United is running a completely optional trial of biometric boarding from gates E5 and E6 at SFO... I apologize if this has already been mentioned in FT, but I don't recall reading about it here.
I received the following email this morning from United:
United is transforming the airport experience by making your journey simpler. We’re piloting SITA’s Smart Path – a biometric technology to create a touchless boarding and bag drop process – and we’re inviting you to be a part of this biometric trial today on flights departing from Gates E5 and E6 at San Francisco International Airport.
To register, visit the Smart Path kiosks conveniently located by Door 10 in Terminal 3 - United Departure level (2nd Level). Smart Path is open to all travelers who are at least 18 years old with a valid driver’s license or passport, which is needed to complete the enrollment. Your photo will only be available for travel today.
After registering, you’ll no longer need to present your boarding pass at the departure gate. Instead, your face is your boarding pass! During boarding, you’ll look into a camera, wait to be verified (usually takes less than a second!), and then walk onto the aircraft.
Since I had time to spare this morning, I decided to give it a try. There were two specialized check-in machines near to door 10 with SITA reps available to help. After completing the regular kiosk check-in formalities, the machine asks to scan your drivers license or passport and then takes a photo of your face. It didn't accept my drivers license on the first try, so I had to check-in again and use my passport. At the gate, there were additional United and SITA reps to oversee the biometric boarding. There's a specialized camera and biometric boarding lane at the gate. Unfortunately, I tried three times and it did not recognize any of my biometric details while the rest of the F cabin boarded in the regular boarding lane and filled up the overhead bins. I didn't see any other passengers use the biometric boarding option at the gate - although I did board towards the start of the boarding process. Of note, it requires briefly removing your face mask both at check-in /registration and at boarding.
Interesting concept if they can get it to work properly but right now seems like far too many additional steps required as opposed to just using a mobile boarding pass.
-FlyerBeek