QANTAS IS TRIALLING SOME PRETTY SWISH NEW TECHNOLOGY AT BRISBANE AIRPORT, ALLOWING CUSTOMERS TO UPLOAD THEIR PASSPORT TO THEIR MOBILE PHONE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
The airline has partnered up with Brisbane Airport and technology provider SITA to trial facial recognition technology that allows customers to check in before they arrive at the airport and eliminates the need to provide their passport and boarding pass at the lounge or boarding gate.
The trial began earlier this week and will run until early December, providing passenger feedback which the airline will use to prioritise future biometrics trials and investments.
“Customers have told us that they want to move seamlessly through the airport without having to present travel documents at every stage of their airport experience,” Qantas Head of Product Strategy and Development, Phil Capps said.
“WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY IS IT ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO SECURELY STORE THEIR PASSPORT DETAILS ON THEIR MOBILE PHONE WHICH IS MATCHED TO THEIR FACE VIA CAMERAS WHILE MOVING THROUGH THE AIRPORT.”
The new tech is opt-in and will only be available on select flights from Brisbane to Singapore, Tokyo (Narita) and Hong Kong.
To use the new feature, passengers have to register on their Android device, download the Qantas Facial Recognition App from the play store and upload their passport details.
Then, once they are passing through the airport to the lounge or at the boarding gate, their passport data is matched to their face via cameras, eliminating the need to show their boarding pass or passport.
Passengers without bags will be able to proceed directly to immigration and avoid going to the check-in desks or kiosks in the terminal.
“Digital recognition certainly has its advantages, but it will never replace the customer service that our team are renowned for and there will always be Qantas staff on hand to assist,” Capps said.
