TSA brings back gate access for some people without plane tickets 25 years after 9/11

LAS VEGAS (AP) — For decades, the airport security checkpoint has marked the end of the road for friends and relatives seeing off a traveler. That is changing for some travelers.

The Transportation Security Administration has launched a new program at some U.S. airports allowing eligible TSA PreCheck members without plane tickets to pass through security and enter the gates, reviving a tradition that largely disappeared after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks nearly 25 years ago.

“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 said on its website.

Before 9/11, people without tickets generally could accompany travelers to the gate. The attacks prompted sweeping changes to airport security, including restrictions on access to secure areas of airports.

The program, called “Gateside by TSA PreCheck,” is free, but people must apply online one to three days before their planned visit and receive approval before going to the airport. If approved, they can enter through a TSA PreCheck lane with an acceptable form of identification. The pass is valid for one calendar day, and visitors can re-enter that day.

TSA says members of other trusted-traveler programs who have a Known Traveler Number also can apply for access to the gates.

The program is initially 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, according to TSA. But the agency says it plans to expand the program to more airports in the coming months.