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It’s a different kind of pre-check.
Travelers departing Boston no longer have to be at the airport to go through security. Starting June 1, the Massachusetts Port Authority is debuting the first-ever remote airport terminal, allowing passengers flying out of Boston’s Logan International Airport to undergo TSA screening in advance — 25 miles away from the gate, theoretically saving time, money and headaches.
At the Logan Airport Remote Terminal, located in Framingham, passengers can check in for flights, drop off their bags, and then go through the security checkpoint staffed by TSA personnel.
They then board a $9 airport shuttle — which operates hourly between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. — that will ferry the flyers directly to their gate at least 45 minutes before departure. Meanwhile, airline employees will meet the shuttles and transfer the luggage.
The only caveat is that during the trial phase, eligibility is limited to Delta and JetBlue passengers flying between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Parking in Framingham costs $7 per day — substantially less than at Logan.
“Those of you who like aviation, you’re going to be [dropped off] ramp side, so you’ll be among the airplanes walking up — it’s going to be a pretty cool sight,” said Daniel Blake, the vice president of Airport Experience for JetBlue.
This satellite terminal allows passengers to circumvent crowded parking lots, congested curbsides and check-in lines, thereby making the airport experience far more expedient and less stressful.
“It’s going to be more seamless, more convenient for the passengers and the traveling public,” Massport Deputy Director of Roadway Management Peter Howe told CBS News of the initiative.
The offsite checkpoint is reportedly inspired by and facilitated in part by the Landline Company’s hubs in Philadelphia and Chicago, which shuttle connecting travelers from regional airports to central flight areas.
Easing congestion is especially important amid the soaring demand for air travel.
“You can only do so much to build a bigger front door at these airports,” said Landline Chief Executive David Sunde, per the WSJ. “At some point, you have to think about how you can make more front doors.”
While the remote terminal won’t open for over a week, passengers can already begin reserving shuttle passes, which are available from 90 days to 90 minutes before a plane departure.
Massachusetts transit officials hope this dry run will demonstrate how they can “expand” the program in the future, per Howe.
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