Alaska Airlines is rolling out the time-saving TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program to three of its largest hubs in an effort to speed up the passenger checkpoint experience.
TSA Touchless ID will soon be available for the airline’s passengers traveling out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Portland International Airport (PDX), and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Alaska already implemented it at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL) and Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. (DCA) earlier this year.
Here at TPG, we’re big fans of the Touchless ID biometric screening process. In fact, it could be a game-changer for the aviation experience because it saves travelers so much time going through security checkpoints. Instead of digging through purses and backpacks for IDs and boarding passes, facial recognition software confirms your identity and expedites getting you through security.
Here’s when TSA PreCheck Touchless ID will be available for Alaska Air travelers at the following airports:
- Seattle (SEA), starting June 26
- Los Angeles (LAX), starting July 8
- Portland (PDX), starting July 10
How to use TSA PreCheck Touchless ID on Alaska Air
The Touchless ID program is optional. It requires you to opt-in to allow your biometric data to be used for identity verification. Guests who are eligible and want to opt-in must sign up using their Alaska Mileage Plan account. It’s easy to do once you sign up for a Mileage Plan account. After you log in, make sure your passport number and KTN (Known Traveler Number) are listed in the travel documents drop-down section of your profile, as seen below.
Once you do that, the ‘Add TSA PreCheck Touchless ID’ will become active. You click the Opt in box , hit Save, and you’re done.
Travelers who opt in to use Touchless ID, which is free, will need to renew their enrollment in the program each year. Again, this is an optional program. If you prefer showing TSA agents your physical ID and boarding pass when you fly, you can still do.
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While the Touchless ID program is free, you do need to have TSA PreCheck, which starts at $78 for a five-year membership for new members. Global Entry, which offers both PreCheck access and an expedited trip through U.S. Customs and Border Protection passport control, costs $120.
Some travel credit cards will reimburse members for their application fees.
The expansion of Touchless ID is part of Alaska Air’s high-tech plan to streamline customers’ airport experience and make the overall travel process more efficient. The carrier has already introduced electronic bag tags and automated bag drops as it build what it calls “a truly contactless airport journey.”
For more on Alaska’s bag tag system see the reel below.
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