Can you use a Costco card at TSA?
Read today's edition of Gate Access • June 9th, 2025
Happy Monday. TSA recently shared the following note via a Facebook post:
We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not. - Transportation Security Administration
I laughed so loudly when a friend sent the post over my way because it’s a clear indicator that travelers are increasingly arriving at TSA security checkpoints with Costco cards.
Now, the TSA is attempting to combat this by stating that Costco cards do not qualify as a REAL ID. That piece is true; however, if you didn’t catch it, they didn’t say travelers couldn’t use the card at all. More on this below.
🚨 On The Radar
🟢 JetBlue has partnered with Brightline to offer a seamless air-and-rail booking experience across Central and South Florida, allowing customers to reserve train travel alongside flights directly on jetblue.com. The partnership connects major cities like Miami, Orlando, and West Palm Beach, enhancing convenience with coordinated schedules, including shuttle service, and matched fare classes.
🟢 United Airlines has temporarily disabled Starlink Wi-Fi on some United Express jets after pilots reported radio interference between the Starlink and communication antennas. A fix has been identified and is being gradually implemented during routine maintenance, with about one-third of affected aircraft already updated. Full restoration is expected in the coming weeks, and United says the issue won’t delay its broader rollout of Starlink across its regional fleet by year-end.
🟢 A new travel ban from the Trump administration takes effect today, June 9th, 2025, restricting or limiting entry to the U.S. for citizens of 19 countries, citing national security concerns. The ban fully blocks travel from 12 nations and imposes visa limitations on seven others, primarily affecting B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visa categories. While exemptions apply for certain individuals, this marks one of the broadest travel restrictions enacted in recent U.S. policy.
🟢 Delta has expanded its partnership with Shake Shack, now offering the brand’s signature cheeseburgers in first class on flights over 900 miles from 12 major U.S. airports, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. Passengers can pre-select the meal up to a week before departure, with the burger served alongside chips, a Caesar salad, and a dessert. The collaboration aims to elevate in-flight dining with a familiar and popular restaurant experience at 35,000 feet.
🟢 Delta has confirmed plans to open a Delta One Lounge at its largest hub, Atlanta (ATL), with the premium space slated to debut in Concourse E by 2028. The lounge will cater to business class passengers on long-haul international flights and is expected to match or exceed the size of Delta’s flagship JFK location. While additional lounges are planned for other hubs like Salt Lake City, Detroit, and Minneapolis, no firm timelines have been announced yet.
🟢 United Airlines has partnered with Spotify to bring curated playlists, podcasts, video podcasts, and audiobooks to in-flight entertainment screens across its 680-aircraft fleet. Starting in 2026, passengers will also be able to connect personal devices to seatback screens to access their own Spotify libraries mid-flight.
🟢 The new LAX/Metro Transit Center opened on June 6th, offering a long-awaited rail connection to Los Angeles International Airport, but with a catch: the train doesn't take you all the way to the terminals. Instead, travelers must transfer to a free shuttle running every 10 minutes between the station and the airport, as the final leg, the Automated People Mover, isn’t set to open until early 2026.
😳 Wild TSA Bag Checks
Just last week, TSA officers discovered a replica of a pipe bomb and fake C4 blocks in a checked bag at Boise Airport (BOI). Take a look.
TSA is sounding the alarm after a spike in improperly packed firearms at several U.S. airports, including three found in carry-on bags over just three days at San Antonio International Airport. Since January, TSA officers there have intercepted 49 firearms, and 43 of them were loaded.
🤑 Travel Deal Spotted
Delta is celebrating Father’s Day with a simple but effective offer: buy at least $300 in Delta Air Lines gift cards (either physical or digital) by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 23rd, 2025, and you'll receive a $25 Uber voucher for rides or Uber Eats.
In my opinion, this is a great bonus, whether you're gifting travel or planning your own—more details in the extended version of today’s edition.
✈️ ATC Watch: Latest Update
Newark Liberty is making progress, but is still experiencing issues. The airport is facing staffing issues, and the FAA imposed a ground stop at Newark (EWR) earlier this month after only 16 controllers and 5 supervisors were on deck, coinciding with radio and radar outages at the Philadelphia TRACON.
Ground holds were lifted within hours, but traffic remains capped: 28 arrivals/departures per hour through construction and Saturdays, rising to 34 per hour on weekdays through October 25th.
FAA officials say the expanded runway (4L/22R), now open for arrivals, should ease congestion, though only after robust ATC staffing catches up. The FAA will reevaluate limits in October, aiming to staff dozens more controllers and modernize systems to prevent repeat blackouts and ground stops in upcoming travel peaks.
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👀 Can you use a Costco card at TSA?
While TSA doesn’t accept Costco cards as valid government ID, they do accept them as part of a secondary document stack used to verify your identity and bypass the IVCC process entirely. So, don’t believe the media outlets that say the TSA has banned or will not accept Costco cards as a form of ID. It’s more complex than that.
Read my latest piece on Yahoo News for a deeper look at this.
🔓 In Today’s Extended Version
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Instant download of the “25 Ways to Prove Your Identity at TSA Without a REAL ID” list. This is a valuable list to have in case you lose your ID and want to skip the complete identity verification process.
Full breakdown of the Delta and Uber gift card offer with hidden clauses.
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