Two weeks ago, Boston became the first airport in the United States to let some travelers clear TSA security before they even arrived at the airport.
The pilot program, which allows eligible Delta and JetBlue passengers to go through security at an offsite Logan Express location and then ride directly to the airside of their terminal, generated plenty of headlines when it launched on June 1.
But now that the program has been up and running for a couple of weeks, we’re finally starting to get a sense of how it’s working in the real world.
The process
Passengers flying on Delta or JetBlue flights departing between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. can reserve their spot online, between 90 minutes and 90 days before departure.
Once they get to the Logan Airport Remote Terminal in Framingham, they check in, print their boarding passes and check their baggage, just like they would at BOS.
A TSA security line has been developed at Massport, specifically for the program.
Once through security, passengers board a secure Logan Express bus to BOS. Their checked bags are transported securely and delivered directly into the Logan baggage system so they can be loaded onto their respective flight.
The bus unloads on the airside of the terminal.
The feedback
Apparently, the program is going well, at least by most who have reported using it.
Passengers have described the program as “super simple” and something they would “absolutely do again.”
One person who tried it said you check in at Massport’s counter like you would typically do if you were taking the Logan Express to BOS. Once TSA is available, you just go to the next room for the security check. They said it’s essentially the same set up they have at any airport, but only one line. Then you load up on the bus and they drop you off on the airside of your terminal at BOS.
They noted there was no added cost from what would be the usual parking and bus cost from the Logan Express lot, plus – BONUS – it’s much cheaper than parking at BOS.
Someone else mentioned the time it all took – they had a morning flight at 9:30am. They took the 6:15am bus and got there way early, but didn’t want to risk taking the 7am bus, just in case. They also mentioned that most people arrived about 20-30 minutes before they intended to leave via the Logan Express.
Another positive was someone saying they experienced and saw no issues with luggage being loaded.
One thing of interest – they don’t offer PreCheck at Massport. But the scanners they’re using for you and your carry ons are newer versions, so you don’t have to remove your belt or laptop.
Looking towards the future
It’s still very early days for the program, and two weeks isn’t nearly enough time to determine whether offsite TSA screening will become the next big thing in air travel.
That said, the initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Travelers who have used the service describe it as easy, convenient, and in some cases even less stressful than navigating security at the airport itself.
Of course, Boston may be uniquely positioned to make a program like this work. Logan Express already provides established offsite parking locations and bus service to the airport, making it much easier to integrate security screening into an existing system.
If the pilot continues to receive positive reviews and proves operationally successful, it wouldn’t be surprising to see TSA and airport authorities explore similar programs elsewhere. Airports that already have remote parking facilities and dedicated shuttle networks would seem like the most logical places to try it next.
For now, though, Boston travelers are serving as the test case—and after two weeks, the early results appear promising.
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