DL introduces facial recognition kiosks at MSP

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DL has installed some new kiosks at MSP that use facial recognition. My understanding is that the new technology matches your face to your passport photo and then prints not only boarding passes but also checked bag tags. The idea seems to be to eliminate the step of showing photo ID to a DL agent when checking a bag.
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I love this concept. But given that passports can be valid for 10 years, my passport photo looks drastically different than what I look like now (aka 30 pounds ago, different hair, etc.).
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Quote: I love this concept. But given that passports can be valid for 10 years, my passport photo looks drastically different than what I look like now (aka 30 pounds ago, different hair, etc.).
Facial recognition software is suppose to observe immutable facial characteristics (such as the distance between your eyes) so that aging, weight loss/gain, hair length, and facial hair don't cause false negatives. From what I've read, the tests are in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security (and utilize their database and facial recognition software), so you would hope the system would be fairly robust and advanced.

Cosmetic surgery could cause issues, but one is supposed to get a new ID following significant cosmetic surgery.
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Quote: DL has installed some new kiosks at MSP that use facial recognition. My understanding is that the new technology matches your face to your passport photo and then prints not only boarding passes but also checked bag tags. The idea seems to be to eliminate the step of showing photo ID to a DL agent when checking a bag.

I don't see how this will speed up the process if you are checking a bag. Even though you have your bag tags, you still have to stand in line to hand over your bag to the agent. Maybe if you are not checking a bag.

Just glad that MSP now has Clear and with TSA Precheck, things move quite quickly now.
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Quote: I don't see how this will speed up the process if you are checking a bag. Even though you have your bag tags, you still have to stand in line to hand over your bag to the agent. Maybe if you are not checking a bag.

Just glad that MSP now has Clear and with TSA Precheck, things move quite quickly now.
If you're not checking a bag, you could use one of the old regular kiosks to do OLCI.

I think the idea is that after using the new kiosks, people will load their own bag onto the belt or a big cart, thereby bypassing the need to see an agent at all.
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Quote: I think the idea is that after using the new kiosks, people will load their own bag onto the belt or a big cart, thereby bypassing the need to see an agent at all.
But until they simplify how bag tags are applied, it still would take a Delta person, and the passenger still has to stick around to indicate which bag belongs to which tag.
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What I saw seemed to have the passenger applying the bag tag.

I don't know what would happen if you were eligible for SkyPriority on your bag tag.
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Quote: What I saw seemed to have the passenger applying the bag tag.

I don't know what would happen if you were eligible for SkyPriority on your bag tag.
I imagine that the yellow priority tags are mostly for show now since most bag routing and handling at large airports is automated.
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Quote: I imagine that the yellow priority tags are mostly for show now since most bag routing and handling at large airports is automated.
While it is automated, a friend who did a summer gig as a baggage handler told me the Sky Priority bags all go in a separate container that gets loaded last/pulled out first (in theory) as per SOP.

Keep in mind that most bags are routed and handled automatically, but only so much as getting bags from the check-in counter to the correct gate.
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I saw this today at MSP. There were lots of agents helping passengers, so it was hard to tell how efficient it will be when there are fewer Delta staff. The passengers do tag the bags and load onto the belts, which weigh them in the process. I think there's an area near the belts with a scale, where people with overweight bags can go to rearrange the weight.

This new process is set up between the regular baggage check area and Sky Priority.
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Quote: I saw this today at MSP. There were lots of agents helping passengers, so it was hard to tell how efficient it will be when there are fewer Delta staff. The passengers do tag the bags and load onto the belts, which weigh them in the process. I think there's an area near the belts with a scale, where people with overweight bags can go to rearrange the weight.

This new process is set up between the regular baggage check area and Sky Priority.
Is that what was going on? I rolled in at an extremely early 9:00 AM and saw cameras filming something in that area and things looking different.
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Quote: Is that what was going on? I rolled in at an extremely early 9:00 AM and saw cameras filming something in that area and things looking different.
Yes, lots of cameras. This is the first full implementation of this system. According to the Delta rep, other trials have been more limited. I think the cameras were Delta filming; I don't know whether some were media.
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Quote: DL has installed some new kiosks at MSP that use facial recognition. My understanding is that the new technology matches your face to your passport photo and then prints not only boarding passes but also checked bag tags. The idea seems to be to eliminate the step of showing photo ID to a DL agent when checking a bag.
Isn't the idea to give the US Govt. ever more information about and control over persons flying (or attempting to fly) from US airports? This and the JetBlue trial are a move in that direction: https://findbiometrics.com/delta-air...k-intl-406141/
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It's been on local TV news today, including video taken at the airport showing the new kiosks which I assume was filmed today. There's also a DL VP named Toby Broberg who has said a few words on camera. The project manager (I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to give his name) also spoke very briefly to one local news reporter. There were red, white, and blue balloons in the area.

Something that might limit the staffing/efficiency/cost saving gains is that it's apparently completely self serve only if you use a passport rather than a driver's license for the photo ID. So the system could be of limited value to most domestic travelers.
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Quote: While it is automated, a friend who did a summer gig as a baggage handler told me the Sky Priority bags all go in a separate container that gets loaded last/pulled out first (in theory) as per SOP.

Keep in mind that most bags are routed and handled automatically, but only so much as getting bags from the check-in counter to the correct gate.
If you are in a window seat you can see this happening. I see it many times a year. Any yellow tag is put to side and is loaded last. However it definitely is messed up sometimes as I had bags come off almost last in Orlando. Yellow tags were all throughout the bags.
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