TSA launches airport gate access program for PreCheck members without tickets
The Transportation Security Administration has launched a new program allowing certain travelers to enter airport gate areas without boarding passes, marking a significant shift in airport access policies that have been in place since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The program, called "Gateside by TSA PreCheck," enables eligible members of the TSA PreCheck trusted traveler program to pass through security checkpoints and access gate areas for purposes such as meeting arriving passengers, seeing off departing travelers, or dining and shopping in airport terminals. The initiative launched in early September 2026, with Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport beginning to offer access on September 2.
"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, bringing back the moments that once defined air travel," TSA stated.
The program is currently available at 13 airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City International Airport. TSA has announced plans to expand the initiative to additional airports in coming months.
How the program works
Gateside access is free for TSA PreCheck members, though the underlying PreCheck membership itself costs between $76.75 and $85 depending on the enrollment provider—IDEMIA, CLEAR, or Telos—with membership valid for five years. Members of other trusted-traveler programs who possess a Known Traveler Number may also apply for gate access.
Interested participants must apply online one to three days before their planned visits and receive approval before arriving at the airport. Approved visitors can enter security using a TSA PreCheck lane with acceptable identification. The passes remain valid for one calendar day, with re-entries permitted during that period, though airports reserve the right to limit daily guest authorizations based on terminal capacity, staffing levels, and expected passenger volumes.
The TSA PreCheck program, which currently operates at more than 200 airports with 97 airlines participating as of August 2026, was first introduced as a pilot program in October 2011 with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. According to TSA, 99% of TSA PreCheck members wait less than 10 minutes in airport security lines.
Historical context
Before the September 11 attacks, families and friends could easily accompany travelers all the way to departure gates, and it was possible to arrive at the airport just 20 to 30 minutes before a domestic flight. The coordinated terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which killed 2,977 people in New York City, at the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, prompted sweeping changes to airport security protocols, including strict restrictions on access to secure areas of airports.
The new Gateside program represents a partial return to pre-9/11 airport traditions, though with significant security vetting requirements. Federal officials characterize the initiative as a test of whether the rigorous background vetting required for TSA PreCheck membership is robust enough to safely accommodate non-ticketed visitors without creating security vulnerabilities.
While Gateside is a new TSA-administered program, more than 20 U.S. airports already operate independent non-ticketed visitor programs that do not require TSA PreCheck enrollment. The Gateside program differs by tying access specifically to TSA PreCheck eligibility and providing a standardized framework across participating airports.
