TSA’s Gate-Access Pass Shrank From 300 Airports Back to 13

Gateside by TSA PreCheck lets approved PreCheck members apply for a pass that takes them through the security checkpoint without a boarding pass, so they can greet arriving passengers, see a traveler off at the gate or visit the secure side of an airport. Approved visitors use PreCheck lanes, but applicants must be approved and authorized first. It began as a pilot at 13 airports.

On October 2, 2026, the program was expanded to more than 300 airports. According to a November 9 report from the travel blog Your Mileage May Vary, the list was then quietly trimmed back to the original 13 airports, with no public explanation. The post does not name the 13 airports, and no TSA spokesperson is quoted.

A second problem has surfaced in recent days. The blog reports that the application system’s login now returns a SAML error saying the message is invalid, with a code indicating that a timestamp fell outside a 300-second window. The author says the cause is unknown and suggests clock synchronization or request handling as possibilities. There is no word on when the login will be fixed.

For travelers, the practical takeaway is to check before planning a gate-side reunion. About 29 airports run their own visitor-pass programs, which the same blog counts as 42 airports in total offering access for non-ticketed visitors. Most of those local programs do not require PreCheck and use separate application systems, so they may be the more reliable route for now.

Sources: Your Mileage May Vary, TSA