Faster security, food delivered to your gate: 5 airport technologies to ease holiday travel

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Faster security, food delivered to your gate: 5 airport technologies to ease holiday travel

Welcome to the holidays—and with it, the holiday rush. A third of Americans plan to travel to catch the Yuletide cheer this year, according to a September 2024 Civic Science survey. To manage the surge, airports are speeding up their adoption of passenger-focused technologies. The global smart airports market, valued at $18.2 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $40.4 billion by 2030, according to Research and Markets.

U.S. airports are investing heavily in automated solutions to address long-standing pain points in air travel. Fortune Business Insights reports that 88% of airports and airlines are using artificial intelligence to plan major research and development programs, driven by passenger demand given that 64% of travelers want a digital travel concierge.

While these technological upgrades aim to improve efficiency, high modernization costs and data sharing regulations present major challenges for airports. Travel experts told USA Today these automated systems can be especially challenging for elderly travelers or those less comfortable with technology.

Uniqode highlighted five key passenger-focused technologies that airports have adopted in recent years, exploring how they work, where they are implemented, and their potential benefits for travelers. From automated check-in kiosks and biometric screening to automated security lanes, luggage tracking systems, and mobile apps, these innovations are reshaping holiday travel for millions of Americans.

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Automated check-in kiosks

Automated check-in kiosks, now standard at most U.S. airports, are evolving as airlines push toward more digital solutions. These self-service stations allow travelers to check in, select seats, print boarding passes, and tag bags without staff assistance.

Alaska Airlines removed check-in kiosks at nine airports in 2024 as part of a $2.5 billion plan to transition entirely to mobile apps, while Frontier Airlines now charges $20 for human check-in assistance, according to USA Today.

The push toward automation has mixed results. While airlines claim kiosks reduce check-in times and keep costs down, people still prefer to talk to other people. A study by travel technology company Travelport found that three-quarters of customer survey respondents still prefer the option of speaking with a human agent.

Oakland International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport have implemented biometric kiosks and self-boarding systems, respectively, to enhance passenger verification and streamline processes, Forbes reported. However, travel experts told USA Today these automated systems often struggle with complex situations like rebooking or special needs assistance.

New features being integrated into modern kiosks include radio-frequency identification—or RFID—baggage tracking, with over 50% of passengers expressing interest in electronic bag tags, according to Airport Industry News.

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Biometric security screening

Biometric security screening, which uses facial recognition to verify traveler identities, is expanding rapidly across U.S. airports as part of the Transportation Security Administration's effort to enhance security and reduce wait times. The technology, which TSA began testing in 2019, can reduce security interaction time from 25 seconds to roughly 10 seconds, according to Delta Air Lines officials interviewed by The New York Times.

Currently available at more than 30 airports, including Denver International and Los Angeles International, the TSA plans to expand biometric screening to 400 more locations, per the Times.

A survey published in September 2024 by the U.S. Travel Association found that nearly 4 out of 5 air travelers support biometrics at TSA checkpoints, with 7 out of 10 supporters citing terrorism prevention and human trafficking prevention as key reasons. Legislation proposed by Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and John Kennedy of Louisiana threatens to ban TSA's use of biometric technologies, a move the U.S. Travel Association warns could result in longer wait times, reduced security, and wasted taxpayer dollars. The TSA says that passenger participation remains voluntary, with travelers able to opt out in favor of standard ID checks.

Major carriers continue expanding implementation, with Delta operating the system at LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports, while United Airlines uses it at Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles International airports.

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Automated screening lanes

The TSA implemented automated screening lanes with CT scanners to enhance security and reduce checkpoint wait times. Nationwide, 205 automated screening lanes have been installed as of June 2024, including new lanes added at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

The new system features four stations where travelers can simultaneously place items in bins, allowing faster passengers to move around slower ones, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told ABC 7 News in July 2024. Automated rollers move bins through X-ray tunnels and return them underneath the conveyor, "a little bit like a bowling lane," Farbstein explained.

The technology includes advanced CT scanners that provide 3D images of carry-on items, which TSA officers can rotate on touch-screen monitors for better inspection, according to the TSA. Early adopters like Denver International Airport tested the system in 2018 to refine the technology before wider implementation.

The automated lanes are currently in place at Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. These lanes aim to maintain TSA's standard wait time goals of 10 minutes or less for PreCheck lanes and 30 minutes or less for standard screening.

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Airport apps for seamless updates, dining options, cashless parking

Major airports are launching mobile apps that provide real-time updates about flights, dining options, and parking to streamline the travel experience. At Houston airports, a new app helps passengers locate food vendors and receive flight notifications. The system also includes a cashless parking solution where travelers can prereserve spots by entering their license plate number and trip details. According to a report from Fox 26 Houston, automated readers scan license plates to open gates upon arrival, with charges automatically processed to credit cards upon exit.

QR codes are also becoming a key feature in airport dining, allowing travelers to order meals directly from their smartphones without downloading additional apps. At venues in airports like John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty, and Chicago O'Hare, passengers can scan QR codes to browse menus, pay, and even have food delivered to their gate, according to The Verge.

International airports are advancing app technologies. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol launched an Apple Watch app in January 2024, using artificial intelligence and thousands of motion sensors to predict crowd sizes and wait times. The system uses smart, self-learning algorithms to make departure, transfer, and arrival processes more predictable for travelers, according to the airport. The app has been downloaded by more than 1.6 million travelers as of January 2024.

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AirTags for tracking luggage (and helping the airline do the same)

Apple is introducing a new "Share Item Location" feature that allows passengers to share AirTag location data with airlines to streamline luggage tracking. The technology uses Apple's Find My network to track items and generates a live-updating link that passengers can share with airlines, CNN reported.

About 26 million bags were mishandled in 2022, which cost the industry an estimated $2.6 billion, according to SITA, an air transport communication and IT company. Launching in December 2024, the "Share Item Location" feature aims to address these issues by helping travelers and airlines locate misplaced luggage more efficiently.

United Airlines plans to roll out the feature at select airports and hopes to launch it more widely in 2025, United's chief customer officer David Kinzelman told CNN. The technology will also be built into SITA's baggage-tracing system and used by more than 500 airlines and 2,800 airports globally.

While the system promises to help locate mishandled bags more efficiently, passengers need to own both an iPhone and AirTags to use the service. The location-sharing link automatically expires after seven days or when users are reunited with their luggage.

Additional research by Nicole Caldwell. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.

This story originally appeared on Uniqode and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.