« A complicated bug | Main | On marginal utility of heroin street prices »
December 30, 2006
Automated International checkin
One of the annoyances of checkin on international flights is the need to show some human your passport. No longer:
At least in YVR, United's automated checkin system will scan your passport (and green card in the same scanner which is kind of cool since they're a different size). Maybe next year our robot overlords can replace the human customs and immigration inspectors.
Posted by ekr at December 30, 2006 10:24 AM | Filed under: Security: Airport
Comments
Sure, as soon as we can get Skynet online. Then once we've been upgraded to Cybermen, we won't need any ID anymore.
Posted by: Dave Provine at December 30, 2006 11:59 AM
I've seen something similar to this in SFO as well. It didn't handle green cards, though, just a swipe for the OCR-able part of the passport.
Posted by: David Molnar at January 1, 2007 12:23 AM
I give you CANPASS and Nexus. Two automated immigration and customs programs active a major American and Canadian POEs. Pariticipants don't typically interact with an immigration official and only have to turn in customs declaration cards as they leave the luggage hall on their way out the door. There is always a chance of a random inspection, but by in large, for low-risk travellers, it is a very handy system. (The system is opt-in, requires forfeiture of a biometric (iris) and carries an annual fee -- all worthwhile if you travel frequently and want to bypass yet-another-line-up.)
Posted by: AlanH at January 3, 2007 9:18 PM