BUSINESS

Back in the late 70s and early 1980s, my small town had a mom-and-pop convenience store, Paul’s Market, as well as one location of a regional chain, Richdale’s. It later added a store from a larger chain, White Hen Pantry.

7-Eleven and other large chains existed, but local stores, even one-offs, were common. Now, just over the past few years, a number of bigger players have swallowed up some smaller chains.

The banner retirements are real and named, according to data from NACS Magazine.

GetGo was sold to Circle K, Redwood Markets went to Jacksons (24 stores, California), and Maverick bought the Kum & Go Brand, which included about 400 locations. In all three cases, the name changes were gradual as stores got remodeled, but in the end, the classic names disappeared.

Now, the same thing has happened again as Casey’s has begun the process of removing the CEFCO name from the 198 stores it added when it bought the rival chain in 2024.

Casey’s is ending the CEFCO name

Casey’s, which operated 2,959 stores as of July 31, 2026, in 19 states, according to a recent SEC Filing, purchased Fikes Wholesale, Inc., owner of CEFCO Convenience Stores, in an all-cash transaction for $1.145 billion. The purchase price includes tax benefits valued at approximately $165 million for a net after-tax purchase price of $980 million, according to a press release.

Since the transaction closed, Casey’s has been remodeling CEFCO stores, then rebranding them under the Casey’s banner.

Casey’s CEO Darren Rebelez talked about the ongoing remodeling and renaming process during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

“The stores that have been already remodeled to Casey’s in prior periods have performed exceptionally well, and we expect to remodel Cefco stores throughout the fiscal year,” he said.

Rebelez shared the progress on the transition.

“During fiscal year 26, we remodeled approximately 50 Cefco stores to Casey’s. In the first quarter of fiscal year 27, we have remodeled 24 more stores, We are extremely excited about the results we are seeing, as the average PFMDB lift at the stores that were remodeled to 30% versus its results of the same period prior to remodel,” he added.

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The ongoing remodeling, he noted, has not stopped Casey’s from adding new stores.

“While we are busy with CEFCO conversions, [it] does not stop us from continuing to grow the store base, as we are on track to meet our 120-store unit goal for the fiscal year,” he shared.

Rebelez did not share when the remodels would be completed and the CEFCO name retired.

Casey’s has a unique business model. About 71% of its locations are in towns with fewer than 20,000 people, and roughly half are in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, according to the SEC filing referenced above.

The chain comes in third by store count behind market leader 7-Eleven (12,700) and Couche-Tarde (7,308), according to CSP Daily News data.

Casey’s store count will soon surpass 3,000.Shutterstock

Convenience-store chains have been consolidating

“The pace of merger and acquisition activity in the U.S. convenience store sector is accelerating, with recent trends suggesting the nation’s c-store landscape is ripe for more change. While most of the transactions in 2024 involved smaller chains or single-store operators, several larger operators inked deals to significantly expand their footprints into new regions,” according to a report from CoBank.

That’s something Rebelez also commented on during Casey’s Q1 earnings call.

“I would say the M&A environment is, is still really good. And that is a reflection of the challenging environment that the industry finds itself in, particularly the small operators. And so it would not say it is changed. I would say it is still consistent, maybe even gotten a little better from a buyer’s perspective,” he said.

Others operating in the space see the same thing.

“There still remains a large number of chains out there in the 10 to 100 store range that, depending on what their long-term strategy is — especially if they’re family-owned businesses — may decide that they want to get out,” Rob Gallo, chief strategy officer for c-store consultancy Impact 21, told CStoreDive.

And while many of these companies have been in the same family for multiple years, their operating challenges have increased.

“It’s just more difficult to manage the chain if you’re a small operator compared to the big guys, especially with the consolidation going on across the country and in many cases, in their backyards,” Jesse Betzner, senior director for Capstone Partners, an investment banking and M&A advisory firm, told CStoreDive.

Besides acquiring CEFCO, Casey’s has bought the 22-site Lone Star Food Stores chain and is in the process of buying the 24-location Pak-A-Sak brand. Some Lone Star locations will be rebranded as Casey’s, but others may retain their original name while being remodeled to match Casey’s on the interior.

No public decision has been made on the Pak-A-Sak brand.

Smaller operators still dominate

There are 151,975 convenience stores in the United States, a slight decrease of 280 stores (0.2%) compared to the year prior, according to the 2026 NACS/NIQ TDLinx Convenience Industry Store Count.

And while it seems as if larger chains dominate, small players still play a signifcant role.

“The industry continues to be dominated by smaller operators. Overall, 95,672 stores are owned by a company that has 10 or fewer stores, 63% of the total store count. Companies operating 500-plus stores own 33,810 stores, or 22.2% of the overall total,” according to NACS data.

In addition to the slight decrease in overall stores, there has also been another meaningful change.

“While the overall store count dipped slightly, the number of convenience stores selling fuel increased by 768 stores (0.6%) to 122,620, the highest number in eight years. Convenience stores sell an estimated 80% of the fuel purchased by consumers in the United States. Overall, 80.7% of convenience stores sell fuel,” added the NACS.

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Uber cut 3,300 jobs on Sept. 2. Wall Street read it as an efficiency move, and the stock increased by 2%.

A week later, the CEO told investors where the savings are actually going. The answer is not what most people expected.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference on Sept. 10, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Uber plans to use the money it saves from the layoffs to bring prices down for riders, Seeking Alpha reported.

That is not the typical playbook. Most companies that cut this many jobs pocket the savings as margin.

What Khosrowshahi said about lower Uber prices

“We are going to take the savings there and essentially reinvest it back in the business, lowering prices, improving selection, and continuing to invest in our growth program,” Khosrowshahi said at the Sept. 10 conference.

The payroll savings are only part of it. Khosrowshahi also said Uber is bringing down its insurance costs and plans to funnel that money into pricing. Lower insurance expenses are a meaningful lever for a ride-hailing company since insurance is one of the biggest cost lines in the business.

He said cheaper fares keep riders engaged with the app and drive higher trip volumes.

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Uber has not said by how much fares would drop or when riders would start to see it. Khosrowshahi framed it as a direction rather than a specific target. But the fact that he mentioned it twice, once for payroll savings and once for insurance savings, signals it is a real priority rather than a talking point.

Khosrowshahi framed the whole move as coming from a position of strength. He said Uber made the cuts “from a position of strength versus weakness” and pushed back on any suggestion that the layoffs signal financial trouble.

On Sept. 10, Uber also disclosed in an SEC filing that Khosrowshahi personally added roughly $10 million in company shares to his own holdings. Shares rose about 2% on the same day.

Why Uber cut 3,300 jobs and what it said about AI

Uber announced the layoffs on Sept. 2 in a memo Khosrowshahi sent to employees. He said the company’s rapid growth had created “more layers, more coordination, more fragmented ownership” with structures that “no longer serve us well at our current scale,” as TheStreet reported.

The restructuring targets management. Uber plans to reduce its number of managers by 20% at every level, shifting many of those employees into individual contributor roles rather than eliminating their jobs entirely, TechCrunch reported.

Khosrowshahi was also specific about what the cuts are not about. He said in the memo that the changes were “not about anyone’s contributions to Uber.” And he did not attribute the cuts to AI, which separates this from what most tech companies have been doing in 2026.

Meta cut roughly 8,000 workers in May. Morgan Stanley eliminated nearly 2,500 roles in March. Both companies tied their reductions at least partly to AI investment and automation. Uber explicitly did not, as TheStreet noted

Uber does invest heavily in AI for things like dynamic pricing, matching riders with drivers and optimizing routes. But using AI to improve the product is different from using AI to replace workers. Khosrowshahi has drawn that line clearly and stuck to it across multiple public appearances since the Sept. 2 announcement.

The pricing commitment is the part that carries the most weight for riders. Lower fares have historically driven trip volume for Uber.NurPhoto / Getty Images

What the layoff savings mean for your next Uber ride

Khosrowshahi has been pushing lower prices as a competitive lever for a while.

Uber competes with Lyft in the United States and with a range of local players in its international markets. Price is one of the main reasons riders choose one over the other. Passing savings through to fares is a growth strategy, not just a goodwill gesture.

Uber is also investing heavily in autonomous vehicles. The company has committed more than $10 billion to autonomous vehicle development over the coming years. Lower human-driver costs as robotaxis eventually scale could amplify the pricing advantage Khosrowshahi is talking about now.

The Sept. 10 conference comments were framed around immediate savings from layoffs and insurance, but the longer-term direction points the same way.

The numbers behind Uber’s restructuring

The 3,300 jobs cut in September 2026 represent Uber’s largest workforce reduction since the pandemic. In May 2020, the company eliminated about 6,700 jobs in two rounds as ride demand collapsed under COVID-19 lockdowns, Reuters reported.

The cuts are happening during a very different moment. Uber’s revenue grew 18% between 2024 and 2025 to about $52 billion, according to Uber’s annual results. Growth continued into 2026 even as it slowed, with second-quarter 2026 revenue up 12% to about $14.2 billion. The company also confirmed it exited operations in Nigeria and Uganda entirely, calling it a decision limited to those two markets.

Uber shares had been underperforming heading into the Sept. 2 announcement, down about 12% for the year as of early August, according to CNBC. The layoff news reversed some of that.

Khosrowshahi’s subsequent share purchase on Sept. 10 added another signal that management sees the stock as undervalued at current levels.

The pricing commitment is the part that carries the most weight for riders. Lower fares have historically driven trip volume for Uber. Whether the savings are large enough to move prices in any meaningful way is a separate question, but Khosrowshahi naming it specifically at a Goldman Sachs investor conference makes it a commitment the company will be held to.

The Goldman Sachs conference appearance on Sept. 10 was not the only signal Khosrowshahi sent to the market that day. The SEC filing showing he purchased $10 million in Uber shares landed the same morning. A CEO buying $10 million of his own company’s stock on the same day he is explaining where the layoff savings go is a notable combination.

Both moves point in the same direction: Management thinks the current price undervalues what Uber is building.

Related: Uber cuts dozens of jobs amid AI restructuring

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Real estate technology company Zillow has a dire prediction about mortgage rates and the housing market in general, noting that rates are rising and will remain high for homeowners and homebuyers through the remainder of 2026.

“Mortgage rates holding above 6.5% — their highest level in a year — kept many buyers on the sidelines,” Zillow wrote in a statement. “Newly pending listings, a forward-looking measure of demand, fell 2.6% from a year ago, a sign that the slowdown could continue through the remainder of the year.”

In fact, the daily mortgage rate is even higher than that, according to Mortgage News Daily (MND).

“You may have seen other headlines today that reference 30-year fixed rates of 6.76%,” MND’s Matthew Graham wrote on Sept. 10. “Those stories would be citing Freddie Mac’s weekly rate survey which is an average of the 5 business days (4 in this case, due to the holiday) ending yesterday (September 9th).”

“Because of that methodology, the number lags reality. Today alone, the average lender moved up 0.125% in rate. In addition, Freddie no longer accounts for ‘points’ (additional money paid upfront for a lower rate),” Graham continued. “In other words, 6.75% with one point is roughly the same rate as 7.00% with no points.”

“As a reminder, our daily rate index accounts for the impact of points, so day-to-day comparisons are always apples to apples.”

Freddie Mac reports mortgage rates on the rise

Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate update showed an increase on its way up.

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.76% this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Aspiring buyers should remember shopping around for the best mortgage rate and getting multiple quotes can potentially save them thousands.”

Freddie Mac expanded further to provide some yearly context.

“The 30-year FRM averaged 6.76% as of September 10, 2026, up from last week when it averaged 6.71%,” Khater added. “A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.35%.”

“The 15-year FRM averaged 6.09%, up from last week when it averaged 6.04%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.50%.”

Zillow emphasizes housing market discouraging news

Because August sales figures predominantly capture deals locked in during July — a time when high interest rates had already cooled buyer enthusiasm — closed transactions remained sluggish.

Zillow’s Home Value Index shows the typical U.S. home value reached $369,678 (a 1.3% year-over-year increase), while monthly mortgage costs for a median home rose 2% compared to last year.

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“The for-sale housing market took a step back in August, and mortgage rates above 6.5% are the primary culprit,” said Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Zillow. “The combination of weak sales and even weaker pending sales points to a soft close to 2026.”

“There are more homes for sale than a year ago, which is good news for buyers who are ready to move, but until rates ease, many households will likely stay on the sidelines a little longer as renting is still the more affordable substitute.”

Real estate technology company Zillow predicts that mortgage rates will remain high throughout 2026.Shutterstock

Zillow explains cooling housing market

The U.S. housing market cooled in August as high borrowing costs nudged home values down 0.1% from July to $369,678, according to Zillow. Though values remain 1.3% higher than last year, high ownership costs continue to strain buyers.

A typical monthly mortgage payment reached $1,897 — up 2% annually — assuming a 20% down payment alongside estimated taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

Inventory grew slightly to 1.41 million active listings, a 0.2% increase from July and 3% higher than a year ago.

New listings fell 7.9% month-over-month to 356,934, despite a 2.4% annual rise. This supply tightening and persistent affordability pressures pulled transaction volume down significantly.

Zillow’s nowcast reported 339,927 sales in August, marking a 0.6% annual decline and a sharp 10.7% plunge from July.

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A $48 billion valuation and more than $2 billion in fresh venture capital would normally signal that investors have completely lost the plot. 

Cognition AI, the startup behind the autonomous coding agent Devin, closed its Series E round on Sept. 8, 2026, to those exact headline figures.

The sheer size of the round drew immediate and predictable comparisons to the frothiest stretch of the 2026 AI investment cycle.

But the arithmetic behind the deal paints a different picture, one in which the ratio of investors’ per-dollar revenue barely moved. 

Between its May 2026 Series D and Series E close, Cognition’s annualized run-rate revenue grew from $492 million to nearly $900 million, the company reported.

A $48 billion price tag built on nearly $900 million in run-rate revenue

Andreessen Horowitz and Accel led the Series E as new investors, with Founders Fund, General Catalyst, and Avenir returning from earlier rounds. 

The valuation nearly doubled from $26 billion in May 2026, when Cognition raised more than $1 billion in its Series D. 

Dividing both valuations by their corresponding revenue figures produces multiples of roughly 53 times in each case, according to The Next Web’s analysis. 

Enterprise contracts anchor Cognition’s revenue growth

Cognition’s customer list now reads like a Fortune 500 directory, spanning chip design at Nvidia, aviation at GE Aerospace, banking at Citi, and automotive engineering at Mercedes-Benz. 

The company also counts Goldman Sachs, Dell, Santander, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy among its clients, the firm’s May 2026 Series D confirmed.

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Mercedes-Benz condensed an eight-month legacy modernization project into eight days using Devin, as Cognition reported during its May 2026 funding announcement. 

Brazilian banking giant Itaú deployed Devin across its security operations and now resolves 70% of its code vulnerabilities automatically, the company reported.

Cognition is expanding revenue through major enterprise clients, with Devin helping companies automate coding, security, and modernization work at scale.Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

Nvidia’s dual role complicates Cognition’s revenue picture

Nvidia sits on both sides of Cognition’s balance sheet as an investor in the Series E and a named customer using Devin for chip design workflows. 

The chipmaker has committed more than $40 billion to AI equity positions in 2026 alone, The Next Web reported.

That pattern of investing in your own customers complicates outside assessments of revenue quality and customer independence.

Revenue caveats qualify the $900 million headline figure

Run-rate revenue itself has structural caveats that affect how the $900 million figure should be read.

The metric annualizes a recent period of performance, so a particularly strong month can generate an outsized headline figure. Cognition is private and publishes what it chooses, with no regulatory filing obligating it to reconcile these numbers.

Total cash burn could reach $800 million this year, driven partly by an expensive Nvidia server cluster that costs hundreds of millions annually, The Information reported.

The deal arithmetic points to a broader pattern taking hold in artificial intelligence venture rounds. Investors are underwriting revenue velocity, how fast enterprise contracts convert into recurring dollars, over model benchmarks or demo-stage momentum. 

Cognition’s flat multiple across two rounds is the clearest expression of that shift, and the Cursor acquisition that preceded it reinforces the same logic.

Cursor’s $60 billion exit frames Cognition’s next competitive test

Cursor, the popular AI code editor built by Anysphere, was in talks to raise at a $50 billion valuation when xAI secured an option in April 2026 to acquire the company for $60 billion. 

SpaceX, which had merged with xAI earlier that year, exercised that option on June 16 and closed the deal on Aug. 14, TechCrunch reported.

Cognition currently commands a higher revenue multiple than Cursor did at the time of that deal. 

Cursor’s annualized revenue had reached approximately $4 billion by the time SpaceX announced the acquisition, putting the $60 billion price at roughly 15 times revenue, according to Forbes.

Harrison Rolfes, senior research analyst of Private Company Coverage at PitchBook, commenting on the SpaceX and Cursor close in August 2026, told Benzinga that the economics of the AI coding market reward companies already embedded in developer workflows.

Owning the tool that professional developers already trust daily is a faster path to enterprise AI revenue than winning the model race.

Andreessen Horowitz backed Cursor before its sale to SpaceX and profited significantly from the exit, only to return and lead a round in Cognition, PitchBook reported.

That sequencing suggests the firm sees the same workflow-lock-in economics in Devin that it rode with Cursor.

The competitive test for Cognition, then, is whether Devin becomes the tool developers reach for by default. Cursor won that daily-use position before SpaceX bought it. 

Cognition’s enterprise roster is broader, but enterprise procurement and individual developer preference are different moats, and Rolfes’ point is that the second one converts to revenue faster.

What Cognition’s flat revenue multiple signals for AI investors

Owen Lamont, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Acadian Asset Management, warned in June 2026 that surging earnings expectations used to justify elevated prices are the clearest bubble signal, with S&P 500 growth forecasts now past the 2000 peak. 

A startup doubling its valuation in four months on run-rate revenue, a metric that annualizes a recent period’s performance, fits that description on its face.

Cognition’s Series E fits a different pattern; the valuation doubled, but revenue justified it at the same multiple. That multiple remains well above the 20-to-30-times range Aventis Advisors identifies as the AI startup median. 

A durable outlier becomes a stretched one, in that framing, when run-rate revenue fails to convert into audited annual revenue at scale. Cognition targets $4 billion to $5 billion by year-end, The Information reported. 

The test is whether enterprise revenue grows fast enough to hold it flat.

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Over the weekend, a woman approached me in my local Goodwill and asked if I could order her an Uber.

Before I could respond, she launched into a desperate-sounding story: Her car battery was dead, her phone was dead and she just needed a ride home via Uber or Lyft.

Part of me wanted to help, and I quickly evaluated the situation. I knew I wouldn’t count on getting paid back, but I could spend $15 to get her home.

But I was also shopping with my young child, which made me especially conscious of my surroundings and more cautious about getting distracted by a stranger’s urgent request.

I also thought about money expert Clark Howard’s recent warning about Tap-to-Pay scams and the dangers of handing an unlocked phone to a stranger.

I never planned to physically hand her my phone. But it occurred to me that even pulling it out and unlocking it within her reach created a risk.

So I told her I couldn’t order the ride, but I’d be happy to find an employee who could help her call a taxi.

Her reaction confirmed my suspicion that something wasn’t right. She wanted something from me, but it wasn’t simply a ride home.

I walked away convinced I’d avoided a scam.

When I got home, I started looking into what could happen when a stranger convinces you to order them an Uber or Lyft. I found several good reasons to say no.

Here are a few ways the “Can You Order Me an Uber?” Scam can work and how to protect yourself. 

The Unlock and Grab

The “I’ll Pay You in Cash” Scam

The Short Ride Home is Actually a Ride to Tennessee 

What Should You Do If a Stranger Asks You To Order Them a Ride?

Final Thoughts

The Unlock and Grab

My gut tells me my unlocked phone may have been the real target in my Goodwill encounter. Fortunately, I never let the situation get that far.

Think about what happens when you agree to order a ride for a stranger: You pull out your phone, unlock it and open an app connected to a payment method.

The person could then ask to hold your phone to enter an address, check the destination or look at the map. Handing it over gives a stranger an opportunity to run off with your phone — and potentially access much more than your rideshare app.

Even if you don’t hand it over, pulling out and unlocking an expensive device around someone you don’t know creates unnecessary risk.

The “I’ll Pay You in Cash” Scam

Not every version of this request is necessarily about stealing your phone.

After my encounter, I found reports of strangers using similar stories to convince people to order rides. In one 2024 incident reported by the Daily Dot, Ma’kiah Michelle said a woman approached her at Grand Central Terminal and asked her to order an Uber in exchange for cash. Michelle became suspicious when the woman pulled out multiple $50 bills and declined to order her a ride.

Michelle realized the cash could be counterfeit.

Someone could hand you a fake $50 bill for a $15 ride. You pay for the ride with your real credit card and give the person $35 in real change. Now you’re out the cost of the ride plus the cash you handed over.

The Short Ride Home Is Actually a Ride to Tennessee 

Even if the stranger isn’t after your phone or cash, there’s another problem: It’s your account and payment method attached to the trip.

Depending on the rideshare service and circumstances, a rider may be able to change the destination during the trip. That means the $15 ride you agreed to could potentially become a $150+ ride to Tennessee.

And if there’s a dispute, fee or other problem, your account is associated with the booking.

That’s a lot of potential responsibility to take on for a stranger.

What Should You Do If a Stranger Asks You To Order Them a Ride?

You don’t have to ignore someone who may genuinely need help. But you also don’t have to unlock your phone, hand over your device or put a stranger’s trip on your personal rideshare account.

Don’t Hand Over Your Unlocked Phone

Never hand an unlocked phone to a stranger. And if something about the situation feels suspicious, think carefully about pulling out and unlocking your phone within easy reach.

An unlocked phone can potentially give a thief access to much more than the device itself, including email, financial and payments apps and other sensitive accounts.

Offer a Safer Alternative

If someone genuinely needs transportation, offer an alternative that doesn’t require using your phone or payment account.

For example, you could direct the person to an employee, security guard or customer service desk that may be able to help them call a taxi. You could also point them toward public transportation.

If the person appears to be in immediate danger or experiencing an emergency, contact the appropriate emergency services.

Never Share Verification Codes

Never give a stranger verification or security codes sent to your phone. This includes codes associated with Uber, Lyft or your financial accounts.

A legitimate request for help shouldn’t require you to surrender control of your accounts.

Lock Down Your Financial Apps

Even if you never hand your phone to anyone, it’s smart to prepare for the possibility that it could be lost or stolen.

Use the security features available on financial apps such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal and your bank’s mobile app. Enable biometric authentication or a separate PIN where available, and make sure your phone itself is protected with a strong passcode.

Final Thoughts

Clark Howard often reminds us that most people are good. But being willing to help someone doesn’t mean you have to put your phone, money or accounts at risk.

Looking back at my Goodwill encounter, I think the most important thing I did was offer the woman another way to get help. I wouldn’t order an Uber from my phone, but I was willing to find an employee who could help her call a taxi.

She wasn’t interested.

That’s a red flag worth remembering. If a stranger asks you for help but rejects a reasonable alternative that removes access to your phone, money or accounts, pay attention.

Scams constantly evolve, and none of us can know every scheme we’ll encounter. Instead, watch for the patterns that tend to repeat: an urgent story, an unusual request, pressure to use your phone or money, and resistance when you suggest a safer alternative.

You can still be kind and helpful without putting yourself at unnecessary risk. And when something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and walk away.

The post Scam Alert: Think Twice Before Ordering an Uber for a Stranger appeared first on Clark Howard.

Did you know you can go through airport security to meet a friend on a layover, share a farewell meal, or shop at terminal stores — even if you aren’t flying? A growing number of U.S. airports now offer free visitor pass programs that grant non-ticketed guests access to gate areas beyond the TSA checkpoint.

Currently, access generally falls into two primary categories depending on the airport and your traveler status.

Option 1: Express Access via TSA PreCheck (Gateside Program)

If you hold an active trusted traveler membership (such as TSA PreCheck), participating airports offer an expedited approval process that lets you use PreCheck screening lanes. The program is called Gateside by TSA PreCheck.

Key requirements and rules:

Eligibility: Must hold an active Known Traveler Number (KTN) via TSA PreCheck or another trusted traveler program.

How to Apply: Apply online 1 to 3 days prior to your visit and check your dashboard for approval.

Minors: Children are eligible but must be added to a parent or guardian’s reservation.

Validity: Valid for one full calendar day (re-entry allowed).

Cost: Free.

Participating airports:

Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) – Mesa, AZ

John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) – Columbus, OH

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) – Detroit, MI

Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) – Wichita, KS

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) – Indianapolis, IN

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – Las Vegas, NV

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – Los Angeles, CA

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) – Little Rock, AR

Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) – Oklahoma City, OK

Eppley Airfield (OMA) – Omaha, NE

San Diego International Airport (SAN) – San Diego, CA

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) – Salt Lake City, UT

Troubleshooting denials: If your application is rejected, double-check that your personal details (full name, DOB, KTN) match your TSA PreCheck profile exactly. If your information is correct, the airport may have hit its daily cap for visitor passes.

Option 2: General Airport Visitor Passes (Standard Security)

If you don’t have TSA PreCheck, or if your airport uses a standalone program, around 21 airports offer independent visitor pass systems.

How it works:

Screening: All visitors pass through standard TSA security lanes, regardless of PreCheck status.

Age restrictions: Applicants must be at least 18 years old (minors must be accompanied by an adult visitor pass holder).

Varying rules: Each airport sets its own hours, allowed terminals, stay durations, and baggage limits.

How to find them: Each airport runs its own programs. Search your local airport’s website for terms like “Visitor Pass” or custom program names (e.g., the Hopkins Hangout Pass in Cleveland or the BNA PASSport in Nashville).

(Note: Airlines can also issue traditional gate passes at their ticket counters, but these are restricted to specific needs, such as assisting passengers with disabilities, military personnel, or unescorted minors.)

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to share a final toast with a traveling friend or lessen the stress for an arriving family member, airport visitor passes make it possible. Just remember to apply a few days in advance, double-check that your personal details match your identification, and keep daily visitor caps in mind when planning your trip. With more terminals opening their doors to the public each year, the gate area is no longer strictly for travelers — it’s an extension of the local community.
The post TSA Visitor Passes: How To Access Airport Gates Without Flying appeared first on Clark Howard.