TSA’s New Gateside Program Lets You Meet or Accompany Loved Ones at the Gate

For more than two decades, meeting someone at the airport has usually meant waiting outside the security checkpoint. TSA’s new Gateside program is beginning to change that.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has launched Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a new program that allows approved non-travelers to pass through security and meet arriving passengers at the gate or accompany departing travelers to their gate.

It also gives approved visitors access to restaurants and shops located beyond the security checkpoint.

How It Works

Gateside is available to eligible TSA PreCheck members and others with a Known Traveler Number (KTN).

This isn’t a return to the pre-9/11 days when someone could simply walk through security without a boarding pass. Visitors must apply in advance and receive approval.

Participants generally need to:

• Have eligible TSA PreCheck benefits or a Known Traveler Number

• Apply for Gateside access one to three days before the planned visit

• Receive approval before entering the secure area

• Bring an acceptable form of identification

• Go through TSA security screening

The Gateside pass does not serve as a boarding pass and cannot be used to board an aircraft.

There is no additional fee for eligible participants, and approval is not guaranteed. Access may also be limited during busy travel periods.

Where You Can Use It

Gateside has initially launched at 13 airports:

• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

• Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA)

• San Diego International Airport (SAN)

• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)

• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)

• Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)

• Indianapolis International Airport (IND)

• Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT)

• Will Rogers International Airport (OKC)

• Eppley Airfield (OMA)

Additional airports are expected to be added as the program expands.

A Welcome Change for Families

For many families, having the opportunity to meet or accompany someone at the gate could mean a lot.

Military families are one example. Airport departures and homecomings are a familiar part of military life. Being able to accompany a service member to the gate before a departure, or be waiting at the gate when they return, can provide families with a little more time together.

The program could also be helpful for parents, grandparents, families traveling with children, or anyone who could use some additional support getting to the gate.

And sometimes, it’s simply about being there when someone you care about arrives or spending a little more time together before a flight.

What to Know Before You Go

Gateside isn’t available at every airport, and visitors can’t simply arrive at the security checkpoint and request access.

Check whether your airport participates and confirm your eligibility before making plans. Applications must be submitted in advance, and access is subject to approval and airport conditions.

Most importantly, Gateside changes who may be allowed beyond the checkpoint - not the requirement to go through security screening. Approved visitors are still screened before entering the secure area.

For travelers and families, it’s an interesting shift in an airport experience that has been largely unchanged for more than two decades.

As Gateside expands, Affordable Skies will continue following the program and sharing what travelers need to know.