Gate pass program

New Orleans Airport really wants you to visit

Airport Terminals,

We keep track of the airports that offer gate pass programs that allow non-ticketed visitors to go past security and hang out at the airport.

You can see the full list here.

At these airports, you can be at the gate to meet a friend or family member arriving on a flight.

You can spend every last second with someone until they have to board their flight, instead of saying goodbye at the curb or the security checkpoint.

Or you can just go and hang out at the airport by yourself or with a friend and shop, eat, watch planes do their thing, listen to live music or have a date night.

These are all things we’ve done on daycations with our gate passes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Nashville International Airport (BNA) and elsewhere.

The newest airport to offer a gate pass program is Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).

But here’s news from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), which has offered its Indulge MSY Guest Pass for some time.

The airport is upgrading the Indulge MSY Guest Pass program to make it even easier for non-ticketed guests to access areas beyond the security checkpoint.

Now, in addition to signing up online, eligible guests can use a self-service in-terminal kiosk and get a pass within minutes.

That means it’s even easier to get access to live music and more than 40 dining and shopping options, including local favorites like Emeril’s Table, MoPho, and Fleurty Girl at MSY.

The self-service kiosk is on Level 1 of baggage claim, between doors 2 and 3.

Entry requires standard security screening through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) general boarding lanes, and guests aged 18 and older must present a valid REAL ID or passport.

The Indulge MSY Guest Pass program is available daily until 8 p.m.

We’re making this the Airport Amenity of the Week.

Non-travelers can visit Ontario Int’l Airport (ONT)

Uncategorized, ,

California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) knows there are plenty of reasons people want to go to the airport even if they’re not flying.

That’s why ONT is joining other airports such as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Detroit Metro Airport (DTW), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), and several others in offering a gate pass porgram.

Like those programs the new ONT+ program offers a gate pass to people who aren’t flying but who want to greet families and friends at the gate or spend more time with them before they take off.

“We all remember the excitement of being able to meet arriving family and friends as they get off the plane. ONT+ is a way to bring back some of that experience from decades ago, in a safe and secure manner,” said Dean Brown, ONT Public Safety Administrator, who worked closely with TSA in establishing the program.

The ONT+ visitor pass program also makes it possible for non-travelers to access the airports’ dining and retail establishments located in the terminal’s upper levels. Highlights include Author’s Bookstore and the 24-hour, automated Yo-Kai Express machines that cook ramen, udon, and other dishes in under 45 seconds.

To receive an ONT+ visitor pass, non-travelers must fill out an online application within seven days of their visit. If approved, visitors will receive an ONT+ Visitor Pass via e-mail, which they can use – along with a TSA-approved photo ID – to enter the security checkpoint.