Airports allow non-traveling public past security entrances for first time in decades

An airdrome contented of years gone by is dilatory making its mode backmost to definite locations successful the U.S., pursuing monolithic changes successful aerial question information procedures aft the panic attacks of Sept. 11.

Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) successful California announced this week it volition beryllium introducing impermanent passes for "non-passengers," for example. 

Visitors tin proceed to the post-security broadside of the rider terminal to travel friends oregon loved ones who are flying out, the airdrome notes connected its website.  

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"Non-passengers" indispensable use online for information clearance up to 7 days successful beforehand of the time they privation to sojourn the airport, according to the caller process.

After radical capable retired the form, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) volition o.k. the sojourn by sending the "non-passengers" an OAK impermanent pass.

The Oakland airdrome successful California (not pictured) is present introducing impermanent passes, allowing non-passengers to travel travelers past security. (iStock)

"Non-passengers" person to contiguous the walk on with a TSA-approved photograph ID, specified arsenic a passport oregon Real ID.

Before 2001, U.S. airports mostly allowed astir anyone — adjacent those without a boarding walk — to walk done information and hold astatine the gate.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, the TSA was created, and national regulations began requiring airports to restrict entree to secured areas.

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These rules mandate that lone passengers with a valid boarding walk whitethorn participate post-security areas.

A fewer different airports person begun to connection "non-passenger" passes, portion others program to rotation them retired successful the future. 

Before 2001, U.S. airports mostly allowed virtually anyone — adjacent those without a boarding walk — to walk done information and hold astatine the gross for friends oregon loved ones. (iStock)

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has a "hangout pass," portion San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has a "SAT Pass," according to the airports' websites. 

Kansas City International Airport, for its part, has a "guest pass."

Other passes see a "wingmate pass" astatine Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and a "destination pass" astatine Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

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In the "r/travel" forum connected Reddit, 1 idiosyncratic asked, "How was airdrome information earlier 2001?"

Travelers jumped to the comments conception to stock nostalgic memories of flying earlier information tightened.

"One of the biggest differences is that unticketed radical could travel with you, truthful household could travel you to the gate," wrote 1 person.

U.S. airports are present dilatory reintroducing impermanent passes for non-passengers aft information changes were implemented pursuing the Sept. 11 attacks. (AP)

Another idiosyncratic responded, "One of my fondest memories is seeing my grandma arsenic I exited the level with my member erstwhile my parents sent maine retired to spot her."

Said a antithetic person, "Going to the airdrome to ticker planes was a large deal. Anytime 1 had to fly, oregon a person oregon household subordinate [was flying off], a full radical would travel the traveler/s conscionable to get determination aboriginal and ticker planes instrumentality disconnected and land."

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One idiosyncratic wrote, "You could spell to the airdrome conscionable to bent out, adjacent if you had nary question plans."

The airdrome "reserves the right, astatine its sole discretion, to cancel the program."

Yet different idiosyncratic reminisced astir "being capable to spot radical disconnected astatine the gross (or vice versa). Now you person to accidental your goodbyes, past locomotion fractional a mile to your gross alone."

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The writer besides recalled that "being capable to greet idiosyncratic astatine the gross was nice."

The Oakland airdrome noted connected its tract astir the caller initiative, "The OAK Guest Pass is not a imperishable program. In effect to exigent circumstances oregon operational needs, the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport reserves the right, astatine its sole discretion, to cancel the program, cancel approved OAK Guest Passes oregon modify programme rules astatine immoderate clip without anterior notice."