TSA Opens Airport Gates To Some Travelers Without Tickets

For nearly 25 years, the airport security checkpoint has been the place where most American travelers say their final goodbyes. That is now changing at a handful of U.S. airports, where certain people without plane tickets can once again walk through security and reach the gates.

The Transportation Security Administration has launched Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a new program allowing eligible TSA PreCheck members and people with Known Traveler Numbers to enter secure airport areas even when they are not flying. The program could bring back a familiar part of pre-9/11 air travel, from gate-side farewells to meeting relatives after long journeys.

TSA Is Bringing Back A Familiar Airport Tradition

Before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, friends and relatives could generally accompany ticketed passengers beyond airport security and all the way to their gates. That meant families could spend more time together before a departure, while people meeting arriving travelers could wait inside the terminal instead of standing outside the security checkpoint.

The system changed dramatically after 9/11, when airport security was tightened across the United States. Access to secure areas became largely restricted to passengers with tickets, leaving most friends and relatives unable to reach the gates unless an airline made a special exception.

That separation became such a normal part of flying that younger travelers may have never experienced anything different. For many people, the idea of walking alongside a loved one to the gate now belongs to old photographs, memories and movie scenes.

Gateside by TSA PreCheck is bringing a limited version of that experience back. The program allows approved visitors to pass through security at participating airports and spend time in the secure terminal even though they do not have a boarding pass for a flight.

TSA describes the program as an “exclusive benefit” for trusted travelers. The agency says it can make it easier for people to welcome arriving passengers, say goodbye to departing loved ones, meet friends during layovers, and use restaurants and shops located beyond security.

The change does not mean airport security is returning to the way it operated before 9/11. Visitors still need approval, identification and security screening, while TSA retains the authority to restrict access when necessary.

The Program Is Free, But Visitors Need Approval

One of the biggest details is that eligible visitors do not have to pay for Gateside itself. The program is free, although there are specific requirements that must be completed before someone arrives at the airport.

Applicants need to submit their request online between one and three days before the planned visit. They must receive approval before attempting to enter the secure area, so the program cannot simply be used for an unexpected airport visit at the last minute.

Once an application has been approved, the visitor can head to the participating airport with acceptable identification and use a TSA PreCheck lane to enter the secure area. TSA says visitors should also be prepared to access their dashboard and show their approval status to an officer when necessary.

The approval is limited to one calendar day, but visitors can reenter the secure area during that same day. That could be useful for someone spending several hours at an airport while waiting for a relative or friend to arrive.

Children are also allowed to participate, although they must be included on the parent or guardian’s application. The process therefore gives families a way to plan visits together rather than treating the program as something available only to individual adults.

Visitors who do not have an acceptable form of identification may be able to use TSA ConfirmID in an attempt to verify their identity. TSA says that process costs $45 and does not guarantee successful verification, making acceptable identification the simpler option whenever possible.

Who Can Enter Airport Gates Without A Ticket?

The program is aimed at people who already have a connection to TSA’s trusted-traveler system. TSA PreCheck members can apply, while members of other trusted-traveler programs who have a Known Traveler Number can also submit requests.

A Known Traveler Number is the identifier associated with certain trusted-traveler programs and is used when travelers receive expedited screening benefits. Under Gateside, that existing trusted-traveler status can also be used as part of the application process for non-flying gate access.

That means ordinary visitors cannot simply request a pass because they want to meet someone at an airport. The program is specifically structured around travelers who have already been enrolled in qualifying trusted-traveler programs.

The arrangement also gives TSA a way to keep the system controlled. Instead of opening secure airport areas to anyone, the agency can limit access to approved visitors and require them to follow the same security and conduct requirements that apply inside the airport.

The program’s eligibility rules could also change as Gateside expands. For now, however, the clearest path is through TSA PreCheck or another qualifying program connected to a Known Traveler Number.

These 13 Airports Are Participating First

Gateside is currently being introduced at 13 airports across the country. The initial rollout includes several major travel hubs, as well as regional airports that will give the program a chance to operate in different airport environments.

The participating locations listed by TSA are:

• Los Angeles International Airport: One of the country’s busiest airports is part of the initial rollout, giving eligible visitors access to the program in Southern California.
• San Diego International Airport: The Southern California airport is also included among the first participating locations.
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport: One of the nation’s major connecting hubs is taking part in the launch.
• Salt Lake City International Airport: The Utah airport is included in the initial group.
• Harry Reid International Airport: Travelers in Las Vegas can use the program at the airport formerly known as McCarran International Airport.
• Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport: The Arizona airport is among the participating locations.
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport: Columbus is part of the initial rollout in Ohio.
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport: The major Michigan airport is participating.
• Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport: The Kansas airport is included in the first group.
• Indianapolis International Airport: Indiana’s largest airport is participating.
• Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport: The Arkansas airport is among the initial locations.
• Will Rogers International Airport: Oklahoma City is also part of the rollout.
• Eppley Airfield: The Omaha airport rounds out the initial group of 13.

TSA has said the program will expand to additional airports in the coming months. That means the current list should be viewed as a starting point rather than a permanent limit on where non-ticketed visitors can use Gateside.

The timing and availability may also vary. TSA warns that access can be limited during peak periods, so an approved visitor should not assume that the program guarantees unrestricted entry regardless of how busy an airport becomes.

How The Gateside Application Works

The application process begins online rather than at the airport. Applicants need to create or log into a login.gov account before continuing to the application portal, where they provide the required personal information and submit their request.

After submitting the request, applicants can return to their dashboard to check whether their visit has been approved. The advance approval requirement is one of the most important parts of the program because airport security officers are not simply issuing gate passes to anyone who arrives without a ticket.

Once approval is confirmed, visitors can travel to the participating airport on their approved date. They need to bring acceptable identification and use the designated TSA PreCheck lanes when entering the secure area.

Parents and guardians bringing children need to make sure those children were included in the original application. TSA says visitors may need to log into their dashboard to demonstrate approval information when children are included in the reservation.

The Gateside pass lasts for one calendar day. Reentry is allowed during that day, giving visitors some flexibility if they need to exit and later return to the secure area.

That process makes the program very different from the spontaneous airport reunions often portrayed in movies. Someone cannot suddenly decide to run through security because a departing relative has only minutes before boarding. The Gateside visit has to be planned ahead of time.

The Change Comes As 9/11’s 25th Anniversary Approaches

The timing of the announcement gives the program an added layer of significance. The United States is approaching the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the event that transformed airport security and ended the routine practice of allowing most non-ticketed visitors to reach airport gates.

The Transportation Security Administration itself was created after 9/11 as part of a broader federal effort to strengthen aviation security. Travelers experienced sweeping changes, including more extensive screening and restrictions on items that had previously been allowed in carry-on luggage.

Airport access changed along with those security procedures. The secure side of the terminal became a space primarily reserved for ticketed passengers, while friends and relatives were generally left outside the checkpoint.

That arrangement has remained familiar for a generation of travelers. Families learned to say goodbye before security, parents adapted to meeting children at airport entrances, and arriving passengers became responsible for making their way out of the secure area before seeing the people waiting for them.

Gateside does not reverse the security system established after 9/11. Instead, it creates a controlled pathway for certain trusted travelers to enter secure areas without holding tickets.

The distinction is important because the program still places visitors under airport security requirements. They must be approved, screened and identifiable, and they can lose access if they violate the applicable rules.

Other U.S. Airports Have Already Tried Visitor Access

The idea of letting non-ticketed people beyond security is not completely new. According to the supplied reports, 21 airports across the United States have adopted policies allowing certain visitors to receive guest passes and enter terminal areas beyond security without paying a fee.

Pittsburgh International Airport was the first major U.S. airport to introduce such a policy in 2017. That experiment demonstrated that airports could provide controlled access to non-ticketed visitors while maintaining security requirements.

Gateside builds on that broader trend, but the TSA program uses trusted-traveler eligibility as part of its system. That gives the federal agency a framework for determining who can apply and how visitors are processed.

The approach could become particularly useful at airports where families frequently accompany children, elderly relatives or travelers who need assistance. It can also make long layovers less isolating for people meeting friends or family members inside the terminal.

TSA is now taking that concept beyond individual airport policies and introducing a program that can potentially expand across its participating network.

The Airport Goodbye Could Feel Very Different

For people who remember flying before 9/11, the most noticeable difference may be emotional rather than logistical. The airport gate used to be a place where travelers and their loved ones could remain together until the final moments before boarding.

A parent could walk with a child to the gate and stay until the flight was called. Couples could say goodbye closer to the aircraft. Relatives could wait inside the terminal for someone arriving from another city.

After security restrictions changed, those moments moved to the other side of the checkpoint. A hug at the terminal entrance replaced a goodbye at the gate, while arriving travelers had to pass through the airport before seeing the people waiting for them.

Gateside restores some of that experience for approved visitors. Someone meeting a friend during a layover can potentially spend time together inside the terminal rather than relying on a short meeting outside security.

Families may also find the arrangement useful when a traveler needs extra support. Having an additional person available beyond security can make the airport experience easier for some passengers, although Gateside itself should not be confused with a special assistance service.

The program also opens the secure side of participating airports to visitors who simply want to spend time there. TSA specifically mentions dining and shopping as additional reasons people might use the service.

There Are Still Strict Rules Inside The Airport

Being approved for Gateside does not make a visitor exempt from airport rules. TSA says visitors are subject to airport codes of conduct, federal regulations and any additional local requirements posted at the airport.

The agency can ask visitors to leave if necessary, and a Gateside pass can be revoked when someone violates applicable requirements. Serious violations can also result in civil or criminal penalties under relevant federal or local rules.

TSA also warns that availability may be limited during peak times. That means the program should be treated as controlled airport access rather than a guarantee that visitors will always be admitted whenever they have an approved reservation.

The security process remains part of the experience. Visitors still have to comply with TSA screening procedures, carry acceptable identification when required, and follow instructions from airport and security personnel.

Those restrictions are what allow the program to coexist with the security system that has governed U.S. airports since 9/11.

The Movie-Style Airport Sprint Still Isn’t Coming Back

The new program may bring back the gate-side goodbye, but it does not bring back the spontaneous airport sprint seen in countless romantic comedies.

A person cannot simply hear that a loved one is leaving, arrive at the airport and expect to walk through security. The Gateside application must be submitted in advance, and approval needs to be received before the visit.

That advance planning may take some of the drama out of an airport farewell, but it also creates a predictable security process. TSA knows who has requested access, the visitor knows whether the request has been approved, and airport officers can verify the visitor’s authorization.

The result is a carefully managed version of something that used to be routine. For travelers who grew up after 9/11, that may feel unusual. For older travelers, it may look like a small piece of a familiar airport experience returning.

The program also gives airports an opportunity to test how much visitor access people actually want. If demand remains strong and security operations run smoothly, TSA’s planned expansion could bring Gateside to many more airports.

A Piece Of Pre-9/11 Air Travel Is Returning

For almost a quarter of a century, the airport goodbye has usually happened before security. Gateside changes that at 13 participating airports by giving approved visitors a route into the secure terminal without requiring them to hold a plane ticket.

The program remains limited and controlled, but its purpose is unusually familiar. TSA is allowing certain trusted travelers to welcome loved ones, accompany departing passengers and meet friends inside the airport once again.

For anyone who has spent years watching relatives disappear through the security checkpoint, that could make the next goodbye feel a little less final. At least at participating airports, the gate is no longer automatically where the traveler has to be left alone.