TSA PreCheck members can now clear security at select airports without flying, thanks to a new centralized program called Gateside, live at 13 US airports.
The real use for this is lounge access from international arrivals.
@ yoloswag420 -- That's a great point, thanks! I just updated the post to reflect that.
You can clear security without a flight....great!
BUT, if ARRIVING internationally, can you get into the lounges without a boarding pass for a departing flight in a timeframe of a few hours?
Ugh, just when I thought the trope of making a big romantic gesture at the departure gate à la Love Actually was a thing of the past.
What’s more romantic than scheduling your big gesture at least one but no more than three days in advance?
Now, if only lounges would allow their members entry without a flight, I'd never pay for 'meals,' again. (What's for dinner? Oh, you know, La Guardia's Chase Sapphire, yet again...)
I mean, you can always book an LGA TB ticket on miles, go to the lounge, and then refund the ticket before boarding. I'm sure if you did that once a year no one would say anything... it certainly happens sometimes that you have to cancel a business trip while you're at the airport.
As nice as the CSR lounge is though, still have to get to LGA. Maybe if you already live in Queens...
The idea of going to an airport without a flight, absolutely no appeal.
However, he is a geek. As in the 1920s definition, a sideshow freak who bites the heads off chickens.
Yay! More folks in the terminal! YAY!
If too many non-flying people , this will clog up everything with mischief-makers and charity-solicitors , causing numerous crowd-jams .
No O'Hare, no care.
Awesome. More people in DFW...
Yeah I see two real uses for this - lounges after an international arrival (as you pointed out), and VIP greeter services for an international arrival (who in the past, outside of a few very specific vendors, could only meet clients in the arrivals hall after immigration).
I understand people complaining about too many people in the terminal now, but how many people are realistically taking advantage of this... I can't imagine many.
Honestly, great for Avgeeks and maybe family dropping someone off, but otherwise is sounds like a weird investment for a country, that feels that TSA takes too much money and should be replaced with private security.
By-standers everywhere kibbutzing and teasing the passengers and crew .
Bystanders forming agricultural collective settlements in an airport? I'd like to see that.
Just another example of why unclean goys shouldn't try to use Yiddish. The word's "kibitzing".
Very useful if at DFW - say you arrive a day early, and overnight at one of the Hyatt's, for an early flight the next morning. Then you can go back into the airport for dining or accessing the AA club that evening.
To pluralize the word Hyatt, add an s. Like this: Hyatts. That's how you pluralize something. Hyatt's is possessive- which means something belonging to Hyatt. Makes no sense in this circumstance. This is basic grammar.
We have this for everyone at SEA (SEA Visitor Pass) and I use it about 90% of the time when picking people up from the airport and even 5% of the time when dropping them off. Would love to use TSA Precheck for it vs the one single allowed lane at SEA that has the special iPad for their program.
Australia has had this forever. Anyone can go through security at a domestic airport - there's no need to be flying, or to book in advance.
The number of people who go to the hassle and expense of going to an airport and clearing security without flying is tiny. It won't make any measurable difference to wait times or crowding.
Cant wait for this to be extended to IAD. Who wouldnt want to go to Concourse D for a quiet evening with the wife...
Like every other recent ideas.
It looks good on paper and will be terrible on execution.
So now you're putting more burden on the under paid and under staffed TSA?
I guess long lines are not long enough anymore?
I welcome the idea. But the current infrastructure just doesn't support it.
You shouldn't add more people to stretch the system further. You should do it only when the system is idle. You had all of 2020 to do it during Covid but no you have to do it when air travel is at all time high and increasing.
By the way, Changi is still overrated no matter how much you try to worship it.
This is will be super helpful when I have in laws visiting me. They speak only speak Polish.
But only if they arrive on a domestic flight. The pass won't get you through customs/immigration.
This isn't mainly going to be used by people who want to take advantage of lounges or whatever. It's going to be used by the same kinds of people who took advantage of terminal access before the passengers-only restrictions: by family members picking up or dropping off their loved ones at the gate, especially children, elderly people, disabled people, and those who don't speak English fluently.
I suspect we might see some high-end car services add "meet passenger at the gate" for an extra charge.
PreCheck Touchless ID needs to be associated with an airline, but if you have already done that can you enter without a flight? Or do you always need a ticket for Touchless ID?
If so, then this could be useful when flying an airline that doesn't have Touchless ID. Looking at you BA.
"Or do you always need a ticket for Touchless ID?"
You need a ticket because you need the boarding pass for touchless ID, as touchless is indicated on the BP itself.