Introduction

Late December is when business travel gets unforgiving: tighter schedules, fuller flights, and less margin for “small” mistakes. And with February 1, 2026 right around the corner, a new TSA policy adds another variable executives and assistants should plan for now, not later.

On December 1, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration announced it will begin referring travelers who arrive without an acceptable form of ID to a $45 paid option, TSA ConfirmID, to verify identity at security checkpoints starting February 1, 2026.

For leisure travelers, this may sound like a simple fee. For executive travelers, it’s a time-risk event, because an identity exception at the checkpoint can cascade into missed meetings, blown connections, and messy airport pickups in an era where curb access is tightening.

This article is your executive-grade playbook: what ConfirmID means, what to do before travel day, what to do if ID is missing anyway, and how to coordinate chauffeured airport pickups smoothly, especially at airports where pickup rules have changed.

At a glance: the executive takeaway

• What changes: On Feb 1, 2026, TSA begins a $45 ConfirmID option for travelers who show up without acceptable ID.
• What it affects: Your time certainty, especially during peak periods with high TSA throughput.
• Executive move: Treat ID readiness like passport readiness + use a structured transfer workflow (flight tracking + pickup-zone confirmation).
• Why it matters for pickups: Airports are increasingly restricting curbside access, JFK Terminal 5/7 pickups are a prime example.

What TSA ConfirmID is, and what the $45 actually buys you

The policy, plainly stated

TSA has announced that beginning February 1, 2026, passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly may be referred to an option to pay a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID, a modernized alternative identity verification system, to establish identity at security checkpoints.

ConfirmID is not a “travel hack”

This is not a premium lane. It’s not a shortcut. It’s an exception workflow, and exception workflows are exactly what executives should avoid relying on.

Reporting on the rollout has noted the process may take additional time and that the fee is non-refundable, with identity verification not guaranteed in all cases (meaning you still risk being unable to proceed if identity cannot be verified).

“Acceptable ID” still matters more than anything

TSA maintains a live list of what counts as acceptable identification at checkpoints (and warns it can change). If your identity cannot be verified, you may not be allowed to enter the checkpoint.

Executive translation: ConfirmID is a contingency, not a strategy. Your real objective is to never need it.

Why this hits executive travelers harder than everyone else

Higher stakes + lower tolerance for variability

Executives rarely travel for travel’s sake. They travel for outcomes: board meetings, investor calls, client negotiations, and high-impact site visits.

And 2025 business travel remains a high-volume environment. One widely cited projection puts global business travel spending at $1.64 trillion in 2025, reflecting continued reliance on in-person work.

Peak travel isn’t “a season”, it’s frequent

TSA publishes daily passenger volumes that show consistently high screening throughput across the year, with predictable spikes around major travel periods.

Why this matters: The more crowded the checkpoint environment, the more expensive every exception becomes. Even if ConfirmID works perfectly, it’s still an exception process introduced into a high-throughput system.

Executive checklist: ID readiness in 60 seconds

If you travel with purpose, you need a simple, repeatable pre-departure ritual. This is the one that prevents the ConfirmID scenario almost every time.

The two-ID rule (luxury-travel standard)

• Primary acceptable ID (what you plan to present)
• Backup acceptable ID stored separately (not in the same wallet/folio)

Your backup should not live in the same place as the primary. If one is lost or stolen, you haven’t “backed up” anything.

The “separate-pocket” packing structure

• Wallet/primary ID: on-person (not in carry-on)
• Backup ID: inside a different bag compartment or with your assistant/companion (when appropriate)
• Digital copies: for reference only (useful for support calls; not the same as checkpoint ID)

A travel-assistant script you can reuse

Before wheels-up (or before leaving for the airport), assistants can run a 20-second check:

• “Confirm you have your ID in hand.”
• “Confirm it’s the one you intend to use at TSA.”
• “Confirm your backup is in a separate location.”
• “Confirm your chauffeur pickup instructions are terminal-specific.”

It’s short. It’s professional. And it prevents hours of disruption.

If you arrive without acceptable ID: the executive decision tree

When this happens, you don’t want improvisation. You want a calm, ordered response that protects the itinerary and your ground pickup.

Step 1: Pause and assess (30 seconds)

• Did you bring the wrong wallet/folio?
• Is your acceptable ID in a laptop sleeve, garment bag, or hotel safe?
• Can your assistant retrieve and deliver it quickly?

Step 2: Identify your fastest valid alternative

TSA’s acceptable ID list includes many documents beyond a standard driver’s license (and TSA notes the list can change).
If you have another acceptable ID accessible quickly, that is almost always the best outcome.

Step 3: Protect your schedule, assume extra time is required

Even if your identity can be verified, exception processing adds uncertainty. Plan as though you’ve added a meaningful delay, and immediately notify all downstream parties (meeting hosts, airline support, and ground transport).

Step 4: ConfirmID becomes relevant on Feb 1, 2026

Starting February 1, 2026, TSA ConfirmID is the fee-based option for travelers without acceptable ID to verify identity.
Coverage of the change notes the process may take extra time and the fee is non-refundable.

Step 5: Coordinate your chauffeured pickup like a pro

If security timing becomes uncertain, your pickup should shift from “guess and hope” to “manage and confirm.”

Send your chauffeur (or dispatch) this three-line text:

1. Airline + terminal
2. Status: “At security now / clearing security / waiting bags”
3. Pickup preference: “Meet & greet” or “arrivals pickup zone” (terminal-specific)

That message prevents missed connections between traveler and vehicle, the most common failure point in high-congestion airports.

Airport pickup rules are tightening, curbside is no longer a guarantee

Here’s what many travelers haven’t fully internalized yet: airports are increasingly optimizing for congestion control, construction logistics, and safety, not for convenient curbside pickups.

JFK: a clear signal of where the industry is going

The Port Authority of NY & NJ issued a travel advisory stating that beginning 7 a.m. Tuesday, May 6, 2025, for-hire ride app and car service pickups at JFK Terminals 5 and 7 were relocated to a designated lot at AirTrain JFK’s Howard Beach station, explicitly to reduce terminal-frontage congestion during peak construction periods.

Executive takeaway: If your plan still relies on “walk outside and spot the car,” you are planning like it’s 2018.

LAX: the remote pickup model is established

LAX’s official site explains LAX-it, the designated area where guests can pick up rideshare and taxis, supported by signage and shuttles.

Executive takeaway: More airports are adopting LAX-style controlled pickup flows—because it’s how they keep terminals moving.

Airport-by-airport executive notes (what to assume in 2026)

This section is intentionally practical. We won’t pretend every airport has identical rules—but we will tell you what executives should assume is true.

JFK (New York)

• Assume construction and controlled pickup zones are normal, not exceptional.
• Confirm pickup instructions by terminal—and be prepared for off-site lots or AirTrain-adjacent pickups.

LAX (Los Angeles)

• Assume designated pickup infrastructure like LAX-it is part of the flow.
• Build extra time for moving from terminal to pickup area during busy windows.

NYC-area airports (LGA / EWR)

• Assume curb access rules can tighten during peak congestion and operational changes.
• Use terminal-specific instructions and avoid vague “I’m outside” messaging.

Boston Logan / Chicago O’Hare / other major hubs

• Assume pickup zones, construction, and police enforcement can shift frequently.
• Your driver should have a clear terminal + door/zone + a backup meeting point.

Connecticut-focused executive travel (Avery Limo core reality)

If you’re traveling between Connecticut and major airports, you’re typically balancing:

• early departures
• highway variability
• terminal constraints
• meeting-day schedules

That’s exactly why structured coordination matters more than ever.

Corporate travel managers: update your policy now (not in February)

Because 2026 is weeks away, travel programs should be adjusted in December while leadership calendars are still being set.

What to add to corporate travel SOPs

• ID readiness protocol (two-ID rule)
• Contingency time buffer guidance based on peak TSA throughput patterns
• Ground transfer standards: flight tracking, terminal-specific pickup, and a defined contact method
• Assistant workflow: pre-departure ID confirmation + a standard driver coordination message

Why this is a business decision

When business travel spend is measured in the trillions globally, the cost of friction is real, even when it’s “just one traveler” delayed.

The 2026-ready executive itinerary

24 hours before

• Confirm traveler’s acceptable ID + backup ID
• Confirm flight number + terminal (and likely arrival terminal changes)
• Confirm ground pickup type: curb pickup vs Meet & Greet

Day-of departure (before leaving)

• “ID in hand?”
• “Backup ID separate?”
• “Chauffeur pickup instructions confirmed?”

Arrival message to chauffeur (3 lines)

• “Landed: [Airport] [Terminal]”
• “Bags: carry-on only / waiting bags”
• “Pickup: meet & greet / arrivals pickup zone”

This is what turns a potentially chaotic airport moment into something that feels, appropriately, executive.

Subtle, executive-level CTA

If your schedule is non-negotiable, your airport transfer should be engineered that way.

Avery Limo provides luxury airport transportation and corporate transportation designed around flight tracking, discretion, and terminal-specific pickup coordination. When you’re traveling into major airports during a high-volume season, or heading into 2026 policy changes, reserve in advance and let our team handle the details that airports no longer make simple.

FAQs

Takeaway

With February 1, 2026 essentially here, the smartest executive travelers aren’t waiting to “see how it goes.” They’re tightening the details that protect time: confirming acceptable ID and a backup before leaving, building a realistic buffer for high-volume checkpoints, and treating airport pickup like a coordinated handoff, not a curbside gamble. In a travel environment where rules and pickup zones can shift by terminal, luxury transportation isn’t about flash, it’s about certainty. And when your day is measured in decisions, not delays, that certainty is the real upgrade.

By Avery Limousine Global
Connecticut’s leading luxury transportation provider for airport transfers, corporate black car service, wedding limousines, proms, cruise terminal rides, casinos, and special-occasion limo service across CT, NY, NJ and surrounding areas.