No boarding pass, no ID: Facial recognition coming to Sea-Tac

Soon, it’ll only take a face scan to get some passengers through airport security.

On Friday, Alaska Airlines announced plans to expand its facial recognition program to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac).

The program is called Touchless ID and is already being used in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

The program–for those who opt in–would eliminate the need to show ID or a boarding pass to a TSA agent. Instead, passengers would just need to scan their faces to continue through security.

Facial recognition program will be a ‘game-changer’

“Using Touchless ID is going to be a game-changer for our guests as they navigate our hub airports. No longer needing to juggle a boarding pass and physical ID means our guests can breeze through security with just their face,” Charu Jain, a Senior Vice President with Alaska Airlines, said in a statement.

It’s an effort by the airline to streamline airport security. Not everyone is eligible for the service, and those who use the program must opt in. Some of the eligibility requirements include an Alaska Airlines mileage plan account and enrollment in TSA PreCheck.

According to the Alaska Airlines website, “Touchless ID is a program run through the TSA, and they manage all data related to its usage.”

Touchless ID is only available at select airports. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) will launch the program next week. Portland and Los Angeles will introduce the program in early July.