The Transportation Security Administration is introducing a new program that will allow eligible people without airline tickets to pass through airport security and meet arriving passengers at their gates, bringing back a familiar part of air travel that largely disappeared after security restrictions were tightened.
Known as Gateside by TSA PreCheck, the initiative is initially available at 13 airports across the United States, with additional locations expected to join the program in the coming months. Access is limited to TSA PreCheck members and others who have Known Traveler Numbers.
For generations, airport arrivals often ended with passengers walking off their flights to find relatives and friends waiting for them at the gate, sometimes carrying flowers or welcome signs. Those immediate reunions largely vanished once people without boarding passes were generally barred from entering secure airport areas.
Today, relatives and friends waiting for an arriving passenger typically have to remain outside the security checkpoint. That can mean additional waiting before families are reunited and can also make navigating an unfamiliar airport more difficult for arriving passengers who might otherwise have someone waiting at the gate to assist them.
The TSA is now seeking to restore some of that experience through Gateside by TSA PreCheck. The program allows qualifying individuals to enter the secure side of participating airports even when they are not scheduled to fly.
“As an exclusive benefit for our most trusted travelers, this new program makes it easier to return to the gate for welcomes and send-offs, meet friends during a layover, and enjoy dining and shopping along the way, bringing back the moments that once defined air travel,” the TSA states.
The initial Gateside rollout includes 13 airports, although the TSA says additional airports will be added in phases.
The participating airports are Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona; John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas; Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan; Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Kansas; Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana; Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada; Los Angeles International Airport in California; Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Arkansas; Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma; Eppley Airfield in Nebraska; San Diego International Airport in California; and Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah.
There is no additional charge for Gateside access for people who already have TSA PreCheck, which itself requires a fee, or otherwise possess a Known Traveler Number. Eligibility, however, does not give participants unrestricted access to the secure areas of airports whenever they choose.
Instead, anyone wishing to use Gateside must submit an application through the TSA between one and three days before the planned airport visit. Once approval is granted, the visitor must bring valid identification and enter through a TSA PreCheck security lane.
Children can accompany an approved parent or guardian through security as long as they are included on the adult’s reservation.
The TSA has not announced precisely when additional airports will begin participating or how many locations will eventually offer Gateside. The agency has said only that the program will expand to more airports over the coming months.