For a generation, a tearful last-minute goodbye to a loved one at an airport gate — or a rom-com-esque plea not to leave — is an experience immortalized only in Hollywood movies that predate Sept. 11, 2001. But now, under a new program, that tradition could be revived.
The Transportation Security Administration said it was offering gate access to people without plane tickets as an “exclusive benefit” to “our most trusted travelers,” meaning PreCheck members and people with Known Traveler Numbers, which are issued to travelers approved for expedited security screening. Gate access was restricted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The program is available at 13 airports, including Los Angeles International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and will be rolled out to other locations in the coming months, the TSA said on its website.
Those interested must apply online one to three days beforehand and receive approval before going to the airport. That means reenacting a romantic, spontaneous “race through the airport” scene from the movies still isn’t on the cards. But the program should ease welcomes, send-offs and meetups during layovers, the TSA said.
Approved members will need to bring ID. Passes are valid for one day, during which reentries are allowed.
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