This Trending Pre-Security Airport Glow-Up Could Change Your Next Travel Check-In Experience

From coping with TSA's annoyingly inconsistent rules to dealing with canceled or delayed flights, it's hard to imagine that there was an era of more refined travel. For much of the 20th century, security was minimal — think metal detectors and X-ray machines — and pre-flight airport dining with a friend or family member was typical. The airport lifestyle changed after the terrorist attacks in 2001, eliminating most retail options until you pass through security with a boarding pass. 

Now the country's airports, including those in Pittsburgh and Portland, Oregon, are changing course as they try to keep pace with the air travel boom, hitting a record 906 million passengers in 2025, per AAA. They're pouring billions of dollars into amenity-rich public zones in pre-security areas and expediting screening lines. These terminal glow-ups are often stunning spaces with locally-sourced materials and artwork installations from area artists designed to give flyers and even non-travelers a more relaxing check-in experience. The message is to arrive early and relax over a meal with a loved one before heading through security to the gate.

On the West Coast, Long Beach Airport in California is investing in a $1.8-million build-out for pre-security dining opening this year. John Wayne Airport in Orange County has recently opened a Dunkin' in the pre-security area offering coffee, donuts, and breakfast sandwiches. And Portland International Airport's $2 billion terminal overhaul hopes to ease the rush for harried travelers with an expansion of airline check-in counters and creation of curvy, security screening lanes allowing three travelers to simultaneously unload belongings. Those flying into the eastern U.S. will want to check out Pittsburgh International Airport's $1.7-billion terminal that opened last year with a design inspired by nature, featuring tree-like steel columns, outdoor terraces, and a rolling rooftop mirroring local topography.

These pre-security upgrades are welcome additions, say travelers. Cafe Conmigo is new to Pittsburgh International Airport's pre-security area and opens at 4 a.m. for coffees and teas, oatmeal, and pastries. One Google customer commented: "Real coffee, and a real cafe, in the airport! What a treasure." Joining Cafe Conmigo later this year in the pre-security area is Camden Food Market, offering grab-and-go foods, such as salads and sandwiches. 

As it nears completion, Portland's eye-catching terminal — featuring tree-lined walkways beneath a mass-timber roof — connects to new shops and restaurants in the pre-security corridor. Shoppers can stock up on T-shirts and books at Hello from Portland or novelty souvenirs, such as pen sets, greeting cards, and notebooks at Paper Epiphanies. For a pre-flight meal with your entourage, dine on farm-to-table options from The Country Cat, including omelets, mac and cheese, chicken wings, burgers, and pastries. Travelers appreciate The Country Cat's unexpected quality. "Who would have thought I'd have the best breakfast ever in the PDX airport?" writes one reviewer on Yelp. 

Airports are also opening doors for non-passengers to linger even beyond pre-security areas when they drop off those with ticketed flights. Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, which recently refreshed its Terminal 1 check-in lobby, offers the OAK Guest Pass Program. Just apply online up to seven days before your visit. San Diego International Airport's SAN Pass allows parents to accompany kids on solo flights to their gate, providing another tool for non-flyers to patronize the airport. The pass also requires online registration, and note that neither program allows you to skip long security lines.