You can now go through security at SFO without flying

• Visitors who apply to the SFO Gate Explorer program can pass through standard TSA checkpoints and move around the airport as if they were ticketed passengers.
• The program, modeled after similar initiatives at about 20 other airports including Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, allows people to accompany travelers to their gates, meet them on arrival or spend time shopping and dining.

How it works: Applications can be submitted online up to 30 days in advance or the same day. Applicants are vetted under TSA requirements and must provide their reason for visiting and personal information such as their name, date of birth and sex.

• Approvals are sent after midnight on the day of the visit.
• At the airport, visitors must show their Gate Explorer pass and a Real ID or passport, then go through standard security screening. TSA PreCheck or expedited lanes are not included.

Yes, but: The program only applies to domestic arrivals and departures and some pre-cleared international flights from Canada and Ireland. Most international arrivals remain off-limits to visitors.

• The number of passes is also capped at 200 passes per day to avoid congesting security lines.

What's next: Interested? Apply here.