During its Investor Day on Tuesday, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines shared a slew of announcements about its fast-paced expansion efforts, including details about new premium cabin products and lie-flat suites for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines aircraft, new lounges in Seattle, Honolulu and San Diego, new options for how you can earn ATMOS points from flights and some new options for earning Alaska points with a partner debit card.
The carrier also announced plans to join American Airlines’ Atlantic and Pacific Joint Businesses, which will help expand its international network.
Read more about the details and the timelines for these new programs here.
If Alaska Airlines is already your favorite airline, or if you’re considering shifting and consolidating your allegiances, this is a great time to make the move.
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) joins the TSA Gateside program
The list of airports that welcome non-ticketed visitors into the terminals is getting longer.
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) just announced that it’s joining the airports around the country participating in the Gateside by TSA PreCheck program, which offers non-fliers with a PreCheck/Known Traveler Number (KTN) the option to apply for a pass to enter a participating airport through the TSA PreCheck lane.
The program rolled out in September, 2026 with 13 participating airports – including DFW, DTW, LAX, LAS and others – and the promise of more to come. And now, with SJC’s announcement of participating in the program, we’re seeing new airports hop on.
Gateside by TSA PreCheck isn’t the only way non-ticketed visitors can go past the security checkpoint to hang with friends or family at the gate, welcome loved one who are arriving, or just shop, eat and watch the planes come and go.
About 20 airports around the country, including SFO, SEA, ABQ, PHL, BNA and others, offer their own branded gate pass programs, but are not permitted to let pass holders use the pre-check lanes.
You can see a list of those airports here.
Awards for us
Stuck at the Airport creator, Harriet Baskas, was presented an Excellence in Travel Media Award this week at the invite-only Travel & Words Conference hosted by the Premier Media Group.
Here are some of nice words that came with the award:
To call the recipient of this award a travel journalist is an understatement. She is a cultural detective, a historian of the quirky, and a master storyteller who reminds us that the journey is just as vital as the destination, especially when you are stuck at the airport.
StuckatTheAirport.com also landed a spot (#8) on Feedspot’s list of “30 Best Business Travel Blogs to Follow in 2026.”
