But the airport can't lower gate fees unless it makes up the revenue with parking fees or merchant leases -- and in order to earn these, the airport needs more people to spend time in its facilities. So the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which runs Pittsburgh International, is hoping to be the first test case to relax the rules on letting family and friends accompany passengers to and from the gate. The TSA is currently reviewing a proposed plan to open the terminal to non-passengers, which could be in place this summer if the Department of Homeland Security approves it.
Given increased concerns about terrorist attacks this summer, this may not be the best time to implement such a plan. Longer lines at checkpoints would be unavoidable, increasing the risk that harried TSA screeners might not be as thorough as necessary to stop would-be terrorists. And, unless airlines reinstated photo-ID checks at the gate, which would add even more time to the process, what would stop terrorists from using decoys to purchase tickets, check in and then pass off the boarding pass to someone who might be on a watch list?
A better alternative might be to redesign airports with larger check-in terminals and smaller wait areas past security gates. San Francisco and Reagan National in Washington, D.C., have struck a good balance, with eateries and shops on the check-in side of the terminal as well as in the gate area, making it possible for friends and family to visit with passengers before they leave or while they await their arrival without clogging up security checkpoints. Sure, airports have to worry about revenues, but making travel even more time-consuming or less secure isn't the way to go about it.