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4d ago

Oakland Airport Opens Post-Security Access to Non-Fliers With New Guest Pass

TSA vetting underpins a controlled visitor program designed to restore gate reunions.

Travelers wait in the security line in Terminal 2 at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport in Oakland on November 25, 2025. The airport began offering what it calls an OAK Guest Pass on Monday, allowing members of the public without airline tickets to enter the post-security side of its terminals. 
Pedestrians cross the roadway in front of Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport in Oakland, Calif., on July 25, 2025.
Travelers walk to their gates in Terminal 2 at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport in Oakland on Nov. 25, 2025. The airport began offering what it calls an OAK Guest Pass on Monday, allowing members of the public without airline tickets to enter the post-security side of its terminals. 
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Overview

  • OAK launched the Guest Pass on Dec. 15, allowing non-ticketed visitors to enter the post-security side of both terminals.
  • Applicants apply online up to seven days in advance or same day, TSA reviews requests, and approvals arrive after midnight for advance submissions or in about 15 minutes for same-day requests.
  • Guests undergo the same screening as passengers, cannot use TSA PreCheck or CLEAR, and must follow TSA rules including carrying only one personal item with no luggage.
  • Entry is capacity-limited and first come, first served; minors must be accompanied by an adult; the international arrivals area in Terminal 1 remains off-limits; passes are digital-only and must be shown with a TSA-approved ID.
  • Airport leaders frame the program as a way to revive gate meet-ups and drive business to newly refreshed concessions, and they note the initiative is discretionary and may be modified or canceled as needed, with other airports pursuing similar passes.