Airport security checkpoints have been the end of the line since soon after the 9/11 attacks for most friends and relatives who want to see off departing passengers. That is changing at some U.S. airports.
The Transportation Security Administration is allowing eligible TSA PreCheck members without tickets to pass through security and enter gate areas, reviving a tradition that largely disappeared after the attacks 25 years ago this week.
The program, called Gateside by TSA PreCheck" is free, but interested members must apply online one to three days before their planned visits and receive approval before going to the airport. If approved, they can enter security using a TSA PreCheck lane with an acceptable form of identification. The passes are valid for one calendar day, but reentries are allowed on that day.
This update brought to you by airport restaurants selling $25 fries.
But can I just hang out and watch planes take off and land? I miss that.
I remember dropping off a girlfriend at the airport back in the 90s. The security desk asked me to leave my pocket knife at the security station before preceding to the gate. When I came back, the security guy was gone but there was a plastic box full of knifes and stuff to be retrieved on the honor system.
One of my friends bought one of these boxes from a TSA auction and now just gives free knives to anyone who visits.
Sweet! Free knife box!
Honestly, I only want airplane passengers past the gate. It would be chaos.
TSA is a big reason for the chaos.
I just had a very eye opening trip to Japan and back and their airport security is very simple and quick. The TSA agent at security checking ID is replaced with an a turnstile where you scan your boarding pass. That equivalent employee is instead at one of a dozen baggage scanners moving that line through much quicker. Everything is is run through metal detectors instead of mmWave machines where TSA gets to examine your nude body. It literally took me less than 5 minutes to get through. Meanwhile on my layover in Honolulu, the “10 minute” security line had over a hundred people trying to get through a single body scanner and wasn’t budging an inch.
Furthermore, the gate waiting area had tons of couches and other padded seating, tons of restaurants and high end shops, food court areas, smoking lounges, shower rooms, etc. Airports and airport security in this country is a fucking joke.
Let’s just stop using planes entirely and go back to trains.
I’m afraid the Transatlantic Express is going to be sub-par.
But the journey would be incredible
You could even go as far as saying it would be a fantastic voyage
An odyssey, if you will
Deal
Have you ever been on a Amtrak before? Its a joke too. You might as well be advocating that we all use transporter technology instead. Furthermore, how do you cross an ocean on a train?
You should try a train in Europe sometime, they’re better than flying.
I’d love to but this guy thinks airplanes shouldn’t exist and I can’t afford to waste 6 weeks of vacation on a boat ride to Europe.
I did ride the bullet train and local trains all over Tokyo and Osaka and agree they’re fantastic, cheap, and efficient. That’s a goal to strive for. “Airplanes shouldn’t exist” is nonsense and counterproductive to progress.
I’ve been on many European trains, and an Amtrak or two. Amtrak stations are crap compared to anything in Europe, but the train itself was nice. It had thickly padded seats and lots of room compared to what I usually see in Europe.
How am I going to get to Europe by train to try one?
You cross an ocean on a boat. I’m not talking crappy American stuff I mean public transportation from first world countries.
First world countries with good public transportation use airplanes too, so I’m not sure where you’re sourcing your ideas from. Transporter technology is clearly the better option.
Oh I’m sorry, your opinions have sources? Please list them to continue the conversation.
Please point out where I “asked you for a source.” I stated I don’t know where you’re getting your ideas from because your grand vision only exists in a mythical fantasyland not anywhere on this planet.
This idea also doesn’t accomplish anything other than making people write your opinions off entirely since it makes little sense and would bring harm to tons of people with zero benefits.
TGV and NightJet are amazing, in comparison to American flight. They have their issues, of course.
Yes, let me take a train from Seattle to Hawaii.
Boat
Yes, let me spend a month traveling each way for a two-week vacation.
I tagged that user as a troll months ago, and it has repeatedly proven true. Do yourself a favor and quit feeding them.
How do you tag users?
Tagged, thanks.
I’m sorry you live in a country without proper work life balance.
We were able to assist our ex who was blind even without a ticket because they didn’t have any available guides for him back in 2022
It will help when people ship their kids off to grandma’s, helping eldery out, or whatever. Parents can be there and see the kid onto the plane rather than depending on airline employees to do all the handling.
That said, gates and airports are crowded AF. I don’t like this idea very much other than very limitied circumstances.
I’d have no problem with it if it were free of charge and the lines moved. But it’s not, and they don’t
This is technically not new, several airports already have their own version that doesn’t require tsa pre or a 3 day advance notice.
AFAIK DTW was the first, and they now allow you to print an access pass right at the terminal entrance so you can go through security as a non passenger.
Also to the comments complaining about long lines and traffic, that just means your airport sucks lol. ATL and ORD have some of the most horrendous pedestrian design and understaffed sections in the world. They aren’t 3 hour line busy because of the sheer volume, they just already sucked total garbage at handling that volume.
Git gud
DTW had some very weird roles at the beginning, I think it’s easier now.
When my father traveled I applied and they told me to come to the “office” at 9am on the day of the flight to verify my docs and pick up the pass, but the flight was at 7am. I called and told them about the flight time and told me they could not issue it a day prior and recommended to change my father’s flight…
Because airports and security lines aren’t crowded enough already.
Just a new way to grift
I don’t see how they do that without having to check ID’s at the gates in addition to at TSA… once you have non-travelers allowed back to the gates it’s easy to switch places and you don’t know who is going where…
Somehow, this wasn’t a problem 25 years ago.
Oh stowaways was a huge problem in the 70’s and 80’s… less so as electronic ticket scanners became a thing… but there was always someone doing the “I just need to bring my husband/wife/son something” and hiding out in the Lav until takeoff…hoping for an empty seat to settle into…
Where would they get the extra boarding pass? Also, that’s a problem solved with electronic scanning, not with TSA checkpoints.
You still have to have a valid ticket to board the plane. So I’m not sure what the concern would be.
You give your boarding pass to someone else and they get on the plane instead. Doesn’t seem that complicated.
The person was pre-cleared by TSA, aka who really cares if they swapped places. They were already cleared to not be a threat as much as the person with the ticket?
If you are on a no fly list or have a warrant out for your arrest, I assume you won’t pass the TSA pre-check.
You give your boarding pass to someone else and they get on the plane instead.
And when the ID match and picture check at the gate doesn’t pass? Have you flown, like, ever?
Doesn’t seem that complicated.
I’m a twin, and I’m not sure my clone could pass on my ticket and passport. It’s not complicated, but it’s better security than TSA.
Ive never once been asked to show ID at the gate on any domestic flight in the US and fly several times a year. On this most recent trip I was asked to show my passport when boarding in Honolulu to Tokyo and again when boarding in Osaka to Honolulu but that’s it.
Someone else mentioned that gate agents can see your photo when they scan your boarding pass and someone else pointed out that you have to already be cleared by TSA pre-check to even make it this far, so it’s not something I’m even concerned about. I was just answering the question of how someone could swap places with a ticket holder to board a flight.
Ive never once been asked to show ID at the gate on any domestic flight in the US and fly several times a year. On this most recent trip I was asked to show my passport when boarding in Honolulu to Tokyo and again when boarding in Osaka to Honolulu but that’s it.
Someone else mentioned that gate agents can see your photo when they scan your boarding pass and someone else pointed out that you have to already be cleared by TSA pre-check to even make it this far, so it’s not something I’m even concerned about. I was just answering the question of how someone could swap places with a ticket holder to board a flight.
Person-A has a ticket, Person-B accompanies to the gate… switching places with Person-A because who knows why…
I mean, neither method makes sense… I’d rather they ID check at boarding and forget the whole massive choke point that is the TSA checkin…
Are we worried about people doing crimes on the plane, or just generally worried about controlling what people do and where they go?
Why is it your concern if someone goes to a different place than they said they would?
I think they’re probably worried aboutnall or those things.
From a security perspective, if two people and the luggage clear screening, and one ticketed person proceeds to fly with the luggage, then it doesn’t matter which one of them it was, right? I’m sure it’s against the rules and the airlines might care. But just gaming the scenario out, I don’t see how a pre-screened gate visitor changes the security posture as long as one of them boards the plane with the luggage.
I think that’s more about making sure they know who is flying…it’s more about accountability than it is managing who is travelling. So much of our airport security is performative, it doesn’t actually matter… They don’t care that Bob blew the plane up, they care that they can put a picture on TV saying “This is who did it”
I’m not sure why someone would want to do this and even if they did I’m not sure why it would be a major issue.
I don’t have info here for a full system, but my airport is one of these that allows the non-passengers through TSA permission. When you scan your boarding pass at the jet bridge to get on the plane, a picture of your face comes up on the display and the airline gate worker appears to verify the person with the boarding pass matches the person entering.
With facial recognition and other shit they might not even care anymore.
It’s possible… My opinion on it is kinda worthless…I don’t fly anymore… Last plane trip I took was in 2019. I’m at the point where if I can’t drive there, I have no interest in going.
I flew a couple times prior to 9/2001. I did not enjoy the random solicitors bothering me as I waited for a flight. I enjoy knowing everyone in the terminal is there for flying business and not pan handling or evangelism or some other ulterior motive that cuts into my interverted leave me alone so I can focus on my trip vibe.
You can just tell those people to fuck off, same as in any other public space.
I’m pathologically polite and non-confrontational and the anxiety of interacting is less intense than the anxiety of feeling like an asshole. I’m not great at enforcing my boundaries, so I appreciate it when societal policy sets them for me.
I used to be the same, but spending enough time in large cities helped me build the defenses I needed in order to tell those in need of off-fucking to do just that.
Sad how socially-enriched urban environments seem to best bring out my antisociality.
This assholes started it. You get to end it.
I have TSA Pre, and I could see using this if, say, my kid was travelling solo (which is increasingly likely).
You could always do this for kids
Don’t they just check ID at the security line? Are they running that ID through a database of some sort to make sure you’re flying?
