Offer your bag to the gate agent if you're willing to collect it at baggage claim. You bypass bag fees and heavy lifting, and help the flight depart on time. When an agent seems short on information during a delay, they're not being coy, they're awaiting more information from operations. Airlines work with numerous departments to secure a new aircraft, change baggage, adjust catering, secure a new gate, handle inbound connecting passengers, and locate a new gate for the next arriving flight.
When operations called my gate during a mechanical delay with an update, my head was swirling. Passengers thought we were twiddling our thumbs, but a half-dozen people were working hard behind the scenes to get them on their way. The gate agent is just the messenger. More than one person handed me their boarding pass with their teeth because their hands were full.
Others jabbered into cell phones without even acknowledging me. One even yelled at me to pick up their child's toy! There were nice people too. Those that thanked me, wished me a nice day, and even said I had a nice smile! In my one-day experience, I encountered two medical emergencies, one soiled seat, one mechanical delay, four upset customers who arrived off a delayed flight and proclaimed "I will never fly this airline again," a phrase gate agents know all too well , and two unfriendly Detroit flight attendants who accosted the agent for not opening the door fast enough.
Remember they are working under pressure, and one gate delay could lead to punishment. Still, the agents I worked with love their job and genuinely exhibit that towards customers. Help them do their job efficiently, and, in the end you're doing the entire plane a favor by helping everyone depart on time. Thank you for subscribing! Got it! Thank you! Spend a Day Behind the Podium. Spend a Day Behind the Podium One hardcore Delta flyer steps behind the podium of a gate agent at Atlanta Hartsfield to see what it's like on the receiving end of the boarding pass.
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This pass allows them to go through an Alternate Security Checkpoint with only one personal item, like a purse or bag to shop but also see friends and family off at the gate or meet them upon arrival.
You can still do this today. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport followed suit in with a pilot Visitor Pass program, but it has since ended. In the trial period, 1, visitors enrolled in the program, and according to Port Seattle , the airport is still determining whether they will continue the program. Detroit Metropolitan County Airport offers the Destination Pass Program , where the public can go past security, so you can shop and dine or accompany family and friends to their boarding gate.
You would have to register first and pick up your pass at the McNamara Terminal. The MSY Guest Pass allows the public without a boarding pass to visit these new restaurants and shops.
If you want one of these passes, you have to register 24 hours in advance, and the passes are limited to 50 visitors on weekdays and over the weekend. To sum it up, only Pittsburgh, Tampa, Detroit and New Orleans offer passes to go past security without a boarding ticket.
Do you have any tips about going past airport security without a boarding pass? Let us know in the comments below. Travelbinger is proud to be a publisher with Google News and Apple News. Please confirm the email address you entered is valid. See recent posts by Tracy Stewart. I'm currently up for a job as a tour escort.
Do you know if it's possible to go through security at the airport and meet my party at their gate, without being a ticketed passenger? The rules may vary from airline to airline, but here's what Northwest has to say on gate passes: Gate passes are provided free of charge at the airport and issued under certain circumstances noted below. All products and services mentioned on Airfarewatchdog are independently selected by our team of expert travelers.
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