New TSA Program Allows Approved PreCheck Members Without Plane Tickets To Meet Or See Off Loved Ones At The Gate
For generations of travelers, walking a loved one all the way to the airport gate was once a normal part of saying goodbye. A new Transportation Security Administration pilot program is bringing back a limited version of that experience.
Gateside by TSA PreCheck allows eligible people without airline tickets to pass through security and enter secure portions of participating airports. That means approved visitors can accompany family or friends to a gate, meet someone arriving from a flight or spend time inside the terminal without actually traveling.
The program is currently available at 13 airports nationwide, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, making DFW the only Texas airport included in the initial rollout. San Antonio International Airport is not currently participating.
How Gateside by TSA PreCheck Works
Unlike some airport-specific visitor pass programs, Gateside is aimed at people who already participate in TSA PreCheck or another eligible trusted traveler program that provides a Known Traveler Number.
Visitors must request a pass before their planned airport visit. Applications generally can be submitted one to three days in advance, and approval may depend on airport capacity and peak travel periods.
Once approved, visitors can present their Gateside authorization and an acceptable form of identification before going through the TSA PreCheck screening lane.
The pass is valid only for the approved visit and is not a permanent authorization to enter secure airport areas. There is no additional charge for a Gateside pass beyond any existing cost associated with maintaining TSA PreCheck or another qualifying trusted traveler membership.
The first 13 participating airports are:
- Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Kansas
- Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana
- Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada
- Los Angeles International Airport in California
- Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Arkansas
- Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma
- Eppley Airfield in Nebraska
- San Diego International Airport in California
- Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah
TSA has indicated the program could expand to additional airports as the rollout continues.
A Small Return To Pre-9/11 Airport Travel
For travelers old enough to remember flying before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the idea is familiar.
Before the attacks led to sweeping changes in U.S. airport security and the creation of the TSA, people without plane tickets could generally accompany friends and relatives much farther into terminals, including to departure gates.
Visitor access became heavily restricted under the security system that followed.
Some airports have since created their own controlled visitor programs. San Diego International Airport, for example, launched its separate SAN Pass program in 2025, allowing approved non-ticketed visitors into secure portions of Terminals 1 and 2.
Gateside expands on that concept through TSA PreCheck, while still requiring screening and advance approval.
For now, San Antonio travelers hoping to walk someone to the gate will have to wait to see whether San Antonio International joins a future expansion.
