My friend was flying from LAX-JFK yesterday and I didn't want her to have to wait by herself, so I bought a refundable first class ticket and didn't encounter any problems getting through security.

The 1K room at LAX took care of many ticketing needs for me eversince it opened. Besides excellent service it is the closest UA ticketing facility in the L.A. area for me. I would certainly appreciate the opportunity to be able to continue using the 1K rooms services, even if encountered a little wait to get there.

Discussing this with a LAX RCC agent (flying out on a SU with the 1K room closed) she indicated that security required to create a electronic/paper trail for anybody entering the gate area.

Keep my fingers crossed, eventually to be able to get back to the 1K room.

The original suggestion will work just fine.
I have done this once. [Purchase a round
trip tkt] via a travel agent.

Of course; once you've got one electronic
confirmation, it is trivial to dummy-up a
duplicate for whatever date, flight, name
you choose.

I've done it twice since 9/11 to meet others
at the gate.

It ain't security. It ain't about security.
It's about a bunch of congresscritters who
are trying to keep their phoney-baloney jobs.

-doug

Wow, you are the most thoughtful friend I've ever heard of. Boy, I wish that EVERYONE I knew would just ignore the rules and do as they want. I would never have to be by myself. I might fall to pieces if I'm left to my own devices, after all. Can I PLEASE be your friend?

Keep up the selfish approach.

Aloha

Am missing something here? Why buy a first class ticket instead of coach? Assume you get your money back soon, but still, why tie up EXTRA money???

It's selfish to meet someone at the gate? Please explain.

Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe because only ticketed passengers are supposed to go through security so that more attention can be focused on those that should be going through security (the more people, the less time they have or the longer the lines become). If everyone did this, the lines would extend from Chicago to New York. Because those are the rules. They are supposed to apply to everyone, not the selfish exception who thinks the rules don't apply to them...

Well said AF. Retreiving Grandmas are one thing, but meeting an abled bodied person at the gate, give me a friggin break.

Well I faced this situation for the first time. My wife had a flight home Saturday afternoon on Southwest. I parked and thought that I would just wait for her in the lobby instead of circling the airport (cannot wait curbside any longer). Because of flight times I was at the airport about 30 minutes before she landed and I was hungry. I noticed that there was only 3 people in line at security so I approached the SW counter and asked for a pass to the boarding area. I explained that I was waiting for my wife and since there was no wait at secirity would it be O.K. to go up to buy some food (I guess my lack of flying lately has caused me to desire airport food) and watch a little football. The agent asked for my I.D. and my wife's name and flight number, verified everything in her computer, asked me a few security questions, then issued me a gate pass.

I think the key here was honesty. I did not try to B.S. the agent about my wife's health or buy a refundable ticket, I just asked for a pass in a polite way. If there was a line at security I would have just drank coffee and waited in the lobby, however the airport was fairly empty. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

------------------
Ken in Sacramento

TravelManKen:

Yep. BIG difference. You were operating within the rules, not knowingly breaking them for your own reasons.

Glad the agent showed some common sense. It seems to be sorely lacking these days.

Any other reports of being able to get a gate pass?

It should be noted that I was a ticketed passenger. If this was such a big deal, maybe the FF doing mileage runs strictly to get the mileage for status should be examined too. If FF are strictly doing mileage runs, they can be viewed as unneccessary travel/traffic at the airport.

Ummm, wait, how is this breaking the rules?

The rule says something along the lines of "Only ticketed passengers may proceed beyond the security checkpoint." Am I correct?

Assuming that statement is correct, I will move on. I choose to buy a ticket for same-day travel on the airline. Same-day tickets generally are refundable. I then use that ticket to move beyond the security checkpoint. With a ticket, I am a "Ticketed Passenger", and you cannot argue that I am not. If that ticket allows me a refund, I still am a Ticketed Passenger. So we have not circumvented the rule that states "Only ticketed passengers may proceed beyond the security checkpoint", have we? Ok so please show me where a single rule has been broken. I bet you can't.

However, somehow copying said ticket receipt and modifying the date would be breaking the rules, as I would in effect not be a real ticketed passenger for that day of travel.


[This message has been edited by SRQ Guy (edited 11-13-2001).]

Actually, I could argue that if you had no "intent" to travel that day you may indeed be ticketed, but you are NOT a passenger.

It is amazing, how many people want to play the GAME - BEAT the SYSYTEM!

We don't have to worry about complicating the safetly for the rest of the frequent flyers! Do we!