New TSA pilot rules for hotel guests

[nwafan20]

Westin Hotel Guests at Detroit Metro Airport will Soon Enjoy Nearly 90 Shops & Restaurants at
DTW’s McNamara Terminal

~ New TSA pilot program at DTW will provide overnight guests of the Westin Hotel at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport with access to world-class shops and restaurants, previously off limits


DECEMBER 8, 2006 DETROIT, MI: A new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pilot program will soon allow overnight guests staying at Detroit Metro Airport’s (DTW’s) on-site Westin Hotel with the ability to go where no non-traveling hotel guest has gone before. TSA’s AAACE (Airport Access Authorization to Commercial Establishments) Beyond the Screening Checkpoint Program will be launched at DTW as early as next Tuesday, and will provide a process for overnight hotel guests at the Westin to apply for access to the shops and restaurants in the McNamara Terminal, after submitting to thorough background checks and screening at the TSA security checkpoint.

“This is a great example of how the TSA and airports can work together to create innovative, common sense policy that keeps our travelers safe, while fostering a business climate and airport environment that is attractive to both our customers and business operators,” said Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Lester Robinson. “Without any impact on the safety & security of the traveling public, this program allows our hotel to offer a wider range of nearby services and amenities to our Westin Hotel guests, and increases sales opportunities to our airport concessionaires. In a time when non-airline revenue sources for airports are more important than ever, this program is a win-win approach for everyone involved.”

DTW is one of two airports in the country that TSA has approved for the AAACE Pilot Program; Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) is the other. Detroit Metro Airport’s Westin Hotel is relatively unique among airports, because it is directly connected to the McNamara Terminal, and even has its own TSA screening checkpoint. The hotel’s on-airport location is extremely convenient for business travelers, but until now, non-traveling guests were not allowed into the McNamara Terminal’s concourses, where nearly all of the airports award-winning shops and restaurants are located.

The McNamara Terminal houses nearly 90 world-class stores and restaurants and was recently recognized by Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) as Best Food & Beverage Program and Best Retail / Specialty Program among large airports in 2006. The terminal also received ACI-NA’s Best Retail Program Award in 2004, and was recognized by Airport Revenue News as the Best Overall Single Terminal Concessions Program in 2004.

The 404-room luxury-class Westin hotel includes 10 suites and rooms that feature the Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath®, high speed Internet access and several upscale amenities. Guests can rejuvenate with a workout at the WestinWORKOUT® Powered by Reebok Gym, take a swim in an indoor pool, or enjoy spa services and massage treatments in the privacy of their guestroom. With 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space including a 7,600-square foot grand ballroom, 28 meeting and boardrooms, and a well-equipped business center, the smoke-free hotel is a popular destination for business and social events.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 850 properties in more than 95 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and the recently announced aloftSM and ELEMENTSM Hotels. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com.

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Do you think this could pave the way for allowing anybody to get past security with a background check? That would be nice, since out here in DTW, almost all food is post-security.

[Matt Molnar]

I always thought people should be subjected to full cavity searches before going shopping at malls.

[Winglets747]

TSA’s AAACE (Airport Access Authorization to Commercial Establishments) Beyond the Screening Checkpoint Program

That's one heck of an acronym. :lol:

I guess I'm a bit indifferent to this. I can see how it would be good for some guests to eat and such, and I'm not terribly concerned about bad people getting through. As it is a "bad person" could buy a ticket with a fake name, go through security with a fake ID, and then get on the plane, so the "background check" could be an extra security layer.

On a related note, there was a report that the TSA may allow non-ticket holders to go air side at nearly all US airports.

Considering pax have to pay a security fee, should non-pax/airline employees (hotel guests or anyone if the new proposal goes through) have to pay a fee if they go through security?

-Will

[emshighway]

Do you think this could pave the way for allowing anybody to get past security with a background check? That would be nice, since out here in DTW, almost all food is post-security.

That's what the media is speculating but it isn't that easy. This program is complicated. The hotels are attached to the airports. A person requesting to do this will have to notify the desk the night before. When the arrive at the desk the next day a public safety officer will be called, review the request and make a final determinations after checking the no-fly list. They will issue a pass which is good for only one visit. If you are flying out that day you won't be issued a pass.

There are other steps involved but they are SSI.

[nwafan20]

Wait, why a one-time only pass? I don't see the problem with letting the guests go through as many times as they would like. So, why the one-time only pass rule?

[Matt Molnar]

Who's paying for it? The merchants I hope?

[Nonstop2AUH]

Great, let's devote our scarce security resources to facilitating shoppers. Those checkpoint lines are just way too short as it is.

[nwafan20]

Well here at DTW, the Westin has a security checkpoint built into it, the line is never more than a person long (Most people don't know of the security checkpoint, technically it's open to the public because it is a TSA checkpoint) so it wouldn't really effect the regular lines.

[Nonstop2AUH]

I'd be curious to know if the Westin pays anything to have that checkpoint operated, or if the taxpayers do. If it's the latter, as I suspect, that resource should be reallocated to someplace where it is more useful to the general public.

[emshighway]

Wait, why a one-time only pass? I don't see the problem with letting the guests go through as many times as they would like. So, why the one-time only pass rule?

Wasn't involved in the deal but I would suspect to keep the amount of people going through the checkpoint down.

[T-Bird76]

What's the point of this program anyway? I was reading that the merchants want more business but I can't see how this will generate any significant revenue for them. I don't see why you can't say goodbye and hello where we do now. People with special needs and child already can have a loved one take them and meet them at the gate.

[nwafan20]

Because of this reason:

People staying at the airport hotel, well, they eat food. When a place like DTW has 2 places to eat outside of security (Plus the hotel bar) we run into a little problem. The 2 places to eat are a National Coney Island and a Mexican place. With the security checkpoint in the hotel, there is more than enough resources to handle them.

The wait at DTW isn't bad in the first place, exept when all the 744's and A330's come in, then it jumps to about a 15 minuite wait.