TSA now just scans my driver's license but doesn't need boarding pass?
Sep 23, 2018, 2:48 pm
#1
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TSA now just scans my driver's license but doesn't need boarding pass?
At CLT today, I went through TSA Pre-check. The TSA agent just took my driver's license, scanned it and then asked me what flight was on. I told the agent my flight number, the agent seemed to look at a screen and then waved me through. The agent didn't ask for my boarding pass at all.
Is this soon to be a nationwide thing?
If so, how does it work? Does the airline transmit everyone's ID number and information to the TSA, along with the person's flight information, and so everything is in a TSA database? Kind of Big Government, unless it's the airlines that maintain the database.
Thanks.
Is this soon to be a nationwide thing?
If so, how does it work? Does the airline transmit everyone's ID number and information to the TSA, along with the person's flight information, and so everything is in a TSA database? Kind of Big Government, unless it's the airlines that maintain the database.
Thanks.
Sep 23, 2018, 2:54 pm
#2
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AFAIK there's no way an airline would know which ID you plan to show to TSA, namely passport, passport card, GE card, NEXIS card, military ID, federal government employee ID, driver's license, nondriver ID, etc. Also AFAIK airlines don't store your driver license numbers, etc. In fact, I don't think I've ever shown my (non-real ID) driver's license to either TSA or an airline employee.
Maybe real ID driver licenses are more linked to people than we realize.
Maybe real ID driver licenses are more linked to people than we realize.
Sep 23, 2018, 2:58 pm
#3
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Airlines are already transmitting passenger manifest data to the airlines. They've been doing that for a long, long time now. Your license or passport or whatever else data matches enough of the data columns (essentially name & DOB) that they can find you in the system. They don't need your ID number to make it work. The TSA checks that the ID is valid, as it always has, but doesn't need to check against the BP because the data from the manifest is already validated.
The big difference in this version is that the TSA has a valid database of passengers to check against rather than just guessing that the printout isn't faked.
The big difference in this version is that the TSA has a valid database of passengers to check against rather than just guessing that the printout isn't faked.
Sep 23, 2018, 3:10 pm
#4
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Why start a new thread?
This is being piloted at an increasing number of airports across the US and has been for 6+ months.
The system works with scannable DL's and a limited number of other scannable documents. For those lacking such a document, there will still be a means to have an Officer verify you with a BP and acceptable ID.
I have found it to be close to instant and when combined with Pre-Check makes the whole checkpoint experience significantly faster.
As more and more gates are equipped with facial recognition scanning, the long-term goal is to eliminate BP's entirely.
This is being piloted at an increasing number of airports across the US and has been for 6+ months.
The system works with scannable DL's and a limited number of other scannable documents. For those lacking such a document, there will still be a means to have an Officer verify you with a BP and acceptable ID.
I have found it to be close to instant and when combined with Pre-Check makes the whole checkpoint experience significantly faster.
As more and more gates are equipped with facial recognition scanning, the long-term goal is to eliminate BP's entirely.
Sep 23, 2018, 5:06 pm
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Sep 23, 2018, 8:51 pm
#6
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Yes, though CBP/TSA recently stated that they do not expect this to happen for domestic flights any time soon. They simply do not have a sufficiently large pool of photo/biometric data to make it work. For international travel it is relatively easy as the passport/visa collections are robust. Domestic doesn't have that.
Sep 24, 2018, 6:21 am
#7
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AFAIK there's no way an airline would know which ID you plan to show to TSA, namely passport, passport card, GE card, NEXIS card, military ID, federal government employee ID, driver's license, nondriver ID, etc. Also AFAIK airlines don't store your driver license numbers, etc. In fact, I don't think I've ever shown my (non-real ID) driver's license to either TSA or an airline employee.
Maybe real ID driver licenses are more linked to people than we realize.
Maybe real ID driver licenses are more linked to people than we realize.
Sep 24, 2018, 11:07 am
#9
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Yes, though CBP/TSA recently stated that they do not expect this to happen for domestic flights any time soon. They simply do not have a sufficiently large pool of photo/biometric data to make it work. For international travel it is relatively easy as the passport/visa collections are robust. Domestic doesn't have that.
Sep 24, 2018, 1:31 pm
#10
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That still does not help much. Need a good 95%+ rate of good photos in order to make the system work. Otherwise, the gate still needs close to the same staffing.
The way to make this system work for domestic would be for TSA to capture the photo from the DL and live as the passenger moves past the Officer when scanned at the checkpoint and then the carrier have access to that photo at boarding.
The way to make this system work for domestic would be for TSA to capture the photo from the DL and live as the passenger moves past the Officer when scanned at the checkpoint and then the carrier have access to that photo at boarding.
Sep 24, 2018, 6:35 pm
#11
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What is so awful about a boarding pass? 
Sep 24, 2018, 9:26 pm
#12
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