United is the second airline to test out the TSA facial recognition technology. Delta first introduced its touchless security checkpoint program called Digital ID at Atlanta and Detroit airports in 2021, eventually expanding to Los Angeles and New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports in December 2023.
The slow rollout allowed the Atlanta-based carrier the time to “build awareness for the technology at two key hubs, refine its capabilities for the customer, and gather best practices before expanding more widely,” a Delta spokesperson tells Traveler. “We’ve been able to grow and refine the program, making it more robust and more efficient for our customers.”
Like United, the Delta program requires being a member of TSA PreCheck and the airline’s loyalty program, SkyMiles, as well as uploading passport information and using the Fly Delta app.
Delta says that the standard 20-25 second interaction for a TSA PreCheck customer has been cut down to 7-10 seconds for those who use Digital ID, with “those seconds adding up quickly in a busy airport environment.” As of mid-February 2024, the Digital ID was used by 35% of the total TSA PreCheck Delta customers at LaGuardia, and 20% at Atlanta, Delta tells Traveler.
According to the airline, those using the Digital ID for bag drops are seeing 75% faster transactions—averaging about 30 seconds—based on tens of thousands of uses.
“Almost universally, customers who opt into Delta Digital ID like it—and have a better, more streamlined experience than those who don’t,” the representative says, referring to double-digit margins in satisfaction reported in passenger check-in and security experiences. The carrier is currently focused on refining the experience at the existing five airports, but the goal will be to eventually expand the program to all hub airports.
Biometric technology is replacing the need for passports at the world’s most modern airports.
Meanwhile, American Airlines has a Mobile ID program set up, but it doesn’t appear to currently be in real-world use yet, with the TSA only listing Delta and United as current partners.
“Like anything, there can be benefits and negatives,” Nastro of Going.com says, comparing the time-saving aspect of touchless systems being like mobile credit card taps compared to using cash. “However some people might become worried that less human interaction means less-thorough security, or aren’t thrilled by the storage of biometrics.”
The TSA explains on its site that the information is converted to an “anonymized format” before being encrypted and transferred over to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) for a “temporary analysis,” with the DHS deleting the data within 180 days.
Nastro reminds travelers that there’s always the option to opt out of TSA facial recognition if privacy is a concern. She also notes that the implementation of these new systems isn’t just to save travelers time, but to address a rising volume of air travel, citing a 5% increase of passengers going through TSA last February versus the same month in 2020. “With more and more people expected to travel in the coming months and years, the TSA is looking at ways to not only improve traveler experience but also keep pace with the volume,” she says.
In addition to the TSA’s partnership with the two airlines, Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport also introduced the country’s first self-screening system on Wednesday, which will go into use Monday. Dubbed the Innovation Checkpoint, TSA PreCheck fliers will be able to try out the technology that allows them to put their own carry-on baggage through the security screening, much like a grocery store self check-out system. Available in two lanes of Terminal 3 from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily, the prototype testing could last anywhere from a few months to a year, the Washington Post reported.
With both halves of the airport security system being tested, the future of air travel could indeed become more efficient. That said, despite the increasing chance travelers won’t need to physically show their IDs in the future, Nastro cautions to still have a back-up plan: “Even with these programs in place, you should still have some form of government-issued ID regardless.”
