While there are healthy debates to be had about biometrics, few would argue that tools like biometric face matching can make the airport experience smoother and faster. A new study commissioned by Amadeus and conducted by market research firm Mercury Analytics confirms what anyone who has ever set foot in an airport knows: travelers hate friction.
The biometrics sector, as it happens, also loathes friction, and so the fit is clear: according to a release from Amadeus, “it is clear that technology can have the biggest impact in overcoming the gaps that currently exist in the traveler experience.”
Travelers gave the thumbs-up to planning apps, automatic rebooking for delays, digital bag tracking, integrated travel booking across airlines and hotels, and fully digital identification and travel documents – all cited as useful ways to relieve the stress of a journey.
“Whether it is biometrics, mobile apps, digital traveler identification, disruption management, or other applications, we believe there are opportunities to deploy technology to further relieve distress,” says Rajiv Rajian, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Americas, Travel, Amadeus.
Tech, however, is best paired with a human component. Despite the convenience of biometric check-in and border clearance systems, travelers report wanting more human interaction during airport security and border control, as well as hotel and accommodation check-in and check-out.
Amadeus’ Senior Vice President of Solution Consulting Robert Buckman says “technology can make a significant impact in overcoming travel friction and remains our unwavering mission. By innovating with our customers and partners – including airports, hoteliers, travel sellers, airlines, payments and corporations – and leveraging data orchestration across the trip lifecycle, together we can help breakdown silos across the travel ecosystem.”
Vision-Box Seamless Border Program clears travelers in 6-10 seconds
One such innovation is on display at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) in St Maarten, where Vision Box, an Amadeus company, has deployed its Seamless Border Program in the reconstructed arrivals area.
A release says the program uses “real-time flow orchestration through advanced biometric technology to verify passenger identities quickly and accurately.” For eligible travelers, transaction times for passportless e-Gate crossings are reduced to 6-10 seconds per entry.
“Delivering a contactless, stress-free experience is essential to setting new standards in the industry,” says Vision-Box Vice President of Strategic Sales & Global Partnerships, Jeff Lennon. “This marks a major achievement for Vision-Box and its long-lasting partners, fully demonstrating the power of digitization at air borders.”
Friction, begone, and be all ways away!: Entrust
A study from Entrust tells a similar tale to that of Amadeus. The Entrust Seamless Travel Experience Survey’s bane and kryptonite is friction. Customs, immigration, and visa applications are typically full of it, so it is little wonder the data shows 66 percent of travelers expressing preference for options such as biometric corridors (a path or location that uses biometric technology to process people without the need for manual processes) and remote identity verification.
If biometric options can reduce airport wait times by 20-30 percent, 92 percent of respondents indicate they would use them. India likes biometrics best, with general support standing at 88 percent of travelers. Next are Canada and Spain, at 53 and 56 percent respectively.
Those pesky data privacy concerns, however, are not completely gone: in the UK and U.S., there is more concern for potential technological failures and the ways in which data is managed and protected.
That said, travelers have suggestions for how to optimize frictionless travel. Electronic visa applications, remote identity verification, and e-passports were tabled as ways to make border processes faster and more secure.
“Travelers are calling for an experience where security meets convenience,” says Gordon Wilson, vice president of identity verification at Entrust. “With weather, engineering, and worker issues already causing regular disruption, technology needs to be set up to ensure that it alleviates the barriers to travel without creating new ones. To help meet this demand, Entrust aims to redefine borderless travel through trusted digital identity.”
The Seamless Travel Experience Survey was conducted for Entrust by market research firm Cint, involving 1,750 respondents across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Colombia, Spain, Australia and India.
Digital ID-driven experience the pearl forming around travel-related friction
Indeed, it appears to be a losing battle for friction, as the combined effort to smooth it out of existence rises in strength and numbers. In a blog, Condatis, the UK market leaders in Microsoft Entra Identity and Access Management solutions, ask you to imagine “a world where your travel experiences are tailored to your every preference, seamlessly and securely.”
Condatis uses Entra Verified ID’s decentralized capabilities to develop decentralized ecosystem management tools in Cenda and partnering with the decentralized and self-sovereign identity (SSI) communities.
“Our goal,” it says, “is to reimagine the traveler experience by giving travelers the ability to carry their own data, profiles, and preferences as credentials in digital wallets. These credentials, which can include verifiable, self-attested, or biometric data, break today’s siloed mobile data models by making verifiable, reusable, and data-rich attributes available to entire ecosystems.”
These ecosystems can connect processes like hotel booking and flight check-in with “verifiable data (passport), personal preferences (food or room preferences), and biometrics (for virtual or physical access control).”
Agentic AI could curate flights, hotels, preferences linked to travel credential
These could in turn be analyzed by so-called Agentic AI, which “involves the development of agents that work with us in a transparent and consenting manner to solve complex tasks,” to curate “hyper-personalized offers, itineraries, and experiences based on our preferences.”
While the tendency may be to imagine yet another vector for endless ads, the post brings up an interesting example: a customer who is running late and misses their flight.
“Rather than using multiple mobile applications and search engine queries to cancel and reorganize bookings, find new flights, and book a hotel, your Agentic AI agents handle this on your behalf.” Suggestions and recommendations are offered based on your location, flight, and hotel preferences, as well as profiles and preferences stored in your digital wallet.
Ghana card E-GATE system to go live at Kotoka Airport this year
Ai airports across the globe, friction loses ground by the day. Ghana has plans to implement its friction-reducing E-GATE system at Kotoka International Airport by the end of 2024.
According to reporting from 3 News, Flagbearer of the NPP Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia confirms that those who have a Ghana card will only need to slot the card in at immigration to gain clearance.
Article Topics
AI agents | airports | Amadeus | biometrics | Condatis | digital ID | digital travel | Entrust | face biometrics | identity verification | Vision-Box
