Tampa International Airport restarted its all-access program on Monday. People without a boarding pass can visit the airside terminals. The program had been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials launched the program in 2019. They brought it back after customers kept asking for access to restaurants and shopping past security checkpoints.
“We are excited to bring back our popular TPA All Access program and once again give the entire community the opportunity to shop, dine and relax at Tampa International Airport without the need for a boarding pass,” CEO Michael Stephens said in a statement, according to WTSP. “Our guests have been eagerly requesting the return of this special benefit, and we are proud to reinstate the program as part of TPA’s ongoing commitment to providing an exceptional customer experience.”
Visitors have access to any of the TPA's four airside terminals. Passes grant access to restaurants and shops beyond security typically used by ticketed passengers.
Shannon Boos, senior manager of guest experience, said the program creates new opportunities. “Now you can come out and have dinner at Ulele or you can have dinner at Cigar City and walk through some of the stores and not have to fly,” Boos said, according to BayNews9. “So it gives you an opportunity that you didn’t have before.”
The program limits access to six people per airside during each two-hour entry block. Boos said this restriction helps control traffic on trams and at airports. Once the program stabilizes, authorities could increase the number of guests allowed.
Six guests are allowed in per two-hour block. You can stay as long as you want. The number of guests is limited to one airport per visit.
Several major airports across the country operate similar programs. Philadelphia, Detroit, San Antonio and New Orleans all offer passes for non-passengers. Orlando International Airport allowed access to terminal three before this program was discontinued.
Interested parties must register online in advance. You select an available two-hour window. Registration takes place on the TPA reservation page.
Guests collect their passport with a photo ID at the information desk on level three in the main terminal. The passes can be picked up between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the day of the visit.
All visitors must pass through TSA security checkpoints. They pass through the airside checkpoint they selected with their passport and ID. The process is similar to what ticketed passengers experience when they take a flight.