To make the travel experience more efficient for customers, Alaska Airlines launched a trial involving fingerprint identification technology that was met with positive response, according to a recent article from Future Travel Experience.

Rather than require passengers to present their boarding pass and identification at multiple airport locations, the carrier used biometric technology to create a fingerprint recognition technology process that operated as the key identifier, simplifying the check-in process.

During the trial, rather than present their boarding pass and government-issued ID at each checkpoint, select passengers on domestic flights from San Jose International Airport could simply place their fingertips on a biometric reader. The technology was able to identify the passengers by matching their fingerprint with the biometric information provided when they signed up for the trial.

To launch the trial, Alaska partnered with CLEAR, offering expedited lines for members to skip the queues at the security checkpoint. The company already uses its Fast Touch Technology in CLEAR lanes at 12 airports in the United States.

According to Jerry Tolzman, manager of customer research and development, Alaska Airlines, in the Future Travel Experience article, passenger attitudes toward the trial have been “overwhelmingly positive,” with 80 percent reporting they were “delighted” with how the system functioned.

The carrier is currently reviewing survey findings among the participants before deciding what the next steps are regarding its initiative to expedite the airport experience for guests.

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