This summer, travelers on two major airlines who are flying out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) can try a new pilot program featuring an off-site security screening service designed to make the security process smoother and quicker.
The program, which costs $9 and is dubbing itself as a “Straight to Gate Service,” will launch on June 1—and is already available for booking. With the service, passengers will clear security at a remote terminal in Framingham, Massachusetts, a suburb about 25 miles west of BOS, before taking a shuttle directly to secure airside terminals at the airport—bypassing the masses in the hub’s regular security lines. Hourly buses are scheduled to arrive at BOS no later than 45 minutes before departure.
There are certain restrictions, of course, most notably that passengers must be flying with Delta Air Lines or JetBlue on flights that depart between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Another major benefit is the low cost of parking: just $7 per day in Framingham.
Here’s what else passengers should know.
How does the Logan Remote service work?
Passengers flying with Delta or JetBlue can already reserve their spot for the remote service screening for June 1 flights and beyond. They simply head to the Logan Remote website and select their airline and flight number or destination (remember, only Delta and JetBlue passengers are currently eligible). Next, they choose whether they want extras like a return trip back to the Framingham facility on the shuttle (which costs another $9) or parking—a reasonable $7 per day, which is significantly cheaper than at BOS, where rates run between $29 and $46 per day.
The final step of booking is entering personal details and credit card information. Passengers also are advised that they must present a Real ID–compliant identification or a valid passport to pass through TSA security screening at the remote terminal.
At the Framingham facility predeparture, passengers can check in with their airlines, print boarding passes, and even check bags—just as they would at BOS. Checked luggage will be delivered to their final destination—eliminating the need to schlep big suitcases through airport check-in areas.
Shuttle buses, which hold about 55 passengers each, will run from hourly to BOS and every 20 minutes from the airport. Bookings are available anywhere from 90 minutes to 90 days prior to departure. However, Massport, the public authority that owns and operates major transportation and maritime facilities, including BOS and the remote facility, is encouraging passengers to book early, since seating will be limited during the pilot phase and adjustments are likely as the program ramps up. Expansion also is possible, according to Massport Deputy Director of Roadway Management Peter Howe.
“It’s going to be more seamless, more convenient for the passengers and the traveling public,” Howe told CBS News. “We want to see how this pilot goes to see what we can learn from it and how we can expand.”
On some online forums, travelers expressed mixed reviews about the forthcoming service. Some welcome the chance to hand off checked luggage early in the travel journey and pay much less for airport parking, while others have concerns about the potential for lost luggage and the possibility of shuttle buses encountering heavy traffic en route to their flights.
Expansion of the pilot program
Expansion of remote screening facilities to other hubs also is forthcoming. The concept—which is known in TSA terms as the Reimbursable Screening Services Program (RSSP)—is already in place at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport (ATL) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), both of which are most often used by celebrities and high net worth travelers to avoid crowded terminals. TSA has approved eight total facilities for the RSSP pilot program.
In addition to Boston’s new remote terminal, the TSA recently announced other major news involving a new public-private partnership called TSA Gold+, which is aimed to streamline the security process by allowing private investment at airports.
However, some critics note the lack of transparency from the TSA about the program, among other conflict-of-interest concerns about privatization of a government service that aims to protect public safety.
