With continued advancements in technology, the world we live in is evolving and Alaska Airlines is leading the way. Through the help of 200 volunteers, Alaska Airlines created a test program in the Mineta San Jose Airport located in the heart of Silicon Valley, which allowed frequent flyers to use their fingerprints in place of government issued ID’s and boarding passes. The test allowed passengers to drop off their bags, pass the security checkpoint with ease, and board the plane on time, making it easier for aircraft dispatchers to dispatch flights on time as well.
San Jose International was chosen because it was an early adopter of the CLEAR Program. CLEAR is an enhanced security program that uses fingerprints and iris scans as passenger identification for 12 domestic airports, for an annual fee of $179.
Alaska Airlines customer R&D manager Jerry Tolzman commented on the program saying, “Our vision is to simplify the day of travel and have a customer get from their car, through the airport and to their seat without having to pull out a government-issued ID… The feedback was very positive. On a survey scale of ‘dissatisfied’ to ‘delighted’ over 85 percent of the participants were delighted with the system.”
Alaska Airlines is hopeful that the test may spark a desire to switch to a fingerprinting form of identification for travelers everywhere. The technology is currently being tested in European airports as a stronger form of international security. While the future is still unpredictable, the outlook looks hopeful and airline crews and aircraft dispatchers are looking forward to the efficiency that the new technology could bring to airports everywhere.
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Alaska Airlines Testing Limits of Identification in Place of Boarding Passes
With continued advancements in technology, the world we live in is evolving and Alaska Airlines is leading the way. Through the help of 200 volunteers, Alaska Airlines created a test program in the Mineta San Jose Airport located in the heart of Silicon Valley, which allowed frequent flyers to use their fingerprints in place of government issued ID’s and boarding passes. The test allowed passengers to drop off their bags, pass the security checkpoint with ease, and board the plane on time, making it easier for aircraft dispatchers to dispatch flights on time as well.
San Jose International was chosen because it was an early adopter of the CLEAR Program. CLEAR is an enhanced security program that uses fingerprints and iris scans as passenger identification for 12 domestic airports, for an annual fee of $179.
Alaska Airlines customer R&D manager Jerry Tolzman commented on the program saying, “Our vision is to simplify the day of travel and have a customer get from their car, through the airport and to their seat without having to pull out a government-issued ID… The feedback was very positive. On a survey scale of ‘dissatisfied’ to ‘delighted’ over 85 percent of the participants were delighted with the system.”
Alaska Airlines is hopeful that the test may spark a desire to switch to a fingerprinting form of identification for travelers everywhere. The technology is currently being tested in European airports as a stronger form of international security. While the future is still unpredictable, the outlook looks hopeful and airline crews and aircraft dispatchers are looking forward to the efficiency that the new technology could bring to airports everywhere.