A familiar sight from decades past — friends and family walking travelers all the way to the gate — is beginning to reappear at a handful of U.S. airports, as select facilities introduce programs allowing limited post-security access for non-travelers.
Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport in California announced this week that it is launching a guest pass initiative that permits “non-passengers” to enter secured areas of the terminal. The move marks a notable shift from strict post-9/11 security norms that have long restricted gate access to ticketed travelers only.
According to the airport, visitors who want to accompany departing passengers must apply online for security approval, which can be submitted up to seven days before the intended visit. Once the application is reviewed, the Transportation Security Administration will issue an OAK guest pass to approved applicants.
Those granted access will be required to present the guest pass along with a TSA-approved photo ID, such as a passport or Real ID, before proceeding through security. The airport notes on its website that approved guests may enter the post-security side of the terminal to spend time with loved ones prior to departure.
For many travelers, the change revives memories of a very different airport experience. Before 2001, airports across the United States generally allowed anyone — even without a boarding pass — to pass through security checkpoints and wait at the gate. That changed after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, which led to the creation of the TSA and the introduction of federal regulations limiting access to secured areas exclusively to ticketed passengers.
Oakland is not alone in revisiting that earlier model. Several other airports have already implemented similar programs, while additional facilities are considering doing so. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport offers a “hangout pass,” San Antonio International Airport operates a “SAT Pass,” and Kansas City International Airport provides its own “guest pass.” Philadelphia International Airport has introduced a “wingmate pass,” while Detroit Metropolitan Airport issues a “destination pass.”
The return of limited gate access has stirred nostalgia among travelers online. In the “r/travel” forum on Reddit, one user asked, “How was airport security before 2001?” The question prompted a flood of recollections from users who remembered a more communal airport atmosphere.
“One of the biggest differences is that unticketed people could come with you, so family could accompany you to the gate,” wrote one commenter. Another responded, “One of my fondest memories is seeing my grandma as I exited the plane with my brother when my parents sent me out to see her.”
Others recalled airports as social spaces in their own right. “Going to the airport to watch planes was a big deal. Anytime one had to fly, or a friend or family member [was flying off], a whole group would accompany the traveler/s just to get there early and watch planes take off and land,” one user wrote. Another added, “You could go to the airport just to hang out, even if you had no travel plans.”
Some commenters contrasted those memories with the modern experience. One person reminisced about “being able to see people off at the gate (or vice versa). Now you have to say your goodbyes, then walk half a mile to your gate alone.” The same user noted that “being able to greet someone at the gate was nice.”
Oakland officials emphasized that the new access policy is not guaranteed to remain in place permanently. The airport stated on its website, “The OAK Guest Pass is not a permanent program.” The notice adds that, “In response to exigent circumstances or operational needs, the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel the program, cancel approved OAK Guest Passes or modify program rules at any time without prior notice.”
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