TSA Quietly Reverses Gate Access, but Sea-Tac Still Has It

Remember meeting someone at the gate? For a few weeks this fall, it felt like 1995. You could park, clear security, and wait at the gate to hug someone coming off a plane, or walk a traveler to their flight. No boarding pass needed. TSA called it Gateside by TSA PreCheck, and for a moment it brought back something air travel hasn’t offered since 9/11.

Then it quietly got smaller.

What Happened in 12 Days

The program started small. It soft-launched on September 9 at 13 airports. In early October, it expanded to roughly 300, and PreCheck members could apply for free passes to go through security with nothing to fly. They could greet arriving passengers, see off a traveler, or just wander the shops and restaurants.

Less than two weeks later, TSA rolled it back to the original 13 airports. It didn’t announce the change. The agency says only that the program is in an “operational assessment phase,” and that it’s evaluating participation and operational impacts. It hasn’t said why it reversed the expansion. Some airports, including Norfolk International, say they were told the program is on hold indefinitely, aside from the pilot sites.

Canva

Washington Travelers, Here’s the Good News

Sea-Tac is one of the 13 pilot airports, so the program is still available there. It isn’t open to everyone, though. You need TSA PreCheck membership or a Known Traveler Number, and you have to apply one to three days before your visit. The pass itself is free.

That means a PreCheck member here in Washington could meet a returning relative at the gate, at least at Sea-Tac. Anyone without PreCheck still waits at the bottom of the escalator or at baggage claim.

If you’re planning to try it, check the TSA website before you go. With the rollout paused, the list of airports could change. And if you’ve been thinking about enrolling in PreCheck, this might be one more reason to consider it.

The agency says more airports are coming “in the coming months.” Until then, it’s a small step back toward an old ritual, and one Seattle travelers can still take.