Will Rogers Airport Joins TSA Gateside Program
Will Rogers Airport Joins TSA Program Allowing Visitors Without Tickets Past Security
A new Transportation Security Administration program will allow some Oklahomans without airline tickets to go through security and accompany family or friends all the way to their airport gate.
Gateside by TSA PreCheck at Will Rogers Airport is now available at OKC Will Rogers International Airport, making Oklahoma City one of just 13 airports nationwide participating in the new program. Eligible visitors can use a free Gateside pass to see someone off at the gate, welcome an arriving passenger, meet someone during a layover or visit restaurants and shops located beyond the security checkpoint.
The program marks a significant change from the restrictions most travelers have known since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, after which access to airport gates became largely limited to ticketed passengers.
Gateside by TSA PreCheck at Will Rogers Airport Allows Non-Travelers to Visit Gates
The new program does not simply open airport security to anyone without a boarding pass.
Visitors must have TSA PreCheck benefits and a Known Traveler Number, or KTN, and must apply for approval before going to the airport.
Applications can be submitted one to three days before the planned airport visit. Once approved, the Gateside pass is free and valid only for the specific visit authorized by TSA.
Approved visitors must bring acceptable identification and their Gateside approval to the airport and will still go through security screening using a TSA PreCheck lane.
Children may also participate but must be included on a parent or guardian's application.
Eligible Oklahoma residents can begin the application process through the official Gateside by TSA PreCheck application portal.
Visitors Can Meet Arriving Passengers or Say Goodbye at the Gate
For Oklahoma families, the program restores something that was once a normal part of air travel: being able to stay with a departing passenger until it is time to board.
Gateside visitors can also pass through security to meet arriving family members and friends at their gate, rather than waiting outside the secure portion of the terminal.
The program can be particularly useful for families seeing off or welcoming loved ones, as well as people who want to spend time with someone passing through Oklahoma City during a layover.
Visitors are also permitted to use participating airport restaurants and retail stores beyond security, even when they are not flying that day.
OKC Will Rogers International Airport is Oklahoma's primary commercial airport and provides nonstop service to destinations across the country. Travelers and visitors can find terminal information, airport maps and current flight information through the OKC Will Rogers International Airport website.
Oklahoma City One of 13 Airports Testing New TSA Program
Oklahoma City joins a relatively small group of airports selected for the initial Gateside program.
The 13 participating airports include facilities in Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, San Diego, Detroit, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, Wichita and Oklahoma City, among others. TSA is evaluating the program as it considers whether Gateside should eventually expand to additional airports.
The program does not change normal airport security requirements. Visitors still must receive advance approval, verify their identity and successfully complete TSA screening before entering the secure terminal.
TSA says visitors who do not have an acceptable form of identification may be able to use its ConfirmID identity verification process for a $45 fee. The Gateside pass itself remains free.
Information about identification requirements at airport checkpoints is available through the Transportation Security Administration identification guidance.
For Oklahomans, Gateside by TSA PreCheck at Will Rogers Airport means a trip to the airport no longer necessarily ends at the security checkpoint for eligible visitors. With advance approval, family and friends can once again walk to the gate, spend a little more time together and be there for the actual goodbye or welcome home.
Comments