Most U.S. airports will have facial recognition technology in the next four years.
The United States Department of Homeland Security says the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will install biometric exit technology in almost all commercial airports. The CBP hopes to use biometric exit technology on more than 97 percent of commercial air travelers departing from the United States to help it find people who overstayed their visa.
As of September 2018, only 15 U.S. airports were equipped with this facial-recognition technology. Those airports used the technology on more than 2 million passengers, finding 7,000 who overstayed their visa.
CBP checks visas via biographic manifest data or the name and passport number. But the biometric system would likely be more efficient, as CBP claims it has a 98 percent match rate.
Others argue the technology isn’t actually that successful. Facial recognition doesn’t work as well for people of color, which the ACLU tested in 2018. Further, a report by the CAPA-Centre for Aviation found facial recognition software “is not so good at identifying ethnic minorities when most of the subjects used in training the technology were from the majority group.”
People wearing glasses, hats, scarves or sporting facial hair or weight changes also affect the accuracy.
Read This Next
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDestinations / Africa
Nov 10, 2026New Egypt River Ship Joins Viking Fleet
The latest river ship in Egypt to join the Viking fleet is the elegant Viking Sekhmet, purpose-built for the waters of the Nile River. Accommodating 82 guests in 41 outside staterooms, this new vessel is identical in layout to her sister river ships, featuring refined Scandinavian design and graceful spaces that include indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace.
Sponsored Content
Elevate Your Journey with TAP Air Portugal’s New Economy Prime
Exciting news ahead for TAP Air Portugal, as Portugal’s flag carrier prepares for the launch of its brand-new Economy Prime cabin, offering customers more space, additional privacy and a superior travel experience. Flights boasting the new cabin take off June 1; booking for Economy Prime is now available across all TAP channels and travel agents.
Daily
Nov 10, 2026Fairmont New Orleans Debuts as Fairmont’s 100th Hotel
Fairmont New Orleans recently opened, marking the much-anticipated return of the brand to Crescent City after two decades and marking Fairmont's 100th hotel globally. In the Central Business District, within walking distance of the French Quarter, the new hotel boasts 250 thoughtfully designed guestrooms and suites; destination dining in partnership with Chef Emeril Lagasse and The Emeril Group; and more than 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Daily
Nov 9, 2026Big Sky, Montana, Welcomes Luxury Vacation Rental Management
Making its Montana debut, InvitedHome, vacation rental and property management company, welcomes 10 luxury penthouses and condominiums to Big Sky. This opening marks the brand’s presence in 11 world-class mountain destinations, from Vail and Aspen, Colorado, to Park City and Alta, Utah.
Sponsored Content
Luxury Travel in Chilean Patagonia: Where Refinement Meets the Wild Edge
At the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, Los Lagos opens a landscape in constant motion. Volcanic peaks rise sharply above glacial lakes, mist moves through dense forests, and light shifts across every horizon. Here, luxury travel in Chilean Patagonia unfolds moment by moment, balancing raw energy with seamless comfort.
November 2026
Nov 9, 2026Versatile and Vibrant, Modern Asti Spumante Is Not the Simple Party Fizz of the Past
I recall attending a New Year’s Eve party in my early 20s during which our host walked around at midnight filling guests’ flutes with celebratory toasts of “Champagne” or Asti Spumante. Now, the former wasn’t actually Champagne, just a cheaply made domestic Brut more suited to the budgets of people just entering the workforce. But those of us who liked our bubbly on the drier side preferred it to what we viewed as a sweet, simple Italian quaffer.
Google to Revitalize Chicago’s Thompson Center
Daily
Nov 9, 2026Daily
Nov 6, 2026Sun Valley, Idaho, Enters New Chapter of Luxury Hospitality with New Hotel
Just in time for ski season, Ketchum, Idaho, welcomes a new chapter of luxury hospitality with The Observatory, A Viceroy Resort. Home to 73 guest quarters, each dedicated space invites guests to breathtaking mountain designs, intimate stays, delicious dining options and year-round adventure in one of America’s most storied alpine destinations.
Sponsored Content
Global Traveler Hosted Trip on the Transcend Connect
JOIN GLOBAL TRAVELER ON ITS NEXT TRIP!
Daily
Nov 6, 2026Mykonos-Born Nammos to Make U.S. Hotel Debut with New York City Opening
Globally celebrated Mediterranean lifestyle brand Nammos officially enters the United States with the upcoming opening of Nammos New York in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The debut marks the brand’s second urban destination, following the launch of Nammos London in Mayfair earlier this year.
ShareThis