2023 saw an explosion of mobile travel app usage at 15.6 billion hours versus 12.6 billion from the year before (Phocuswire). Increasing adoption of the technology by travelers and travel providers have positioned mobile devices as an essential travel tool, shifting away from a nice to have travel accessory. Airlines are prioritizing their own branded mobile apps and are continually revamping layouts and adding functionality with 2 set goals:

Elevate the passenger’s experience

Save time and costs throughout all facets of the travel process

Air Canada’s own mobile app was a nominee for World Travel Tech Awards World’s Best Travel App in 2023 and provides a one stop resource and portal for passengers to research and book travel as well as performing some check in processes. Air Canada has recently extended functionality of their app by allowing passengers to complete the check in process through facial recognition technology. Could this be a major step forward in streamlining passenger processing and eventually, document free travel?

Canada’s Top Airline Adopts Biometrics

Air Canada is the country’s largest airline and has the 10th largest fleet worldwide. AC covers domestic and international routes and handles the largest volume of passengers in Canada. In an effort to streamline passenger processing and elevate the passenger experience, AC’s own mobile app can take on many routine tasks such as seat selection, schedule changes and add-on purchases. The carrier recently extended functionality of the app by allowing passengers the ability to check in for their flight through biometric processes directly through the app. Air Canada travelers leaving out of major Canadian cities can now pre-register and check-in from their mobile devices, completely bypassing the gate. Frequent travelers will appreciate this recent innovation as it saves time and hassle at the gate and avoids long counter-check in lines for full flights. Air Canada’s mobile check in functionality is currently available for flights departing from Vancouver and will be rolled out to Toronto departures after evaluations.

Technology Behind Innovation

Air Canada’s mobile app uses the latest biometric scanning technology combined with advanced information processing and database management to provide a seamless and efficient mobile check in process for passengers.

Passengers must first create a profile and can scan Canadian Passport chip to verify identity and provide important traveler information

User submit a photo in real time to establish baseline biometrics

Biometric technology scans images and measures eye, nose and mouth distance as well as detecting skin tone and wrinkle texture to establish the definitive baseline metrics for the user

Images submitted through the app during check-in are cross referenced by a third party processor and approved or declined based on input comparisons

User complete the check in process through the app and are issued boarding cards, seat assignments and any other relevant information digitally and accessible through the app

Facial recognition technology is ideal for the fast paced travel industry and offers the best method to compare unique features against established reference points. Online and in app check-ins are more efficient and cost effective for travel companies and facilities that have to handle large amounts of human traffic.

Document Free Travel Pushes Towards the Mainstream

Air Canada is not the only travel company to offer digital and paperless check-in. Many airports and security control services are adopting biometric technology to help speed up and streamline the passenger check-in process which ultimately saves time and money while elevating the passenger experience:

The TSA in the United States has rolled out its PreCheck system which offers a mix of virtual engagement and biometric scanning to perform security checks on passengers at US airports

Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport offers document free travel and uses biometric scanning and established passenger profiles to completely digitize the passenger processing and check-in experience

British Airways has been testing digital wallet and document free processing at one of the world’s busiest facilities, Heathrow Airport.

Embracing recent innovations in AI and biometric scanning, travel is heading towards an entirely paper free experience which benefits travelers, facilities and travel providers by delivering fast and efficient methods to passenger processing.

Travel Providers Push the Envelope to Elevate Experiences

Airlines have been giving a strong push towards mobile app engagement and many major carriers are quick to adopt recent innovations to remain competitive. As mobile device functionality evolves, airline passengers can expect additional conveniences and benefits as airlines aim to deliver a seamless experience through their mobile app. Airlines also recognize potential revenue opportunities generated by a popular and well received mobile app. Innovations in biometric technology makes document-free travel more of a reality. Many major facilities are either entirely document-free or have been exploring trials and evaluations of these processes in an effort to elevate the passenger experience and ultimately, save time and costs that can positively impact profitability. Travel consumers will continue to rely on mobile devices before, during and after the trip and expect conveniences and benefits from their technology.