Delta Expands Touch-Free Travel with Digital ID to More Airports
Delta Air Lines is taking strides to enhance the air travel experience by expanding its digital identification program to three additional major airports. Los Angeles International, John F. Kennedy, and La Guardia airports. This initiative aims to streamline the passenger journey, offering a touch-free and expedited process.
Having initially launched in 2021 at Delta’s headquarters in Atlanta and the key Midwestern hub in Detroit, the program utilizes biometrics and facial identification technology. The goal is to eliminate the need for passengers to present physical identification or passports to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel.
To participate in the program, passengers must have a TSA PreCheck membership or store passport information and a Known Traveler Number in their Delta profile. Eligible customers will receive notifications in the Fly Delta app when traveling from a Digital ID-enabled airport. The Delta Digital ID is integrated into a customer’s SkyMiles profile, providing a seamless experience. Customers can opt out of the program at any time, and Delta emphasizes that it does not save or store biometric data.
Delta’s Chief Customer Experience Officer, Allison Ausband, notes, “We know a frictionless airport experience is integral to your satisfaction with your overall journey. With Digital ID, our customers spend less time hassling with their wallets, and our agents spend less time checking documents. It opens an opportunity for our people and our customers to genuinely connect.”
The Digital ID program allows customers to check bags and move through security without presenting a physical ID after the post-launch verification period. Delta plans to expand the program further in January by introducing the technology to the International Terminal at Atlanta.
Austin Gould, Assistant Administrator at TSA, emphasizes the program’s benefits, stating, “Delta Digital ID helps passengers save time and improves security effectiveness. It’s a simpler, more convenient experience – one that strictly adheres to passenger privacy and our security protocols, as well as our mission of protecting our nation’s transportation systems.”
In instances where the technology is unable to identify a customer, a trained agent will inspect the government-issued ID. Delta sees the expansion of its Digital ID program as a significant step in contributing to the ongoing national effort to incorporate facial recognition technology into airport processes.
