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Picking somebody at an airport terminal

TalkaTalka Registered User regular
edited December 2006 in Help / Advice Forum
My girlfriend and I are in a long distance relationship, and she's going to visit me at my college in a few weeks. She's planning to fly into San Francisco and take a shuttle from there to my college. However, it looks like I'm going to be able to get a ride to the airport (SFO), so I thought it would be a nice treat if I could surprise her there. Now, I've seen plenty of people greeting family members and significant others right at the terminal when they get off the plane, but I had always thought you needed a boarding pass in order to get through security and into the area with the actual terminals. Is it possible for me to get through security to the terminal to surprise her, and if so, how so? Do I have to settle for surprising her at the significantly-less-romantic baggage claim?

Talka on

Posts

  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited December 2006
    Yeah, you used to be able to mosey up right to the gate, but no more (US, anyway). Unless you can find a very romanticly-inclined security guard, I'm afraid baggage claim it is.

    Though that can be fun too, as they're usually distracted. I met my GF after a business trip; I was standing behind her with flowers for like a minute with her boss trying not to laugh.

    MichaelLC on
  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    You can't get past security any more. At most airports you can wait right outside the exit from the terminal to the baggage claim. There will be other people waiting too probably!

    tsmvengy on
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  • ege02ege02 __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2006
    Wait for her at the baggage claim. It's practically the same thing.

    ege02 on
  • TalkaTalka Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    Gotcha. Kind of a shame.

    Talka on
  • Locust76Locust76 Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    Talka wrote:
    Gotcha. Kind of a shame.

    Not really... that way you don't gotta wait for her to get her damn bags :)

    Locust76 on
  • vonPoonBurGervonPoonBurGer Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    ege02 wrote:
    Wait for her at the baggage claim.
    At some airports, the one I fly out of in Montreal for instance, you can't even get next to the baggage claim anymore. There's a cordon, and a guy watching for people sneaking in, and a big sign that says "ticketed passengers only". Nothing sucks more than seeing the person you're waiting for, but having to sit there while they wait for their luggage on the other side of the cordon. Just wait patiently as close as you can get I guess, flowers in hand. :)

    vonPoonBurGer on
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  • honkymcgoohonkymcgoo Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    Having done TSA as a job for quite a while, I can tell you that you can in fact get through the security checkpoint if youre not flying. You just have to convince the AIRLINE shes flying in on that you need to be there when she gets off the plane. Theyll give you a gate pass, which lets you get through the checkpoint but not on a plane. Its completely up to the individual working the airline desk that day whether or not youll get through, but if you can convince them its a big deal they might let you slide. Parents picking up children, or dropping them off or anyone helping someone whos elderly or in need of assistance always get one just about. Im not sure if your case would qualify but you can always ask and if it fails just wait outside the exit ramp.

    honkymcgoo on
    I didn't even know what the fuck and avitar was until about 5 minutes ago.
  • SmasherSmasher Starting to get dizzy Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    vonPoonBurGer wrote:
    ege02 wrote:
    Wait for her at the baggage claim.
    At some airports, the one I fly out of in Montreal for instance, you can't even get next to the baggage claim anymore. There's a cordon, and a guy watching for people sneaking in, and a big sign that says "ticketed passengers only". Nothing sucks more than seeing the person you're waiting for, but having to sit there while they wait for their luggage on the other side of the cordon. Just wait patiently as close as you can get I guess, flowers in hand. :)
    At SFO you can get to the baggage claim without going through any security, so that won't be an issue for him.

    Smasher on
  • HazzelhoffHazzelhoff Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    convince someone in baggaging to let you get on the conveyor belt and pop out of the shoot with the rest of the baggage. Now that's romantic!

    Hazzelhoff on
  • Brodo FagginsBrodo Faggins Registered User regular
    edited December 2006
    Hazzelhoff wrote:
    convince someone in baggaging to let you get on the conveyor belt and pop out of the shoot with the rest of the baggage. Now that's romantic!

    Ahahaha, that mental image has me cracking up.

    I know in LAX you can wait at the exit right after the baggage claim, where plenty of hugs and kisses can be seen (this is at Bradley International Arrivals, so I dunno).

    Brodo Faggins on
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