It looks like boarding passes will soon be a thing of the past.
Last week, Air New Zealand customers were some of the first to experience biometric verification at the boarding gate after a successful trial at Los Angeles Airport.
Upon entering the US, customers are provided with the opportunity to register with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using their biometric information.
Using the automated airport kiosks, this same data is then used to verify their identity at the time of boarding. Biometric information is secured by CBP and not directly accessible to Air New Zealand or any other airline using this service.
Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Nikhil Ravishankar said this technology will speed up the boarding process, creating a seamless experience for customers and airport staff.
”We’ve heard from customers that they want their airport experience to be hassle-free and technology is a key enabler of that. According to IATA, more than 75 % of customers see huge value in biometric verification and want to use it instead of passports and boarding passes.”
The next cab off the rank is San Francisco, followed by the airline’s other US ports.
British Airways is also set to trial biometric tech for travel through the airport. The trial will run for six months on British Airways flights to Malaga, Spain.
Customers on the airline’s trial from Heathrow T5 can scan their face, passport and boarding pass on their smartphone ahead of travel.
When arriving at the airport, Smart Bio-Pod cameras verify their identity in under three seconds.
