Free Gateside by TSA Brings Back Pre-9/11 Rules to Let Non-Flyers Go Past Security for Hellos & Goodbyes
The Transportation Security Administration just launched a new benefit called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, allowing trusted travelers the ability to be at the gate for greetings and goodbyes, shopping and dining beyond the security checkpoint. This covers details about the campaign to restore pre-9/11 rules, other recent positive changes at TSA, plus our commentary.
This new benefit allows TSA PreCheck members to request a free Gateside pass to go beyond the TSA checkpoint at participating airports, even when they aren’t flying. Participants can use the program to accompany family members and loved ones to the gate, greet arriving passengers, enjoy airport restaurants and retail, or experience the terminal without taking a flight.
According to the announcement, Gateside by TSA PreCheck is aimed at restoring the “Golden Age of Travel” via this and other new initiatives that make the airport experience more seamless, convenient, and family friendly. And all while maintaining TSA’s strong security standards. Just use your KTN to apply and use the same dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes for a smoother entry.
As an exclusive benefit for 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 in the era before September 11, 2001.
Note: Availability may be limited during peak times. Visitors are held to the same airport code of conduct rules as ticketed passengers. Visitors must follow federal regulations in 49 C.F.R. Part 1540 and any federal or local requirements as indicated in posted signage. Visitors may be asked to leave, have their TSA Gateside pass revoked, or be subject to civil or criminal penalties for violation of federal or local airport security requirements.
TSA Gateside Participating Airports
Gateside by TSA PreCheck is available at the following 13 airports:
- Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Ohio
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) in Arizona
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Kansas
- Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma City
The free Gateside by TSA PreCheck program iwill roll out to more airports across the country in the coming months.
It’s interesting that Orlando International Airport (MCO) is not on that list. Sure, it’s only 13 airports (for now), but if you were to go by traveler volume or locations that might have the most need for a program that allows people to accompany older or younger travelers to the gate, MCO would be a prime candidate given that it’s located in Florida (older) and serves Walt Disney World (younger).
Part of me wonders if the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority was presented the opportunity to participate in Gateside by TSA PreCheck but declined, as MCO is already bursting at the seams. Security checkpoints and seating past screening have minimal excess bandwidth, and adding even more nontravelers at MCO may not be a good move. Or perhaps MCO just isn’t included in the first wave, but will be added soon.
How to Apply for Gateside by TSA PreCheck
TSA PreCheck members interested in participating may request a Gateside pass at TSA.gov/gateside one to three days before their planned airport visit. Start by clicking the “Apply” button, then creating or logging into your login.gov account.
Applicants must enter their TSA PreCheck Known Traveler Number and select the airport they would like to visit. Submit your request and return to your dashboard in 1-3 days to view your approval status.
Approved participants must present a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID at the TSA PreCheck lane. All individuals accessing the secure area are subject to TSA security screening. Be prepared to log in to your dashboard to show the TSA Officer your approval status if you have children on your reservation.
Attempts at Improving TSA
This initiative is one of several TSA has launched to improve the traveler experience at its 435 airports located throughout the country. This has mostly meant streamlining the security screening process thanks to emerging technology. In some cases, there have also been new ways to make things easier for families, military members and trusted travelers, although our own experience with these offerings (such as family lanes) has been mixed.
Others still have been a rollback of rules that were implemented in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks that reshaped how we travel, both within the United States and abroad. Airport checkpoints for almost a quarter century for most travelers have meant shoes off, limitations on liquids, and no gateside goodbyes or greetings.
Twenty-five years later, the Department of Homeland Security, which was formed in response to 9/11, is starting to roll back some of the restrictions. Obviously, Gateside by TSA PreCheck is one of the biggest changes, and a symbolic step in the right direction.
Speaking of steps in the right direction, last year TSA introduced a new policy to allow passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening. The change is aimed at improving the experience and lowering wait times at TSA checkpoints.
Meanwhile, rules for liquids are officially unchanged with limits on container size remaining in effect. However, new scanners installed at some airport checkpoints allow travelers to leave liquids in their bags before going through screening, which likewise streamlines and speeds up the process.
These are efforts to modernize security across U.S. airports, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience. TSA indicates that cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach allows the implementation of this change while maintaining the highest security standards.
Our Commentary
I flew for the first time in 1999, on Northwest Airlines, and only took a couple of flights before 9/11. Honestly, I don’t even recall what the experience was like back then.
September 11th was the most formative event of my youth and I vividly recall the myriad ways it’s changed the world, air travel actually isn’t one of them. The status quo at airports is all I’ve ever known. I don’t particularly care for it and would love to see it improved, though.
The free Gateside perk is nice to see as a symbolic victory in the aftermath of the war on terror. To the maximum extent practicable, I’d like to see airport security rolled back, modernized or streamlined. I have strong opinions on “security theater,” which I’ve previously shared elsewhere.
Even though I have minimal experience with airport security pre-9/11, national security & counterterrorism was a subject I studied; a lot of this revolved around enhanced airport screening measures and behavioral detection. Most of these measures are unreliable, at best.
The term “security theater” is apt largely because the underlying motivation for these rules was reestablishing traveler confidence and peace of mind, as opposed to efficacy. Most airport security measures have more to do with consumer psychology and behavior than they do safety.
Which is a large reason why, 25 years after 9/11, we’re finally seeing these rules rolled back. Improved technology has facilitated some of these changes, but the environment is also dramatically different. Travelers no longer feel reassured by rules; they feel inconvenienced.
This change probably won’t impact us at any point in the immediate future as I cannot fathom a scenario in which I’d like to spend more time at LAX or SNA. It’s also unlikely that Sarah would use it to come pick me up from the airport anytime soon; although our daughter loves to fly, she hates airport security.
There are certainly use cases where I can see TSA Gateside being a valuable option, though. Accompanying loved ones to the gate, greeting them upon arrival, reenacting the end of Love Actually. That sort of thing.
It would likewise be useful when younger or older family members are traveling on their own, and you want to assist them up until or immediately after boarding.
Longer term, incremental improvements like this could help reshape the American airport experience. Part of the reason that I cannot fathom voluntarily spending more time at the airport is because they don’t really exist as public spaces.
If access becomes easier, maybe airports start rethinking their restaurant and retail rosters, and overall approaches. I don’t think any ever become “hangout spots,” but perhaps they attract better anchor tenants, add flagship dining, etc.
Very tangential, but I’d love to see a future where the Walt Disney Imagineering-designed Encounter Restaurant in the Theme Building at LAX reopens. I’m still disappointed we never dined there! (That apparently had its own set of issues, wholly unrelated to what Gatside is addressing. Nevertheless, LAX continues to improve and maybe this happens eventually? Would’ve been awesome to see before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.)
This all seems pretty pie in the sky. Even if the airport experience is improved tremendously and anchor tenants are attracted, it still feels unlikely that Americans are going to be drawn to airports as destinations themselves anytime soon. The last 25 years of unfavorable impressions will take a long time to undo.
TSA Touchless Works Well!
On another positive note, I want to circle back and offer an update on another article: TSA PreCheck Touchless is Pointless at Orlando Airport.
I either wrote that article prematurely or was incredibly unlucky, because every single time I’ve flown since, TSA PreCheck Touchless has offered a flawless experience, as opposed to a pointless one. There have been a couple of times when the line hasn’t been open at LAX and SNA, but it’s been perfect at MCO.
We just flew back home from MCO last week, and got through security in under 5 minutes. Before that, we completed Delta baggage drop in about the same amount of time! There was literally no one in the TSA PreCheck Touchless line, and we breezed right through.
(Thankfully, as our daughter was upset and saying “I want a private plane! Why don’t we have a private plane?!” because she didn’t want to go through TSA. Don’t ask me how she even knows about private planes, let alone that they’re not subject to security.)
Getting through security stress-free and in under 5 minutes at MCO is like winning the lottery. We’ve often remarked that MCO is the “worst” security screening experience because it is disproportionately second-time fliers. My strong suspicion is that MCO has more second-time fliers than any other airport in the United States. (Second because their first-ever flight would’ve been coming to Walt Disney World.) It’s also probably the #1 airport for families. No data on this, just my gut from extensive experience at MCO and other airports.
There are air quotes around “worst” above because it’s not really anyone’s fault. It’s a confluence of circumstances: traveler inexperience, disproportionate numbers of kids, strollers & mobility devices, checked baggage fees, convoluted and counterintuitive rules, along with TSA agents who deal with this all-day, every-day and undoubtedly become a bit, ahem, “battle-hardened” in the process.
If anything, the MCO experience is shockingly pleasant despite the above. The airport manages to overcome a lot of “baked-in” issues and be pretty good. Travelers all do a surprisingly good job of holding things together in spite of it all, shrugging off the slowdowns and chaos. TSA officers are friendly despite being battle hardened. MCO is an impressive organism, even if it can be frustrating and time-consuming for all involved.
If you fly with any degree of regularity, we highly recommend TSA PreCheck. Having that is a gamechanger for the airport experience, and even makes MCO a relative breeze. Many credit cards and loyalty programs cover the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee (if you have the option for either, get Global Entry).
It could also mean not having to schedule a Mears Connect pick-up over 3 hours in advance or getting to the airport super early, which may turn out to be very necessary or complete overkill. One of the biggest knocks on MCO is the massive range in times it could take you from airport arrival to getting to your gate. This, along with other things like the Free Airport Luggage Transfer from Walt Disney World Hotels, could actually help address that.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think about the return of going beyond security with Gateside? What about TSA ditching the “Shoes-Off” policy, introducing Touchless and other incremental improvements over the last year-plus? Think new initiatives like this, along with other programs such as Airport Luggage Transfer/Resort Airline Check-In, could improve the MCO experience? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
The TSA “3-1-1” rule for personal care liquids and gels has gotta go. Tom talked about security theater, and this rule is the one which most annoys me. Until they become willing to get rid of that, I can’t take any other new initiative seriously.
Tampa airport has a lot of shops and restaurants airside and they offer “day passes” for a timed visit visit ( you have to apply in advance) to encourage business I guess. I can’t imagine anyone doing this unless they were coordinating with people flying in or out
I am under 50 but remember the pre-9/11 days very well. Lots of joyous faces when walking off the jet bridge. Tearful goodbyes at the gate…and sometimes staying there to watch a loved one’s plane pull away. My dad hated flying but loved urban exploration, so as a little kid we’d sometimes spend half a day just exploring every nook and cranny of O’Hare (look, a chapel! Moving sidewalks to play on! And a huge customs and immigration floor called the “fishbowl” that you could observe from above in the 1980s!).
I will say that while I welcome this program (despite being a bit wary of the potential for longer security lines that include non-passengers), it’s not THAT novel a concept to go through security as a non-passenger. I’ve done so in recent years — you can get a gate pass for escorting unaccompanied minors, folks with disabilities, etc.
A bunch of airports have been adding “day passes” in recent years as well: https://thepointsguy.com/airline/airports-terminal-visit-without-plane-ticket/
Still, I do like the fact TSA is beginning to “loosen up”, and I’m 100% sick of many aspects of the “security theater” stuff. As a TSA Pre member this should be a benefit (or at least it will be if the program ever comes to an airport I use often).
“My dad hated flying but loved urban exploration, so as a little kid we’d sometimes spend half a day just exploring every nook and cranny of O’Hare (look, a chapel! Moving sidewalks to play on! And a huge customs and immigration floor called the “fishbowl” that you could observe from above in the 1980s!).”
Definitely can relate to this! I’m a big fan of moving walkways, tunnels, and the art/unique lighting often found in them. Whenever we have the time, we’ll take these routes as opposed to the trams that connect terminals. Lots to see in many of them! I also love the ‘catwalks’ (for lack of a better term) that funnel arrivals from planes to immigration. There’s so much interesting design in airports.
While I applaud TSA for trying to improve the overall traveler experience, I wish they’d address the #1 negative experience I’ve encountered and witnessed: the first screener we all encounter that checks your ID/boarding pass. These people are the least friendly and hostile of them all….bordering on hateful. I fully understand the repetitive nature of their job, but as I (and the vast majority of everyone else, it seems) always have the necessary documents ready for screening, it’s really unpleasant to deal with their hostility as the first person you encounter. Maybe TSA could focus on this area of customer service first (just a half-assed smile would work wonders!). The meeting-at-the-gate thing seems like more work than it’s worth.
Not to defend TSA, but I would imagine it is incredibly hard to maintain morale given how bad the overall experience has become, traveler behavior, etc. (Not to mention their own furloughs, gov’t shutdowns, and everything else.)
That type of thing strikes me as more systemic, and improving the traveler experience should in turn improve TSA morale, and stuff like this. We’ve seen this happen with CMs at Disney!
I worked on/am working on the implementation of this program (and others). Re: “Part of me wonders if the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority was presented the opportunity to participate in Gateside by TSA PreCheck but declined..” Your intuition is largely correct. There are a lot of factors that the airports are considering. Some may never choose to opt in (I’d guess).
The one thing that’s been reported in most outlets so far is how this is rolling things back to 9/11. I don’t think that’s really true as this is only available to people who have been vetted (ie PreCheck members). Also, there have always been way to get a GatePass through the airlines, this is just trying to make it easier.
There are some more things in the pipeline that I hope you have a positive experience with in the near future (there are a lot of people behind the scenes that do care, and do want to implement positive things).
You’re right that it’s not fully back to pre-9/11. And it probably never will be.
But after years of heading in the wrong direction, it feels like the trajectory of TSA is finally in the right direction (ditto airports, generally). I like applauding stuff like that, as I’m always optimistic that positive reinforcement/public sentiment helps continue/extend initiatives like this, possibly empowering those people at TSA who care and need the funding or whatever to get these projects off the ground.
Cool to hear you’re working on this and other programs–looking forward to seeing/experiencing what else is brought to market!
Apologies if my comment came off as negative (it was poorly written). I appreciate you highlighting the good.
Going back to pre 9/11 style screening would be a big mistake in my opinion, and I hope it never happens. Some of the articles about GateSide have made it sound like it’s a free for all, and anyone can just go past security, which is not the case at all.
I think leveraging pre-screening to provide a more positive experience is exactly what we should be doing.
I didn’t take it that way at all, so apologies if I came across as defensive!
Definitely agree about pre-screening, and think there’s tremendous potential for that, especially as more people have access to TSA PreCheck for free via credit cards, etc.
I would have loved this for IAH Houston Airport last month. I flew into Houston for a cruise and stayed at the onsite Marriott overnight before taking transportation to the cruise. There are TONS of dining options inside security, but very few outside security. I could have gone back through security after claiming my bag and checking into the hotel with this benefit and had dinner wherever I wanted.
This is actually a fantastic use case, and one I hadn’t even considered. There are a lot of airport hotels like this around the country, too. Thanks for sharing!