Cool Airport Security Technology - LGW
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: LYS
Programs: FB Gold, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 37
Cool Airport Security Technology - LGW
I saw a very cool security procedure in action last night at LGW. As in all airports you show your passport and boarding pass before having yourself and carry-on luggage screened. What I saw for the first time was an electronic record made of the face of the person (me) who was passing through main security. I was directed to look at a small camera, my photo was taken, and a barcoded sticker was attached to the back of my boarding pass!
When I got to just before the gate, the barcode was scanned (obviously an encoding of my photo), my photo popped up on the checker's monitor screen, and I was OK for the gate area (for an internal UK flight).
Is this a pilot procedure at LGW? I flew through LHR just before Christmas and didn't see this snazzy bit of business in operation then.
Would love to hear from any other flyertalkers who have seen this in action!
When I got to just before the gate, the barcode was scanned (obviously an encoding of my photo), my photo popped up on the checker's monitor screen, and I was OK for the gate area (for an internal UK flight).
Is this a pilot procedure at LGW? I flew through LHR just before Christmas and didn't see this snazzy bit of business in operation then.
Would love to hear from any other flyertalkers who have seen this in action!
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,008
Nothing cool about it. An invasive and silly process which offers no security benefit, but continues the 'theater' aspect of airport security while, as the last poster mentioned, ensures the ticketed pax was the person flying.
I am fairly confident that such a process, if enabled here, would elicit howls of protest from everyone except the worst brand of 'sheeple'.
I am fairly confident that such a process, if enabled here, would elicit howls of protest from everyone except the worst brand of 'sheeple'.
#4
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Rochester, MN
Programs: UA GS, AA PLT, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,437
I guess it depends on what they are doing with the photo in the time between the security screening and the gate boarding. If nothing is being done with it at all, then it is a farce, and nothing more than revenue protection. If however, they are using it against a database of known bad guys, then this may be somewhat effective in capturing bad guys. (this can be either the really bad guys or the guy who is wanted for something less than really bad). I don't know what I really think of it, given the number of cameras floating around these days. Don't really have a privacy arguement here, and this method may reduce the number of false positves that come out of facial recognition. Just my thoughts.
#6
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: UK - the nearest airport is named after a motorway !
Posts: 4,218
Actually, it's used because in LGW international and domestic passengers mix freely after security.
As you do not need to have photo ID for domestic flights (in the UK), they use the digital photos to make sure that you're the same person getting on the plane who went through security (no need to show photo ID on boarding).
Quite what purpose this serves, no-one ever explained to me...
As you do not need to have photo ID for domestic flights (in the UK), they use the digital photos to make sure that you're the same person getting on the plane who went through security (no need to show photo ID on boarding).
Quite what purpose this serves, no-one ever explained to me...
#7
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,238
Originally Posted by portiaeliot
When I got to just before the gate, the barcode was scanned (obviously an encoding of my photo), my photo popped up on the checker's monitor screen, and I was OK for the gate area (for an internal UK flight).
#8
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Colorado
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,745
This smacks of big brother. I would wonder where that information is going! I know when we signed up for TSA our photo went into a database and we were told that it was going to be used in photo recognition software development.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,485
Cool, I don't think so, dumb yes. I've flown through LGW a number of times this previous year and just found it plain annoying. The first time I had it done there was a booth where two agents were scanning the barcodes however one of them went on break and the other decided to lock themselves out of the system. Meanwhile close to 200 people and growing were coming to this area to board their aircraft coming down moving walkways to find they couldn't get off, people were falling over and it was a REAL mess! After about 15mins of hanging around one of the guys got off the phone and logged back into his system and were getting people through in a trickle motion.
Seems utterly useless to me.
Seems utterly useless to me.
#10
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
Originally Posted by StewieMac
Actually, it's used because in LGW international and domestic passengers mix freely after security.
As you do not need to have photo ID for domestic flights (in the UK), they use the digital photos to make sure that you're the same person getting on the plane who went through security (no need to show photo ID on boarding).
Quite what purpose this serves, no-one ever explained to me...
As you do not need to have photo ID for domestic flights (in the UK), they use the digital photos to make sure that you're the same person getting on the plane who went through security (no need to show photo ID on boarding).
Quite what purpose this serves, no-one ever explained to me...
#12
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Mid Wales
Programs: BA back down to Blue, PC Plat
Posts: 684
Originally Posted by Gatwick Alan
The purpose behind it used to be that domestic passengers could mix with people arriving from "dirty" countries. Since LGW has now completed the segregation of arriving international passengers, and the new domestic arrivals baggage belt is also sgregated from departing passengers (in case someone opened up a suitcase and handed over something like scissors to a departing passenger) there seems to be liitle point in keeping the system.
Having said that, I have never been held up by the system and I think fbgdavidson was rather unlucky in his experience.
The downside for pax is potentially in dom-dom transfers; not that many of them at LGW but you'd not be able to use the lounges without going landside and back in to get photographed.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,485
Originally Posted by NSFU
Having said that, I have never been held up by the system and I think fbgdavidson was rather unlucky in his experience
The problem I experienced wouldn't have existed without the system though...
#15
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Mid Wales
Programs: BA back down to Blue, PC Plat
Posts: 684
I think there is a point to this, after all
Arriving at LGW yesterday from AMS I realised why they have to do this. If they didn't - given the way things are set up - arriving international pax could bypass immigration.
What you would do is arrive on your international flight having arranged to hold two 'onward' boarding cards: one for an international connection and another for a domestic. Then you would go through international connections (which deposits you back airside) using your international boarding card, and use your domestic one to get on a domestic flight, and never face passport control. The need for a barcode/photo to get to the domestic gate stops you doing this.
What you would do is arrive on your international flight having arranged to hold two 'onward' boarding cards: one for an international connection and another for a domestic. Then you would go through international connections (which deposits you back airside) using your international boarding card, and use your domestic one to get on a domestic flight, and never face passport control. The need for a barcode/photo to get to the domestic gate stops you doing this.