US: Airlines try biometric identification for boarding and bags

Two US air carriers, Delta and JetBlue, recently began passenger trials in biometric identification, a technology that verifies a person’s identity through fingerprints, facial features or other physical characteristics. In early June, JetBlue, teaming up with US Customs and Border Protection, introduced optional self-boarding on flights from Logan International Airport in Boston to Beatrix International Airport in Aruba. The process requires no boarding pass and takes about three seconds, said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s executive VP for customer experience. Fliers who choose to try it out step up to a camera at the boarding gate for a quick photo. This image is matched with passport, visa or immigration photos in the Customs and Border Protection database, and once flight details and identity are confirmed, a check mark appears on the camera and fliers can board the plane. So far, more than 90 percent of passengers are using this self-boarding process, Geraghty said, and if the trial is successful, the airline plans to expand biometric identification to more flights. “The technology is revolutionary because your face becomes your passport and travel document,” she said. These boarding processes, however, are not a replacement for the security screening done by the TSA.<br/>