* Delta expects new service will save passengers time at airport
* First time the technology will be deployed in United States
* Service to begin in Minneapolis-St Paul this summer
There’s finally some good news for airline passengers when it comes to checking your bags. Before you get too excited, they aren’t going to stop charging you for luggage. Mashable reports that Delta will soon start using facial recognition technology at its self service baggage kiosks.
The process for checking your bags at the kiosks will be essentially the same as it is now, except that you won’t have to present identification to a customer service agent. Instead, biometric technology will verify passenger identities against their passport photos.
The new kiosks will the first of their kind ever used in the United States. Deltas spent $600,000 on four biometric self-service machines that will be installed at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport sometime this summer.
“We expect this investment and new process to save customers time,” says Gareth Joyce, Delta’s Senior Vice President, Airport Customer Service and Cargo. “We see a future where Delta agents will be freed up to seek out travelers and deliver more proactive and thoughtful customer service.”
More news: car seats, golf clubs and oversized bags will not be eligible for the new service. Passengers checking those items will have to see an agent.
