This is also being done at IAD, at least by NH operated UA codes share (which is the only time I fly NH). No prior registration needed nor was there any 3rd party branding.

I flew IAD - NRT on September 2nd and there was dedicated hardware in the boarding line. Surprisingly, it seemed to work smoothly, making fairly short work of a long BG2 line.

My connecting flight out of NRT was also set up for facial recognition but the GA team didn't use it.

At IAD too...and not optional?
 

IAD-BRU last Wednesday had biometric boarding and there didn't seem to be any opting in or out. I did overhear another gate agent boarding a different flight who said they were testing it out on the first 100 passengers to board. No such announcement at my gate. It worked fine and perhaps even faster...but I found it somewhat disconcerting that there was no obvious way to opt out. I get that they already have our biodata.

My guess is that for international flights, soon enough you'll no less be able to opt out of the facial recognition as opt out of having a photo in your passport. The goal of the program is to do a positive match to track who leaves the country. Most other countries have exit passport control, the US is an outlier, but obviously doesn't have the infrastructure or funding to create such a formal system with desks and passenger separation. This is a technology solution to that.

Ehhh... I can absolutely see this being the way for non-US-citizens as a condition to being granted leave to enter the US, but I can see all sorts of arms in air for US citizens, particularly if this is the official rationale, because as citizens we have no obligation to inform the CBP of our departure (granted they do get the API from the airlines anyway but this feels like an overreach.

Personally I don't really care because my biometrics and travel plans are in enough places anyway but others have a greater level of concern

Boarding at IAD using face recognition only
 

2 weeks ago I was departing IAD for FRA. During boarding, the gate agent asked all passengers to look at the camera installed next to the gate counter. No BP or passport required to show. Is this a new thing they are doing elsewhere or only at IAD?

I've personally only seen it in use at IAD, never at EWR (was also an IAD-FRA flight). I don't get it though. It means you can leave the US and get to Frankfurt (or wherever) with no physical passport in your hand. There's almost no way Germany (or most other countries) are letting you in without your passport. The airline is responsible for transporting you back to the departure country if you fail to show a passport on arrival; and the airline likely gets fined as well. Seems like a recipe for disaster.

The GAs should at least be making sure you have your physical passport with you before letting you board, even if they don't have to check it.

-RM

Another thing is, how do they know the picture belonged to me. I fly out of DFW a lot and recently I have seen that using my driver's license is the only thing needed to get through TSA precheck. I wonder if they have linked my picture to the one on my international flight.

It's not UA-specific (so this thread might get moved/locked) but you can google articles about it, including how to opt out.

It's tied to the federal database. The govt knows more about you than you know about yourself.

This technology has been around for years already. United may be just using it now. Other airlines have been using it on select flights/airports for years.

SFO tried this a couple of week ago as well for my FRA flight. I refused and they checked my passport as usual.

Is that the same database for Global Entry? I flew into EWR this past week and the GE kiosk only did the face recognition, not the fingerprints.

https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/relea...technology-den

This has been expanded to many other airports as well.

I’ve seen it on LH and UA departures from the international terminal at SFO this year.

I saw this a couple months ago at IAD across from my gate for an INTL departure. It was something I was very interested in knowing about. As someone with perhaps an above avg and outspoken concern for the wide spread use of biometric data, I dont have a problem with it. Its not a commercial product and already agreed to give the govt my biodata in exchange for a passport and all that comes with that. I do really think this sign needs to be more prominently displayed. I still plan on opting out per the last paragraph but the privacy policy is reasonable


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8968489a9.jpeg

It's tied to your passport photo.