Does DL issue gate pass to use CRC?
 

From this article ...

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/...2-07-tsa_x.htm

I usually just buy a refundable ticket and then refund it when i no longer have a need for it .... but this would be less hassle.

The answer is ... Yes.. maybe...

I've had agents in ATL grant me a gate pass to pick up my elderly grandmother from her gate twice. The last time the agent didn't ask for any information when I presented my CRC card and ID, the first time the agent asked for my grandmothers name and flight number.

Of course, this assumes one has a CRC card. If you are trying to get in using a PLAT AMEX (not DL card), you have to FLYING on DL today to get in. Which means some people will buy a refundable ticket that not only gets them through security, but also gets them into the CRC.

Silly?

Yup!

I do have a CRC card (yeah, I paid... but it's worth it to me). I'll try it and see what happens. If that fails I'll say "okay in that case i'll take your cheapest refundable ticket for flights leaving today but at least 4 hours from now, desintation? not important! thanks!"

I would not say that, if I were you. I have done the same, admittedly years ago, and the agent refused to sell me a ticket.

I would simply ask for a y-class ticket to ATL later on that day, preferably the last flight out and do it that way.

No need to give the agents any grief or reason to become suspicious of you. Keep your goal in mind

Folks, you can always buy a refundable ticket on the web, print your BP and you never have to speak to anyone! As long as you do not pass the home BP through the gate reader, the ticket remains fully refundable.


Edited to add this link. Should make the security lines much worse if this ever comes to pass...

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/...sa_x.htm?imw=Y

Sorry to be thick--I've never refunded a ticket before. Can you (or anyone) tell me how easy it is to refund the ticket if you bought it on-line? Can it be taken off your credit card on-line? Again, I'm not sure how I got this old without knowing this...

Most of the time it can be done online, but if not, the DL reservations can put you through to the refund desk. Make sure you print your receipt for it can be helpful to have the ticket number (006xxxxxxxx) and not simply the record locator. It gets credited back to the credit card used to purchase.

thanks.

Oh dear lord please dont let this idea come to fruition.......doing the dance of the gate lice isnt bad enough while boarding, now lets let the gate lice bring their 42 relatives with them to the gate when they are going out of town and hug and kiss and tell the kids how much they will miss them right there during boarding!!!!! Not to mention ATL isnt crowded enough trying to get from one gate to another, we need more people standing in the middle of the walkways with kids, strollers and packages.

Not only would I prefer we not let non-flyers past security, I would like to see the "sterile area" expanded to include baggage claim. Tired of a flight of 50 people having 200 people glued to the edge of the carousel so you cant get to your bag!!!!!!

Well, while I see your point, there are numerous legitimate reasons for none-flyers to be at the gate. Most of them involve medical or disability reasons. You may want to balance your need to beeline it to the jetway with compassion for other people around you.

There is a HUGE difference between letting someone assist someone to the gate (although the airlines provide services for this btw) to opening the security up and letting people in for shopping, saying goodbye and so on which is EXACTLY what the article was talking about, opening up the sterile area so non-travellers can shop.

So nope, not changing my view any!!! Travelling is business to me, not a romp at the mall or a place to hold family reunions, anything that complicates the process is unwelcome!

Not everyone is a business traveller. I like meeting loved ones at the gate or seeing them off (seems like a basic human impulse) and I don't remember this being a major ordeal prior to 9/11. Now, if you're talking about people learning basic departure gate and baggage claim etiquette, I'm all for that. ^ If the grandma in front of me wants to hold up a line to kiss her five grandchildren as the gate agent is taking the tickets, fine; it's easy enough to say "pardon me," sidle past her and give the agent my ticket. Big deal. But even the 50 passengers waiting for their bag should learn not to parallel park their trolley right alongside the belt and hog 5 feet of space that others could be using to spot their bag, pull it off, and put it on their trolley a mere 4 feet behind them. And parents shouldn't think it's acceptable to let their 5 year-olds stand where others are trying to wrestle their luggage off the belt. It's dangerous for the child as well as incredibly discourteous. But that has nothing to do with passengers/non-passengers necessarily.

In theory I agree with you, it SHOULDNT have to do with passenger/non-passenger, but it does, because the greater the number of people you let into any area the greater the stupidity factor goes up. Because all those things you mention about that shouldnt happen DO!! and the more people we introduce into these areas the harder it becomes, sadly!!!