Air Canada announced today that it will be rolling out a new digital experience with the expansion of the airline’s Digital Identification boarding process. Almost all domestic flights departing Vancouver International Airport (YVR) will give passengers the option to use digital recognition at the gate to confirm their identities. The rollout is scheduled for December 3rd and comes after a successful pilot program on select flights.
Tom Stevens, Vice President, Canadian Airports and Customer Experience Strategy at Air Canada, had this to say about the expanded rollout:
“We are thrilled to take a leadership position with the Vancouver Airport Authority in using technology to simplify and transform boarding of almost all our YVR-departing domestic flights. Digital identification is readily used to streamline numerous daily activities including unlocking phones and entering workplaces, and bringing this technology to the gate enhances the travel experience, making boarding flights convenient and effortless. The feedback from customers, notably our frequent flyers, during the pilot phase was very positive. We look forward to expanding this technology to additional airports.”
In its press release, Air Canada touted the following benefits for enrolling in the Digital Identification program:
- New Convenience with Digital ID in the Air Canada app: Building upon the app’s top features like real-time flight updates, baggage tracking, and Aeroplan account access, Digital ID introduces a new level of ease when boarding, making your travel experience more connected and hassle-free.
- Faster Boarding: With Air Canada’s Digital ID, there’s no need to search for your phone, boarding pass, or physical ID. Simply walk up to the camera screen, and your identity is confirmed in seconds, reducing wait times and simplifying the travel experience. Customers utilizing Digital ID will be among the first to board the aircraft and get settled in sooner.
- Secure and Seamless: Air Canada’s Digital ID technology securely confirms your identity while streamlining the boarding process. Participation is entirely optional and based on your consent, giving you full control over your data.
The item around faster boarding seems interesting to me as it seems that the carrier will have a separate boarding lane for passengers utilizing the Digital Identification boarding process. It’s unclear as to whether this will be called as a separate zone, early in the boarding process, or if passengers will be able to use the scanners anytime during boarding. Recently, we saw American roll out new boarding technology to more than 100 airports, though it didn’t feature a biometric component.
Digital identification is also available for passengers entering Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges in Toronto (YYZ), Calgary (YYC), and San Francisco (SFO), as well as the Air Canada Café in Toronto. Additional airport boarding gates and touchpoints are expected to be added in future.
Passengers looking to utilize the service must first enroll in Air Canada’s Digital Identification program. This can be done via the Air Canada app. For more information and a step-by-step guide on how to enroll, visit Air Canada’s Digital Identification information page here.
Summary
Air Canada is rolling out biometric, Digital Identification, boarding on almost all domestic flights from Vancouver International Airport beginning on December 3rd. In addition to boarding in Vancouver, Air Canada passengers can use their biometric profiles, stored within the Air Canada app, to access Maple Leaf Lounges at select airports and the Air Canada Café in Toronto. Passengers must opt-in to this service and the carrier expects to expand this offering to more airports in the future.
(Images courtesy Air Canada and Lorenz von Schimonsky)
