Longer Goodbyes are Now Possible at the Billings Airport
Not to sound like grandad telling you a tale about the "good old days," but way back in the pre-2001 times, going to the airport was a much different experience. Pre-9/11, there was no such thing as the TSA.
Anyone, with or without a ticket, could basically walk right up to the gates. If your loved one was jetting off for work, vacation, or whatever, you could hang out at the gate as long as you'd like.
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Perhaps you'd sit in the concourse and watch their plane take off, lingering long after the "final call for boarding" went over the loudspeakers. On the flip side, you could be right there waiting for them at the gate when they came home, instead of crowding around the baggage claim.
Of course, the world will never return to what is what like before September 11, 2001, but things are getting just a tad friendlier at airports across the United States, including Billings Logan International.
The Gateside by TSA PreCheck program is now available in Billings.
The TSA is rolling out the Gateside PreCheck service. According to a 10/6 press release from BIL, the program will allow qualified individuals without boarding passes to be screened and go beyond the TSA passenger screening checkpoint.
“The Gateside by TSA PreCheck program is a welcome addition to the airport experience at BIL,” said Jeff Roach, Director of Aviation and Transit, “you can now go to the gate to see travelers off, greet arriving passengers, or just to experience post-security amenities at the airport.”
A few things you need to know about TSA Gateside PreCheck.
The program only allows 50 people per day beyond the TSA security gates at BIL. You can participate anytime the TSA gates are staffed, and you must leave the concourse before 8 PM.
Individuals will need to pre-register with TSA at least 24 hours in advance, but not more than three days ahead. You can do that HERE.
I like this program a lot. The days of sitting by yourself for two hours before your flight can now be a thing of the past.
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