FlyerTalk Forums - Totally electronic passports

FlyerTalk Forums (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php)

- Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/checkpoints-borders-policy-debate-687/)

- - Totally electronic passports (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/checkpoints-borders-policy-debate/1915474-totally-electronic-passports.html)

Totally electronic passports

I seem to recollect that about 20 years ago, this concept was being discussed: you are issued a card (similar to a PP CARD), but all VISAs and entry/exit "stamps" would be stored ELECTRONICALLY on the card. With the advances in computer technology today, shouldn't this be the "wave of the future"?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nrr (Post 29886076)

It could or should be that way but then again, as demonstrated by the American/PSA Airlines system crash, I wonder about dependability. Maybe we’re not there yet. Maybe some third world countries are far from being there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randyk47 (Post 29886412)

It could or should be that way but then again, as demonstrated by the American/PSA Airlines system crash, I wonder about dependability. Maybe we’re not there yet. Maybe some third world countries are far from being there.

Per: https://www.economist.com/the-econom...n-mobile-money the third world countries are probably more ready than first world countries.;)
The AA/PSA issue involved complex scheduling issues. The e-passport would involve simple(?) read/write of data.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randyk47 (Post 29886412)

Maybe they can just put a chip in our necks and let that serve the purpose.:D:rolleyes:

I was stuck in the basement at JFK for two hours because the bar code readers at passport control went down. As more flights arrived it became a crowded sweaty mess. Of course, no phones allowed.
This was shortly after swiping passports became de riguer for returning citizens. The agents were not allowed to process passengers as they had done just the year before. No swipe, no go.
Without an analog backup, electronic systems are a major pita when they go down, as they inevitably will.

There was a thread on this awhile back.

I don’t see this happening because:
1.). Why? What benefit is there for governments and airline to make such investments?
2.). Technological challenges: is this going to be an offline or online model? If offline then the card needs to be writable. To authenticate the content (visa/entry) of the card is genuine requires all airlines to receive public keys from all governments. If a government private key is somehow compromised then all travelers with a visa will have to go to an embassy to get a “new” visa updated on the card. Logistical nightmare and just really expensive if that were to happen.

If it is an online model (visa stored in government DB instead of travel document), then every country will have to setup a live link to every airline. Something similar exist today with ETA/ESTA but only a small number of countries do this. You can also do this today with paper passports. Countries with remote land borders will now have to build out a connection to validate visa against government DB.

Additionally how would traveler know when the visa is going to be expired unless they have a chip reader on their smartphones?

At the end of the day, this requires investment by governments, airlines, and travelers and what do each stakeholder get in return over current system?

Only when the cost of implementing and maintaining such a system is cheaper than continuing to issue paper passports.

DL was on the verge of allowing passengers to board planes by scanning their frequent flyer card - and then 9/11 happened. Even as recently as 2008 or so, if you lost your boarding pass, they could scan your SkyMiles card at the gate and it would print a small piece of paper with your seat assignment.