I'd try for a pass before trying this. It will certainly work, but who knows what they are tracking now. I don't know about Atlanta, but in Newark you can not get to the gates with a ticket, you have to have it converted to a boarding pass or get a pass from an express agent (at least at United) to get to the gate. Paper tickets, e-tickets are not enough to get through security, you either stand in line and get a boarding pass or get some pass at the express line, so it may not even work if Atlanta is the same.