nearly 25 years, saying goodbye to a friend or family member at the airport has usually ended at the security checkpoint. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now relaxing that restriction for some people.

TSA has launched Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a program that allows eligible people who aren't flying to pass through security and enter the gate area at participating airports.

That means a parent could accompany an adult child all the way to the departure gate, a family member could be waiting at the gate when a loved one arrives, or someone could meet a friend who's passing through the airport on a layover.

TSA says the program is intended to bring back some of the airport experiences that were common before Sept. 11, 2001, while limiting access to people who have already undergone screening for trusted-traveler programs.

There's a catch: You need TSA PreCheck

This isn't a return to the days when virtually anyone could walk through airport security without a boarding pass.

To qualify for Gateside, visitors generally need TSA PreCheck benefits and a Known Traveler Number, or KTN. TSA says members of other eligible trusted-traveler programs who have a KTN may also apply.

The program is free, but visitors must apply online between one and three days before the planned airport visit.

Approval isn't automatic. Airports have limits on the number of Gateside passes available each day, and passes may be particularly difficult to obtain during busy travel periods.

Once approved, visitors bring their Gateside approval and acceptable identification to the airport and pass through a TSA PreCheck security lane. The pass is good for one calendar day and allows reentry during that day.

Visitors are still subject to TSA security rules. In other words, getting a Gateside pass doesn't allow someone to bypass screening or carry prohibited items into the secure area.

The 13 airports offering Gateside

The program is starting at these airports:

• Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA)

• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)

• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)

• Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)

• Indianapolis International Airport (IND)

• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

• San Diego International Airport (SAN)

• Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT)

• Will Rogers International Airport (OKC)

• Eppley Airfield (OMA)

• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

TSA says it plans to expand Gateside to additional airports in the coming months.

A return to an earlier era of air travel

For younger travelers, the idea of walking into an airport terminal without a boarding pass may sound unusual. Before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, however, it was commonplace. Friends and relatives routinely accompanied departing passengers to their gates or waited at gates to greet arriving passengers.

The security changes adopted after 9/11 largely ended that practice. Since then, non-ticketed access has generally been restricted to special circumstances, such as assisting travelers with disabilities or accompanying unaccompanied children.

Some individual airports have experimented with visitor programs in recent years. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, and several others have offered versions of non-ticketed access. The new TSA initiative represents a broader federal program tied specifically to trusted-traveler status.

For consumers, Gateside could be particularly useful when helping older relatives, welcoming family members home, or spending additional time with someone before a flight.

But anyone planning a gate-side reunion should check the rules for the specific airport before making plans. Participation is still limited, approval is required in advance, and TSA says availability may be restricted when airports are especially busy.