TSA announces TSA Gold+: The future of aviation security
Read today's edition of Gate Access • May 18, 2026
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Happy Monday.
TSA officers are scrambling as news of the agency’s new initiative, TSA Gold+, goes public. I got word of this initiative late last year; the details were extremely vague, but they seem clear as day now. Here’s the internal memo I received over the weekend.
TSA is pushing hard to expand its privatization list. There’s no denying that, but it’s not going to be a total private takeover — at least not yet. Here’s everything you need to know about TSA Gold+.
On the radar
TSA has extended the grace period for expired IDs beyond 1 year. This is an update that many TSA officers are unaware of. I spoke with several officers, and they told me that I’m the one who alerted them of this.
Allegiant has acquired Sun Country. The two airlines will continue operating separately until a single operating certificate is obtained. (I feel like I’ll be following this airline much more now that Spirit is gone.)
Remember when Mexico was fining travelers $200 for traveling with multiple laptops? That’s not happening anymore. Quintana Roo Gov. Mara Lezama announced that Cancun International Airport has eliminated the outdated rule.
This release of Gate Access is presented by Blackmon & Bougie. Enjoy this TSA-friendly 3.4-ounce body & room mist with hints of bergamot, lemon, and geranium on your next trip. Check it out and use code TRAVEL for additional savings.
Views by Gate Access
Gate Access now has an official website, viewsbygateaccess.com. The blog-like site will enhance this newsletter, providing more resources to help readers find answers to specific topics and stories.
Views is built to strengthen Gate Access’s mission of publishing travel news from the viewpoints of former and active aviation workers.
Current published stories include:
Travel tip of the week
As air travel continues to surge, I’ve become increasingly interested in finding realistic ways everyday travelers can save money — especially those who don’t have access to premium travel credit cards or luxury points strategies.
And honestly, even if you do play the points game, there’s still value in this approach.
Recently, I booked a round-trip flight on Delta Air Lines for $382.81. Since then, the fare has fluctuated multiple times, allowing me to recover travel credits through JetBack when the price dropped. But here’s the more interesting part: Delta later offered me an upgrade to Comfort+ for just $69.34.
Had I booked Comfort+ outright from the start, the same trip would have cost me roughly $873.
That’s the hidden strategy.
In many cases — especially on domestic routes booked 60 to 90 days in advance — airlines will aggressively lower upgrade offers as departure approaches, in an effort to fill premium seats that might otherwise go empty.
I’ve noticed this far more frequently on domestic flights than international ones.
The mistake many travelers make is paying for premium seats during the initial booking flow, when airlines price upgrades at their absolute highest. In reality, the smarter move is often to book the cheaper seat first, monitor the trip in the airline app, and wait for the upgrade offers to soften.
Sometimes the difference can save you hundreds of dollars for essentially the exact same seat.
Did you miss the last release?
One last thing
Thank you for reading! As you can see, growth is happening, and I have my hands in a few different pots right now. I encourage you to become a paid subscriber if you can or donate to this publication via PayPal to help support and continue the growth.
Thank you again for trusting me to share these updates. I can never say that enough.
I’ll catch you back here again next week.