crazy8534

BA are launching a trial of a new biometric check-in which would allow you to photograph your passport, take a photo of your face (a "selfie") and then check in at a biometric kiosk which will retrieve your booking using a camera (pointed at your face).
This means you won't have to see anyone for a passport check before you board. You can keep your "passport safely in your pocket until you arrive at your destination".
It will only take 2.5 secs to recognise you at boarding.
"Our colleagues will be freed-up to focus their time delivering great customer service".

Interesting ...

plunet

BA IT.. What could possibly go wrong?

Geordie405

It's a positive development. Facial recognition boarding is already in use at multiple airports in the US and seems to be pretty successful. The AA app can use NFC scanning to confirm passport details. CBP also use biometrics heavily for immigration processing. When I last entered the USA the CBP officer didn't even need / want to look at my passport. My wife and I both smiled at the camera and that was sufficient for CBP to validate our admissibility, and we were both welcomed back home and sent on our way.

I think that anything that allows the more tech-savvy passengers to use self-service features is a good step. For me it would remove the one remaining requirement to see a BA representative at the airport - i.e. to have my passport scanned.

I noticed that the video mentioned enrollment, so I am not sure how this works? Presumably if you enroll then it means you no longer need to use the verification process for each flight and that your passport details and biometrics are stored by BA?

My only nagging concern is that I wonder how long it will be before someone manages to board an international flight without having their passport with them - and then blames BA for not having checked

layz

Wouldn't that mean a fine for BA too?

PETER01

Indeed it is and it's just a trial at the moment so here's hoping it is successful.

How long that takes to go into full blown mode I would suspect is possibly still some time away. Of course technology has come a very long way even compared to 5 years ago and going forward if this makes any process a bit more seamless for some then fab.

I would imagine the frequent flyers in 30/40 years time will look back and be baffled why manual passport checks were done in the 20's.

LondonAussie

Hopefully it works better than the eGates at the UK Border, which now reject me every time.

wutlol

There is a reason for that; let me quote this esteemed gentleman from the BA forum’s own thread on this very topic of e-Gate passport rejection.

Take the compliment from Big Brother!

CKBA

For a while (recently) they had facial recognition when boarding the BA229 and BA293 (presumably BA217 also) at BWI/IAD - no scanning of BPs at the gate. The odd thing was that when I did it at IAD it 'recognised' me with my mask on - which seemed a bit lax.

FlyingScientist

BA trial... does not sound like a good start

PETER01

Apparently the trial will last for 6 months.

Full details here but meantime it's only to Malaga apparently.

The trial will run for six months on British Airways flights to Malaga, Spain. Customers who opt-in will be invited to make use of the Fast-Track security lane and will receive complimentary priority boarding.

If the trial is successful, it’s expected to be extended to more international flights.

It follows the introduction of automated biometric technology on British Airways’ domestic flights in 2017, when the carrier became the first UK airline to introduce the technology, which records customers’ facial scans at Security and matches it to them at the boarding gate.

www.ba.com

• Select customers travelling from London Heathrow Terminal 5 are being invited to volunteer and will receive an email three days ahead of their flight.
• Customers taking part in the trial can also register their identity at various touchpoints at Check-In Zone B
• The technology used in the trial has been created by travel technology company Amadeus, customised for British Airways
• Participants will be directed to a customer service representative if they have not been able to provide their Advanced Passenger Information or immigration requirements ahead of time
• Participants are still required to carry their passport when travelling and will be required to show it when they reach their destination airport

https://mediacentre.britishairways.c...rport?ref=News

skipness1E

I work in data and there are also potential worries.
If anyone has been following the WEF vision of digital ID for citizens and what China currently does with facial recognition, it does make me nervous. Some might remember the fingerprint debacle when T5 opened for domestic flights. In 2008 people were rightly nervous of having their fingerprints captured just to get on a plane. Now we're totally fine with the data capture of your face meaning you might not need a passport. Then a driving licence, then an ID card. Just one system with your face as a primary key even allowing you to spend money (programmable CBDC). Which the state can switch off.....! No ability to spend money at the flick of a switch.

Thin end of the wedge, call me Cassandra. Just some cynical background. I was in a demo with the guys who build this, it WILL be everywhere soon.

OpenSky

No. Much like the stupid VeriFLY, and similar measures, I REFUSE to use this.

plunet

Yes, observing the ongoing rise of facial recognition in China, it does make you wonder where it's all going. CCTV cameras every 100m along the street scanning vehicles and people to not even having to scan a QR code to pay now as the till will recognise your face. At least one of the newer airports in China is now paperless for domestic travellers and driven by facial recognition

binman

I flew Austrian the other day and checked in a bag. Before I left the desk an email arrived with my bag tag.

Could BA not start with something simpler and more useful, such as emailed bag tags and baggage tracing. EG email me when it’s loaded? That is far more use and frankly real customer service rather than the endless pursuit of me being just self loading freight!

Kranebitten

One practical thought. Given BA's IT only allows you to save down one passport for API against your profile, have they thought about those holding more than one citizenship/travel document (it is a faff as it is manually switching those out with BA). I appreciate most people will have only one citizenship, but there are not inconsiderable numbers of us with more than one thanks to e.g. parentage. There are also those that have residency rights on a separate document. I get that this is about the primary travel document for entry, but of course many arrival countries require airlines to check the rights of the pax to enter and the basis of entry before they depart (the UK being one of them).

For now it is only T5 departures to AGP, but I just flag the above for any wider rollout.