i don't know if this was discussed before, but if i am taking someone to the airport (jfk), is there any way to get through security (and go to the gate) if i am not flying.

i called sinapore and they told me that the TSA doesn't allow them to let anyone who is not flying through, as it is a international terminal. (therefore they won't give gate passes.)

is there anyway to get about it?

I think you'll get a more detailed answer in Travel Buzz rather than SQ forum. So I'll move it there.

Kiwi Flyer
SQ Moderator

[mod hat off]
I think you need a boarding pass for flight leaving from JFK to get airside. You need to say your goodbyes etc landside.

My understanding is that since 9/11 the answer is no. SQ is correct about that. I have never understood why someone sending another person off at the airport would want to go to the gate anyway.

There is another thread here where the proposal is that you buy a fully refundable ticket using a credit card to a nearby location (so the ticket is not too expensive) at the airport, get a boarding pass then go through security, go to the airline desk and cancel the ticket (and get a refund on your credit card). Messy but can be done where there you can get purchase tickets from machines which will also issue you with boarding passes. Mainly US airlines and mainly domestic flights.

The problem is that SQ uses T4 at JFK where there is unlikely to be a US airline where you can follow the above process. I suppose the cash outlay and subsequent refund will have to be for a large amount. Given this is an international terminal, you also have to clear US immigration when returning landside; i.e. you need to bring your passport with you. Now that is going to take a bit of explaining as to why you are airside but did not fly into the country. Most of the discussions in the above thread involves domestic terminals and flights so US immigration is not an issue.

Not sure why you feel you have to accompany someone to the gate. For children or elderly passengers, there is likely to be a service where for a fee, you can get airport/airline staff to accompany the person to the plane.

I understood NO to be the answer at any major airport in the US. Certainly the ones I go through, regardless of Dom or Intl, whhich mostly isn't differentiated like here.

I don't know of any Intl gateway that allows visitors past the door to immigration and many, like MNL, won't let visitors into the terminal (just one of the many lines required to get thru MNL).

There is a possible exception is if you can help the person with translation if the flyer doesn't speak english very well, but that is not a sure bet and up to the TSA officials as far as I could tell. I have run into this situation once.