Airport gate pass

Orlando Int’l Airport welcomes non-ticketed guests

Airport Terminals

Yesterday we shared the news that Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) has joined the growing list of airports that welcome non-ticketed guests with it OAK Guest Pass Program.

That brought our list of airports with guest pass programs to 19.

Today we learned of one more.

Orlando International Airport (MCO) has now rebooted and expanded its Experience MCO Visitor Pass Program, which now allows non-ticketed guests to apply to visit not just the post-security areas of Terminal C, but Terminals A & B as well.

Airport guest pass programs allow non-ticketed guests to go through the security checkpoint and access the secure side of a terminal to dine, shop, see the art and spend more time with family and friends.

Each airport has its own set of rules for how many guests are invited and when guests are permitted in the terminals. But everyone who applies for a pass must provide and present a TSA-approved identification and go through security screeing.

Here is the current list of airports offering guest pass programs

Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) in Ohio has the CAK Guest Pass Program.

Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) offers the FlySide Pass

Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in Lansing, MI has the LAN Visitor Pass.

Cleveland Hopkins Interational Airport (CLE) offers the Hopkins Hangout Pass.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) is home to the DTW Destinaton Pass.

Kansas City International Airport (MCI) offers the MCI Guest Pass Program

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) has the MSY Guest Pass program.

Nashville International Airport (BNA) welcomes guests with its BNA Passport.

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) program is called the the Wingmate Pass.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA): SEA Visitor Pass Program.

OC AirPass at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA.

Oakland San Francisco Bay Area Airport (OAK) now has the OAK Guest Pass Program.

ONT+ Visitor Pass Program at California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Orlando International Airport (MCO) has rebooted and expanded its Experience MCO Visitor Pass Program

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) has a Stay and Play Visitor Pass

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has a SAT Pass for guests.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) offers the SAN Pass for Terminals 1 and 2.

Tampa International Airport and its TPA All Access pass is back on the list.

Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in Pasco, WA offers the PSC Pass.

Tulsa International Airport (TUL) has the TUL Visitor Pass Program.

Get past security at these airports without a ticket

Airport Terminals,

You don’t have to have superpowers to get past the security checkpoint at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) without an airline ticket.

That’s because, starting August 11, 2025, CLE is launching a guest pass program called The Hopkins Hangout Pass.

The program allows non-ticketed guests to apply for a pass that will give them access to the secure side of the airport to greet an arriving traveler, spend more time with a friend or family member before a flight or just hang out at the airport to shop, dine or watch planes take off and land.

Guests must submit their request at least 24 hours in advance, but not more than a week in advance and can begin applying for passes on August 6th. Here’s the Hopkins Hangout Pass portal.

Passes will be limited to 100 per day, and guests will only be allowed past security from 7 am until 10 pm.

What other airports offer gate passes to non-ticketed guests?

CLE joins a growing list of airports that offer gate passes to non-ticketed guests. The list includes:

The Wingmate Pass at Philadelphia International Airport. Limited to 100 visitors a day.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA): SEA Visitor Pass Program. Limited to 300 guests per day.

The MSY Guest Pass Program at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

DTW Destinaton Pass at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW).

BNA Passport at Nashville International Airport (BNA). Limit of 75 visitors per day.

Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in Lansing, MI: the LAN Visitor Pass. Limited to 25 visitors per day.

OC AirPass at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA,

ONT+ Visitor Pass Program at California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Kansas City International Airport (MCI) recently rolled out its MCI Guest Pass Program

Palm Springs International Airport has a Stay and Play Visitor Pass

At Orlando International Airport (MCO), the MCO Visitor Pass Program for Terminal C is on hold as of July, 2025.

And we hope that Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), the first airport to offer a gate pass program for non-ticketed passengers, will revive its MyPITPass program when the new landside terminal opens, sometime this fall.

Have we missed any airport gate programs? Let us know!

Another airport adds a gate pass program

Airport guides, , , , , , , ,

A growing number of airports make it easy for the non-traveling public to get visitor passes to the secure side of the passenger terminal.

That makes it possible to meet arriving friends and family at the gate or to spend more time with someone before they board a flight.

It also means that you don’t need to be flying somewhere to check out a new terminal, tap your toes to the live music at the airport, see some great art, do a little shopping, or spend time watching planes take off and land.

Each airport has its own name for the service and its own rules regarding how many non-ticketed visitors are allowed to be issued a pass each day they are offered. And at each airport that offers the service, passengers must still go through the security checkpoint.

The list of airports offering this great airport amenity includes:

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA): SEA Visitor Pass Program

The MSY Guest Pass Program at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY),

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW),

Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in Lansing, MI: the LAN Visitor Pass,

the OC Air Pass at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA,

and the ONT+ Visitor Pass Program at California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT).

New to the list: Washington’s Tri-Cities Airport

Now more – and smaller – airports are joining the list.

The latest is the Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in Pasco, WA.

For now, only 10 visitors are able to get a PSC Pass each day. And each visitor may request just one visit per month. But, as with the other airport gate pass programs, it allows non-travelers to surprise an arriving passenger at the gate or send someone off at the gate with a last-minute hug.

Did we miss an airport with a gate pass program? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list.