Will new technology allowing for quicker identification at airport security make getting through the airport and onto your flight a smoother experience?
According to Travel + Leisure, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been testing new Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) which would potentially allow travelers to move through security without flashing a boarding pass or passport.
This new technology uses facial recognition to identify travelers, and according to the TSA’s official description it “improves the travel document checker’s ability to accurately authenticate passenger identification and pre-screening status, addressing the vulnerabilities associated with ID and boarding pass fraud.”
CAT-1 machines collect identification through scanning a photo ID and search a database to find a passenger’s flight details, while CAT-2 machines do the same and also take a photo of the passenger in-person to compare with the photo ID.
Travelers will still need to check-in with their airline and show a boarding pass at the gate. TSA told Travel + Leisure that so far CAT-1 machines have been introduced at over 200 airports across the U.S. while CAT-2 machines are still undergoing testing at select airports throughout the country.