Starting next month, traveling through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be a seamless experience for Delta Air Lines customers enrolled in TSA PreCheck, with the expansion of new facial recognition capabilities and the opening of the first Delta-TSA PreCheck express lobby and bag drop.
Customers with both the Fly Delta app and a TSA PreCheck membership will be able to visit a dedicated bag-drop lobby on the lower level of Atlanta’s Domestic South Terminal, pass through the security checkpoint and board their aircraft at the gate using only their “digital identity” (made up of a customer’s SkyMiles Member number, passport number and Known Traveler Number). Customers are free to travel from curb to gate, completely hands- and device-free.
Here’s how Delta’s new experience will ease transit through three airport touch-points in Atlanta:
Delta is setting a new standard for the industry as the first and only airline to build a dedicated bag-drop space for TSA PreCheck customers. In Atlanta, a new facility features fully automated self-serve bag-drop machines—allowing for a quick and easy drop.
After checking in on the Fly Delta app, customers can enter the dedicated lobby area, located next to the rideshare drop-off area on the lower level of Atlanta’s Domestic South Terminal. They can quickly verify their identity via a hands-free facial scan, be able to print and attach a bag tag from a self-serve kiosk, and place their bag on the conveyer.
The new experience helps streamline the steps required to check a bag, besides saving customers an average of more than two minutes (and more during peak travel times) by allowing them to skip the lines inside the main airport lobby.
The space will open next month ahead of the holiday travel season. In Detroit, eligible customers will be able to access self-serve bag-tagging kiosks and a dedicated Delta bag-drop queue at the airline’s check-in counter later this fall.
After a short walk from bag drop to security, eligible customers will once again use a quick facial scan to pass through the domestic checkpoint in dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes. They will not be required to show a government ID or boarding pass.
In Atlanta, customers will also have the benefit of more efficient security scanners that allow travelers to keep electronics and approved liquids in carry-on bags. As always, CLEAR remains a good choice for members who prefer to use its services.
When it’s time to board the aircraft, customers will swap a facial scan for a boarding pass, just as they did at bag drop and the security checkpoint. One photograph, and they are ready to board.
In Atlanta, Gates T1-T8 will be the first to offer a facial-recognition option for domestic boarding. Gates A10 and A12 will offer the same digital identity-enabled boarding in Detroit.
“This element of the customer journey is possible thanks to our strong partnerships with TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and airport leadership, which were built over years of testing and perfecting facial recognition options for international customers,” said Greg Forbes, Delta’s managing director, airport experience. “Delta is writing the playbook for the industry as the first and only carrier to test this experience with TSA and TSA PreCheck.”
Customers with an active Delta SkyMiles membership, Known Traveler Number and passport details saved to their profile can opt in when checking in for their flight using the Fly Delta app. If a customer does not want to participate in this option, they can choose not to opt in and proceed through the airport as preferred – participation is voluntary. Delta does not save or store any biometric data, nor does it plan to.
This article originally appeared on www.travelagentcentral.com.
Related Articles
American Express Opens First Centurion Lounge at Heathrow
KLM to Serve More U.S. Destinations This Winter
SWISS Debuts New Culinary Services for Long-Haul Business Class