TSA allows some gateside greetings and goodbyes at Salt Lake City airport

• Gateside passes allow non-travelers to use PreCheck lanes to meet a friend or conduct business during a layover; shop or eat beyond security; or welcome loved ones as they deplane.

Catch up quick: PreCheck is one of TSA's fast-track security options that funnels passengers into their own lines with fewer screening steps if they are approved after undergoing a background check.

Driving the news: Applications opened this week for "Gateside by TSA PreCheck" access at 13 airports, including SLC.

How it works: Click "apply" here 1-3 days before you want to go to the airport, and create or open your login.gov account. If you're bringing children, include that on your application.

• Approval will appear on your account dashboard.
• Bring your usual ID to the TSA PreCheck lanes at the airport. If children are with you, you'll need to log into your dashboard to show the approval.

The intrigue: SLC arrivals are known for enthusiastic homecomings — especially for returning missionaries with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

• The new airport added a gathering room near baggage claim for crowds that sometimes greet missionaries with signs, balloons, hugs and even choreographed dances.
• Those events could spread deeper into the terminal — but only if everyone in the group has PreCheck status and applied for Gateside access in advance.

What we're watching: Whether SLC's mercifully short PreCheck lines get longer now that more people have a reason to use them.