But can I just hang out and watch planes take off and land? I miss that.

This update brought to you by airport restaurants selling $25 fries.

We were able to assist our ex who was blind even without a ticket because they didn’t have any available guides for him back in 2022

I remember dropping off a girlfriend at the airport back in the 90s. The security desk asked me to leave my pocket knife at the security station before preceding to the gate. When I came back, the security guy was gone but there was a plastic box full of knifes and stuff to be retrieved on the honor system.

This is technically not new, several airports already have their own version that doesn't require tsa pre or a 3 day advance notice.

AFAIK DTW was the first, and they now allow you to print an access pass right at the terminal entrance so you can go through security as a non passenger.

Also to the comments complaining about long lines and traffic, that just means your airport sucks lol. ATL and ORD have some of the most horrendous pedestrian design and understaffed sections in the world. They aren't 3 hour line busy because of the sheer volume, they just already sucked total garbage at handling that volume.

It will help when people ship their kids off to grandma’s, helping eldery out, or whatever. Parents can be there and see the kid onto the plane rather than depending on airline employees to do all the handling.

That said, gates and airports are crowded AF. I don’t like this idea very much other than very limitied circumstances.

Honestly, I only want airplane passengers past the gate. It would be chaos.

Because airports and security lines aren't crowded enough already.

I don't see how they do that without having to check ID's at the gates in addition to at TSA... once you have non-travelers allowed back to the gates it's easy to switch places and you don't know who is going where...

I flew a couple times prior to 9/2001. I did not enjoy the random solicitors bothering me as I waited for a flight. I enjoy knowing everyone in the terminal is there for flying business and not pan handling or evangelism or some other ulterior motive that cuts into my interverted leave me alone so I can focus on my trip vibe.

I have TSA Pre, and I could see using this if, say, my kid was travelling solo (which is increasingly likely).