TSA PreCheck members can now access gate areas without tickets at select airports
The Transportation Security Administration has launched a pilot program allowing eligible PreCheck members to pass security and enter gate areas without a boarding pass at 13 airports, with plans to expand.
The Transportation Security Administration announced a pilot program that lets qualified TSA PreCheck members move through security and enter gate areas even if they do not have a boarding pass. The initiative, named Gateside by TSA PreCheck, is being rolled out at 13 airports, including Los Angeles International, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Harry Reid International in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City International. Participants must apply online one to three days before their visit and receive approval; passes are free and valid for a single calendar day, with re-entry permitted on the same day. The program also extends to members of other trusted-traveler schemes who possess a Known Traveler Number. TSA said the move restores a pre-9/11 practice that allowed friends and family to accompany passengers to the gate, and the agency plans to add more airports in the coming months.
"As an exclusive benefit for our most 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," the agency said on its website.