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JetBlue and Delta are studying whether to do away with the newspaper boarding laissez passer, even the smartphone boarding pass, and supplant them with biometric scanners — of the retina, confront, or fingerprints. The goal is to speed passengers' passage through some of the bottlenecks at the airport.

These first steps involve the passengers' interaction with the airlines (boarding, checking bags), and not with TSA agents doing the mandatory security screening. The airlines talk about biometric scanning reducing some of the "friction points," as if flying commercial isn't one giant friction point from the moment y'all enter airport property.

The first steps

Hither's what JetBlue and Delta are upwards to: JetBlue at Boston'south Logan Airport will apply facial recognition of the passenger in the boarding line against passport or visa photos, starting with a unmarried route, to Queen Beatrix International Drome in Aruba. For an international flight, a passenger needs both a boarding pass and a passport. JetBlue says there's no requirement to register or enroll beforehand. The programme is a collaboration among JetBlue, US Customs and Border Protection (CBA), and SITA, a security visitor working with airlines, airports and government bodies. Information technology begins in June and JetBlue says it'south opt-in.

JetBlue says the plan allows iPad-equipped gate agents to get out "from behind the counter to interact with customers and assistance throughout the process …  giving them mobility to monitor and manage the boarding procedure while interacting with customers."

Delta, meanwhile, says it'due south testing fingerprint scanners at Reagan National Aerodrome in Washington to grant Sky Club lounge access to some frequent flyers. In a 2d phase, fingerprint scanners would allow flyers enrolled in Articulate to check numberless and later lath flights. Clear is a $179-per-yr ($50 for each additional family member) individual service at some airports that fast-tracks enrollees straight from the Clear scanner to the passenger and carry-on baggage scanners.

Clear is only in 17 The states cities currently, although that may include multiple airports as well every bit some stadiums and arenas. In San Francisco, Clear is at SFO and at AT&T (baseball game) Park downtown.

So far, none of these alternative ID methods other than Articulate let a traveler featherbed the current process of presenting a physical ID, such as a commuter's license or passport, at the TSA security desk.

Kiss your privacy skilful-bye?

The biometric-scan projects may raise hackles with civil libertarians. Travelers may wonder whether it's worth a little less personal privacy if it means you lot'll take hold of your five:50p.m flying home. Realists may conclude our information — photos for sure, fingerprints if y'all're in TSA Pre or Global Entry — is already in various databases.

Or, every bit Scott McNealy, the CEO of Sun Microsystems, said in 1999, "Y'all have cypher privacy anyway. Get over information technology." He meant it tongue-in-cheek. Partly.