TSA PreCheck Now Unlocks Access to Visit Airports Without a Plane Ticket

For most Americans, meeting someone at the airport gate feels like a distant memory of a world before the Sept. 11 attacks. But that ritual could be making a comeback, if you have T.S.A. PreCheck.

The Transportation Security Administration is making it easier for members of PreCheck and other trusted traveler programs like Global Entry to go beyond security at more than a dozen airports, even when they aren’t flying.

Under the new program, called Gateside, PreCheck members can apply one to three days in advance to pass through security at 13 U.S. airports, whether it’s to meet a friend, see off a family member or even to meet someone for dinner during a layover. There is no extra charge for Gateside, though PreCheck costs about $80 for five years.

A T.S.A. spokesperson said that the program began last week at airports including Dallas Fort Worth International, Los Angeles International and Harry Reid International, in Las Vegas.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/travel/tsa-precheck-airports-security-non-flyers.html