Remember the days when you could bid adieu to your loved ones right before they boarded the plane? Well, the trend is slowly coming back, but with a few hoops to hump through.
Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport is the newest airport to join the growing list of hubs that offer guests passes, allowing people without a boarding pass to head through TSA and into the terminal.
Airports are not, by any stretch, the most relaxing places on earth. They’re loud, crowded and filled with people stressed about delays and long security lines. Still, many miss being able to send off or welcome home friends and family right at the gate. For more than two decades, those moments have been off limits.
After September 11, 2001, access beyond TSA checkpoints was restricted to ticketed passengers only. The goodbye hug before boarding became a thing of the past. The welcome-home sign was moved to baggage claim. For a generation of travelers, gate-side hellos and farewells became a pre-9/11 relic. That's finally starting to change.
OAK’s new Guest Pass program allows non-passengers to apply online for security clearance up to seven days in advance. If approved by TSA, visitors receive a digital pass via email, which they present at the security checkpoint just like a boarding pass—same rules apply.
Once inside, guests can do more than just wave at a departing flight. They can meet and greet arriving friends, escort family members to the gate or simply enjoy the airport’s restaurants, bars and shops without actually going anywhere. Same-day applications are allowed, too, though capacity is capped by time slot. Other airports offering guest passes operate in a similar fashion, but with some differences in policies and procedures.
Many airports have become lifestyle destinations, and while guest passes give non-passengers more time to say goodbye, they also offer locals the chance to experience all the airports have to offer. Mall-level shopping, upscale dining and even live music and art are all a draw. For the airports, guest passes mean more foot traffic and more revenue.
This isn’t a return to the anything-goes airports of yore. Each hub sets its own rules, names its own pass and limits how many guests can enter per day. TSA still vets every applicant using Real ID or passport details. But, for many, this is a welcome change.
U.S. airports offering guest passes to non-passengers
Seattle-Tacoma (SEA): SEA Visitor Pass
Detroit Metro (DTW): Destination Pass
Orlando (MCO): MCO Experience Pass
New Orleans (MSY): Indulge MSY Guest Pass
Philadelphia (PHL): Wingmate Pass
Oakland (OAK): OAK Guest Pass
San Antonio (SAT): SAT Pass
Kansas City (MCI): MCI Guest Pass
Cleveland Hopkins (CLE): Hopkins Hangout Pass
John Wayne (SNA) (Orange County): OC AirPass
Ontario (ONT): ONT+ Visitor Pass