ATLANTA, GA — A familiar airport experience that largely disappeared after September 11, 2001, is beginning to make a comeback. A new Transportation Security Administration program allows certain people without airline tickets to pass through security and accompany family members or friends to their departure gates.
The program, called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, is currently available at 13 participating airports across the country. Eligible TSA PreCheck members can apply for permission to enter the secure side of an airport even when they aren’t scheduled to fly.
More Time With Family Before a Flight
The program could be particularly valuable for military families saying goodbye before lengthy deployments or training assignments. It may also make traveling easier for parents with young children, older passengers and others who could benefit from having a family member help them through the airport and all the way to the gate.
Before the security changes that followed the September 11 attacks, it was common for friends and relatives to accompany passengers to their gates. For most travelers, that practice ended as airports introduced tighter restrictions on access to secure areas.
Gateside offers a limited return of that experience while maintaining today’s security screening requirements.
How the New Program Works
Travelers interested in using Gateside must apply online one to three days before the planned airport visit. Approval is required, and an approved pass is only valid for the designated day.
Receiving a pass doesn’t allow visitors to bypass security. Non-ticketed visitors must still go through TSA screening before they can enter the secure area and head toward the gates.
The program is free for eligible participants.
What About Atlanta’s Airport?
Travelers in Atlanta will have to wait for now.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is not currently one of the 13 participating airports. However, TSA says Gateside is expected to expand to additional airports in the coming months.
The timing of the initiative is particularly notable as the United States approaches the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which dramatically transformed airport security nationwide.
For participating travelers, Gateside represents a modern version of an old airport tradition: getting a little more time with loved ones before they take off.
(Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
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