online<\/a>.<\/p>\nTSA reviews the application and has the ultimate authority to approve or reject it. <\/p>\n
\u201cIndividuals who are granted a gate pass by the airport are thoroughly vetted and go through the same TSA security screening as ticketed passengers before being allowed to proceed through our security checkpoint,\u201d TSA said in an emailed statement to The Times.<\/p>\n
If the application is requesting same-day entrance, the requesting visitor will receive an email with their approval status within approximately 15 minutes. <\/p>\n
Visitors who submit their application in advance will receive their approval status on the day of their visit, after midnight. <\/p>\n
When TSA approves an application, the visitor will get an approval email that includes an attachment of their electronic OAK Guest Pass.<\/p>\n
Upon entering the OAK security checkpoints, visitors must show their digital OAK Guest Pass along with their TSA-approved photo ID \u2014 printed passes are not accepted. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf a gate pass holder does not present an acceptable form of ID, they will not be permitted to enter the secure area of the airport,\u201d TSA said in a statement. \u201cThe same security standards and protocols apply to gate pass holders to ensure the safety of all passengers, airport employees and the traveling public.\u201d<\/p>\n
Which California airports offer guest passes<\/p>\n
Several California airports currently allow the public to apply for guest passes. <\/p>\n
Each airport has different rules and restrictions. Check the airport\u2019s website for details. <\/p>\n
Why airports stopped allowing \u201cmeeters and greeters\u201d<\/p>\n
Before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, anyone could go to a terminal gate without a ticket or identification, said Jeffrey Price, owner of Leading Edge Strategies, an airport management training company. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou could just take your family right to the gate or pick them up right at the gate,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t troublesome to go through airport security then; the lines were short and quick because screening \u201cwasn\u2019t that thorough,\u201d Price said. <\/p>\n
At the time, security screening technology wasn\u2019t where it needed to be to detect known threats, he said. <\/p>\n
The 9\/11 attacks launched the creation of TSA, a federalized security force, replacing different contracted security companies for each airport. TSA\u2019s procedures became much stricter, including prohibiting non-passengers from going beyond security checkpoints. This allowed TSA to focus on screening just airline passengers, not visitors.<\/p>\n
Since the creation of TSA, the agency has implemented X-ray machines for passengers and their luggage, biometric technology, pre-check in programs and the nationwide implementation of the Real ID.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we move towards more advanced technology, I think you see that the risk begins to slightly lower and lower as you go throughout the years,\u201d said Ryan Propis, vice president of security and facilitation for the U.S. Travel Assn. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe risk has reduced enough to where I think TSA has felt that they can sort of lean in here and allow folks to access certain parts of the airport,\u201d Propis said. <\/p>\n
Why airports want visitors<\/p>\n
Travel and security experts say this is a positive move for both consumers and the airport industry. <\/p>\n
The more that is invested on security technology and related programs, the more of an enjoyable experience visitors have spending time at an airport, Propis said. Airports can then become hubs for travel and connection as they once were. <\/p>\n
Before the 9\/11 terrorist attacks, airports had adopted a shopping mall concept that allowed visitors to dine and shop at higher-end retailers in the concourse areas. <\/p>\n
With the implementation of the guest pass, airports hope to re-create that type of atmosphere and opportunity for commerce, said John E. DiScala, creator of travel tips and deals website Johnny Jet. <\/a> <\/p>\nTo date, some international airports have successfully made their facility a destination, including the Singapore Changi Airport, where people visit to shop or dine, he said.<\/p>\n
How guest passes can affect overall travel<\/p>\n
The only challenge the guest pass presents is the potential for longer security lines, DiScala said. <\/p>\n
The more people to screen, the longer the wait time. <\/p>\n
That can be alleviated if TSA hires more staffers and opens up more security checkpoint lanes, some of which are rarely opened, depending on the airport, he said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some California airports are welcoming non-airline passengers through the security gate in an effort to return to a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99608,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4700,54325,23488,7,9,8,217,54323,9982,53395,24246,54321,16208,54322,53394,54324,5173,12382],"class_list":["post-99607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-airport","tag-airport-security","tag-application","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-day","tag-first-served-program","tag-gate","tag-guest-pass","tag-more-time","tag-oak-guest-pass-program","tag-passenger","tag-ryan-propis","tag-security-checkpoint","tag-travel-expert","tag-tsa","tag-visitor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}