Are boarding passes no longer required to check in for a flight anymore? With biometric screening replacing the need to show a boarding pass, it might be what every passenger really wants.
There are a few reasons why passengers may get to use biometric facial technology instead of boarding passes before a flight. You may have to go through an automated process because the effectiveness of safety and security will be better. The entire operation of getting to your plane will be more efficient, but keeping your privacy intact is also a promise.
The Future of Flying: Biometric Screening
Monumental advances have been made in this biometric screening. It is amazing. It just means that they will be swift, they will be accurate, and they will be reliable. But do you have to use facial recognition technology? One travel tip is you can always opt out of the facial recognition technology, but if you have Facebook or you shop anywhere online, your information is already out there.
In order to pass through the airport security screening checkpoint in any airport, we have to verify our identity. We must present some type of documentation. Airports have been unveiling this type of technology slowly through many airports now.
Clear uses it with your eyeballs and your fingerprints. If you have TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, you have used that type of technology or your information is stored somewhere. It would just be nice if they had like a big sign that said no ID needed or no boarding pass needed in this line. But a lot of times like at JFK, the information is not until you get right up next to it.
But this is a different type of pass to get through security. Then I’ll go through some of the pros and cons for us as passengers and as citizens.
Why Did I Check In But Get No Boarding Pass?
The International Civil Aviation Organization wants to unveil this travel credential or a journey pass much like Global Entry is what I’m thinking. You upload all of your personal information, which you basically do if you get PreCheck, and then it is stored. So, their thought is to streamline and make it much faster getting through the lines these days.
Their thought or their plan is no boarding pass needed. Your information is already in their cloud, so to speak, and you just show up, drop your bag, and go through airport security. The reason that this upload travel credential no boarding pass would help is because you are already vetted before you get to the airport somewhat.
So before you arrive to the airport, your information has been inputted and verified. This would allow you as passengers to skip the wait time on verifying your identification. Right now they check your birth date or either they just wait until the system says yes that person is verified or has been verified.
However, sometimes issues arise where you check in but receive no pass, leading to confusion. This might happen due to document verification holds, which can be frustrating, especially if you didn’t opt for expedia cancellation protection for your trip.
The Pros and Cons of Going Paperless
One negative to no boarding passes is that all of your personal information never seems to be fully deleted once it is in some server or in some database. The second worry that many travelers have about biometric screening is: is that information accurate? Could it be inaccurate? And the number three worry would be could someone steal your identity knowing all of this or if they got their hands or fingertips on top of all this information.
So here is a problem that I can see happening down the road. You are going to another country. Let’s say you are going to another country or even to another state. Would you really rely on your personal information being in your phone and not pack your passport or not pack your driver’s license? I couldn’t do that.
They’re not telling you you don’t have to. But you don’t have to have your passport if you have this biometric screening travel journey pass. If you have been in an airport lately, you have seen that even the TSA PreCheck lines are so long because we are having to wait on all of the Clear passengers who get to go in front of us. It seems like a lot all of both of those lines are getting longer and longer.
So, if it helps us streamline the process so we just have to like look mad or look plain Jane and then pass through, I’m for it right now. I know it sounds scary, but it’s nice. People value their time. So, because this technology is automated and the process of biometric screening with no boarding pass would be automated, it makes it seem much faster.
Another benefit to no boarding passes is it’s fewer documentation for you to have the opportunity to lose because you’re not having to pull them out. Especially London Heathrow. You’re not having to pull out your ID twice in an airport or even once in airports in the good old USA.
Automated vs. Traditional Check-In Comparison
| Feature | Traditional Boarding Pass | Biometric/No Boarding Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Verification Speed | Slower (Manual check) | Fast (Automated scan) |
| Documentation | Physical pass + ID required | Facial scan/fingerprint |
| Convenience | Can be lost/fumbled | Hands-free, streamlined |
| Privacy Concerns | Low | High (Data storage worries) |
| Availability | Universal | Growing, but limited airports |
A lot of airports allow you to have your driver’s license inside your phone and you’ll just scan your driver’s license from your phone. That new technology can read and verify your identity.
Real-World Experience: JFK Airport
I used JFK’s beautiful airport facial recognition technology and it uses the CAT, and that is Credential Authentication Technology. So you walk up and you present your passport and that photo pops up as well as you standing there in front of the screen with no smile on your face.
It compares it to verify, but all of your personal identification information is right there. Your flight information is right there. All that to say is that the Transportation Security Administration, different screening areas in airports is very inconsistent. As well as they are testing newer technology all the time. You just never know if it’s going to be at your airport or how long it’s going to be going on.
This inconsistency is something to keep in mind, especially if you are flying with smaller carriers or airlines not on Google Flights that might not have adopted the latest tech yet.
What to Expect in the Future
Airport security lines have already gotten faster because sometimes you do not have to take off your shoes, but sometimes you do, hence the inconsistency. And then you also have people not really having to pull out their liquids bags anymore. Although the rule still stands, 3.4 ounces or smaller. They have to all fit in a clear quart-size bag.
Another great tip to remember with anything in our government or travel which is kind of under our government is it takes lots of money to install this new technology. It takes time to train the officers and then get people used to using this type of technology and going through this automated process with hopefully no boarding pass.
You have to wait for everything to be installed in airports and then to become consistent. It’s still not consistent. So, I think just slowly but surely we’re going to be hearing of new changes to boarding pass requirements for airlines. Even maybe the look of our boarding pass is going to change in the next couple of years.
They may need new machines that can read our phones specifically for our journey pass or our travel credential. I don’t know why we wouldn’t just use our boarding pass that’s already in our phone, but I guess you have to have the airline’s app to have that.
If you have not been to the TSA.gov website lately, it’s great. It’s gotten a little refresh. I think you can go to TSA.gov and then you’ll see in the upper right corner is “What can I bring?” If you type in there, it’s so much clearer than it used to be. You can just type in CBD oil or powder and then it will tell you for carry-on what the rules are and for checked luggage what the rules are. I recommend looking at that sometime.
I hope this helps. Just helps you weigh it out. If you checked in but no boarding pass appeared, don’t panic—it might just be the future of travel arriving a little early (or a document check). Check out the comments below and give us your input and thanks for your time.