TSA May Let You Welcome Your Loved Ones Home Right At The Airport Gate Again

Gather ye round, you youths, and listen to tales of olden times. Once, long ago, you could go right up to the airport gate, even without a boarding pass! And you could welcome a loved one returning home, or wish one a fond farewell on their voyage above land, ocean, and cloud. Perhaps a dear friend would have a layover at your home airport, and you could have dinner with them in the terminal. And then maybe you could do a little shopping, duty-free — yes, free of all tariffs, can you imagine?! All this you could do before the coming of the TSA.

Now, the TSA is at last experimenting with letting you have these freedoms once again. On Tuesday, the federal agency announced Gateside, a program that lets members of TSA PreCheck request entrance to airport terminals even if they're not flying. Initially available in 13 airports, the system allows members to apply online for a pass. This application must be sent one to three days before the planned visit, no more, no less. If the member is approved — and since there are limited passes to start, they might not be — the pass is good for one calendar day, including re-entries. Oh, and I think you can afford it: It's free.

Your best move here? Plan this for a returning loved one, but don't tell them you're doing it. Surprise the daylights out of them. Record it if you can.

The Transportation Security Administration was established in the wake of 9/11 as a response to weaknesses in airport security that allowed terrorists to hijack four planes in one day. As a newly minted federal agency, it was designed to apply a single, standardized security regimen across every American airport. Previously, each one had its own procedure, some of which were less than excellent. Over the years, the TSA has been accused of overdoing it a bit, creating long lines and missed flights. Gateside represents the agency loosening up a bit and letting a few more people inside the airport, provided they've been pre-screened through TSA PreCheck. This is in line with some other proposed changes lately, including letting you keep the shoes on and maybe bring larger liquid bottles.

To begin, Gateside is available at (deep breath):

• Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) in Arizona
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Ohio
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Texas
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) in Michigan
• Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Kansas
• Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indiana
• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Nevada
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California
• Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Arkansas
• Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma
• Eppley Airfield (OMA) in Nebraska
• San Diego International Airport (SAN) in California
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in Utah

TSA plans to expand the program to more airports in the future, though no word on where or when. In the meantime, let's hope this doesn't make airports even more crowded than they already are. In the case of LAX... good luck parking and getting to one of these terminals on foot. Maybe once that Skylink people mover is finally finished!