With all of the added security in airports, it’s hard to imagine a day when we won’t have to even bring a boarding pass or passport to the gate when traveling by plane. But JetBlue has already begun testing some facial recognition technology that may eliminate this need in the future.
Time reports on the face scan testing and what it might mean for air travelers in the future. If this sounds like something that won’t happen for years, you will be surprised to hear that both London’s Heathrow Airport and an Australian airport have already begun using facial recognition technology. And JetBlue is planning a test run of the face scan program this month at Boston’s Logan airport for passengers flying to Aruba.
Unlike programs such as TSA pre-check, there is no prior enrollment or registration needed to participate in the new face scan technology. All passengers will have to do is agree to participate before having their photo taken at a camera station. Your photo will then be entered into a database where it can be matched with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Once the quick process of matching your image with the one in the CBP database occurs, you are on your way.
JetBlue official, Joanna Geraghty, explains how she hopes the new technology will work to speed up the process of boarding international flights. She says, “We hope to learn how we can further reduce friction points in the airport experience, with the boarding process being one of the hardest to solve. Self-boarding eliminates boarding pass scanning and manual passport checks. Just look into the camera and you’re on your way.”
What do you think of the new facial recognition technology being tested by JetBlue?
Do you think more airlines should consider testing this program?