TSA PreCheck Expands Access: Who Can Enter Airport Gates Without a Ticket?
Some airports are now allowing select non-travelers to go through security and access the gate area, harkening back to the times before 9/11. Here are the details of this new benefit, including who is eligible and which airports you will find the service.
Details of New Gateside by TSA PreCheck Service
A new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck benefit provides admission to airport gates located beyond security checkpoints for non-travelers. Gateside by TSA PreCheck is available for eligible members of TSA PreCheck or those with an active Known Traveler Number (KTN). The program is free for those who are eligible, allowing non-travelers to meet friends and family members at their gate when they arrive, shop in the terminal, or eat without having to provide a boarding pass.
According to the TSA, "Gateside by TSA PreCheck is a special authorization that allows non-travelers who are eligible for TSA PreCheck screening to access parts of the airport beyond the security checkpoint." TSA said that non-travelers who want to use this benefit need to log in one to three days prior to when they want to access the terminal. They will be directed to apply for access using their KTN. This is also when children can be added to the reservation.
If approved, the non-travelers need to bring the same form of ID to the airport and proceed to the TSA PreCheck lanes for entry. Should you not have an approved ID, participants can verify their identity using TSA ConfirmID with a $45 fee.
Once in line, users should be ready to log in to their personal dashboard to verify that their approval status is current if they are also bringing minors through security. All non-travelers must still pass through the standard screening lanes.
According to TSA, Gateside by TSA PreCheck is the only way that those without a boarding pass can visit the airport beyond the security lanes. The change also marks the first time in almost 25 years that most individuals without a boarding pass have been allowed beyond the security area and into the concourse zone. Prior to the launch of Gateside, airlines could only issue gate passes in extremely limited instances, such as parents accompanying a minor to the gate.
Gateside passes are valid for one calendar day. Re-entry is allowed on the designated date.
Where You Can Find Gateside by TSA PreCheck
Gateside by TSA PreCheck is being rolled out in select airports, with more locations expected to participate in the future. The service is currently available in 13 U.S. airports:
Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) in Arizona
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Ohio
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Texas
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) in Michigan
Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Kansas
Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indiana
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Nevada
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California
Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Arkansas
Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma
Eppley Airfield (OMA) in Nebraska
San Diego International Airport (SAN) in California
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in Utah
TSA warned that the Gateside service may be limited during times of peak travel volume. Millions of people enrolled in TSA PreCheck are eligible to use the service.
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