Travel technology: speed, security, and sci-fi

Technology—if it doesn’t make travel easier, at least it’s more fun.

First, I learned that cell phones are being used for keyless room entry at a few French hotels.

Then, I read that eye scans will be used on a wider scale at Heathrow’s Terminal 1. As of last Friday, the airport is using them for:
• travelers arriving internationally, and continuing domestically;
• domestic travelers who visit the international lounge before boarding in domestic.

Both iris scans and fingerprints are required, in addition to the normal photo ID and boarding pass to get through security. The airport swears that the biometric data is only stored a short time—destroyed within 24 hours. They’re considering the same security system for Terminal 5, which will open in March and handle domestic and international BA flights.

Now SAS airlines is implementing fingerprint check-in at airports in Sweden. Replacing the need for other ID, the new protocol allows travelers to scan their index finger when dropping off their luggage and again at the gate. It’s early days, but SAS hopes to expand use of the avant-garde system into its other European destinations.