The TSA is testing a new program called Gateside by TSA PreCheck that allows PreCheck members with a Known Traveler Number to pass through security and reach airport gate areas without a plane ticket. Travelers apply online one to three days before their visit, get approved, and can use the pass for a full calendar day. Access goes through the standard PreCheck lanes, and reentries are allowed.
The program launches at 13 airports, including Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. Sacramento International isn’t on the initial list, but the TSA says it plans to add more airports in the coming months. For Sacramento travelers who remember pre-9/11 air travel, this program marks a shift in how airports operate. Before the 2001 attacks, friends and family routinely walked travelers to their gates. That practice ended with the security overhaul that followed.
If Gateside expands to SMF, locals could meet arriving family right at the gate, grab lunch with someone on a layover, or walk a first-time flyer all the way to the jet bridge. The question is whether the community sees this as a welcome return to normal or a security risk worth debating. What do you think?
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
