Logan's Framingham Remote TSA Terminal Explained
Boston Logan is launching the first off-airport TSA screening terminal in the US. Clear security in Framingham, board a secure bus, and arrive airside at Logan.
You can now clear TSA 25 miles from Logan Airport. Here's how it works.
Airport security is the part of flying that nobody loves. Lines are longer, there's more congestion, and more people arriving earlier and earlier just to buffer against any uncertainty. Boston Logan is trying something: moving the security checkpoint off the airport entirely for select Delta and JetBlue flights.
The new "Straight to Gate" pilot program launches June 1 at the Logan Express site in Framingham, Massachusetts — about 25 miles west of Logan Airport. Travelers will be able to check in, drop bags, complete TSA screening, and board a secure bus that delivers them directly to Logan's air-side. By skipping traditional security at Logan, you step off the bus and walk to your gate.
Image via Logan Express
How It Works
Upon arriving at the Framingham facility at 19 Flutie Pass, travelers find a standard baggage check setup where gate agents process luggage. From there, passengers go through full TSA screening staffed by TSA agents with the same screening technology used at Logan's terminals. After clearing security, travelers wait in a secured seating area before boarding the Logan Express bus.
The big win is that once you complete TSA screening in Framingham, you don't go through security again at Logan.
The key details:
- Cost: The bus is $9 each way while parking at Framingham site is $7 per day — a substantial savings to economy lots at Logan that run as high as $40+ per day.
- Buses run hourly, accommodating up to 55 passengers
- The new service is only to passengers on Delta flights out of Terminal A or JetBlue out of Terminal C, between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Tickets can be booked from 90 days to 90 minutes before departure. No walk ups allowed
- TSA PreCheck is accepted, though PreCheck passengers remain in the same line during the initial pilot
- Children under 17 ride free with an adult.
Why This Is Different From What Already Exists
Doesn't American Airlines do something similar?
AA's Landline operation — and similar bus services on other carriers — connect regional airports to major hubs on a single ticket - for example Atlantic City and Philadelphia. You board a bus in one city, get dropped off at a hub, and continue on your itinerary.
What Logan is doing is different. Some international airports — particularly in Asia and Europe — have offered off-site check-in and baggage drop, but full TSA security screening outside the airport prior to departure is new for United States and North America. The Framingham facility is a functioning TSA checkpoint, not just a check-in counter.
The Honest Case For and Against
For the right traveler this is compelling. If you live in the MetroWest suburbs — Framingham, Natick, Marlborough, that corridor — driving to the Framingham facility and parking for $7 a day provides some great savings.
On the flip side, this pilot is limited to select airlines and departures. Depending on the trial's success, Massport has indicated the service could be expanded. It'll be exciting to see how this new service develops.