Customers of Delta Air Lines will soon be able to check in bags by scanning their faces at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
The Atlanta-based carrier is spending $600,000 to test a new self-service bag drop system at MSP this summer. If all goes well, the airline plans to roll it out nationwide.
Several U.S. airlines already use self-service bag drops, but this is the first time a U.S. airline has implemented biometrics for the process. Delta will install four self-service lanes for the pilot program, but only one will use the facial recognition technology.
The biometric scan will only work if a customer has a valid U.S. passport, according to Transportation Security Administration requirements.
Customers will need to stop at the check-in kiosk to print their bag tags. They will then move to the self-service bag drop machines where they will scan their boarding pass.
Customers in the biometric lane will not need an agent to verify their identity, but will instead scan their face, place their bag on the conveyor belt and dash to security. The other three self-service lanes will still require an agent's approval before accepting the bags.
Special items, like golf clubs, skis, car seats and oversized bags will require an agent's assistance.
"We expect this investment and new process to save customers time," Gareth Joyce, Delta's senior vice president of airport customer service, said in a release. "And, since customers can operate the biometric-based bag drop machine independently, we see a future where Delta agents will be freed up to seek out travelers and deliver more proactive and thoughtful customer service."
