Alaska Airlines has added identity verification to its Automated Bag Drop units at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Portland International Airport (PDX).
This upgrade allows passengers to confirm their identity directly at the bag drop, without requiring assistance from an agent.
The development comes a year after the airline first introduced automated bag drop technology in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. According to the airline, the update is part of a wider effort to streamline the check-in and baggage process for travellers.
Charu Jain, Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Innovation at Alaska Airlines said:Adding identity verification to our automated bag drops represents another important step in our plan to get our guests to security in five minutes or less. Every minute saved at the airport is time that can be spent relaxing at home or enjoying a trip.
To use the system, passengers are asked to check in via the Alaska Airlines app and print and attach bag tags using a self-service kiosk or Bag Tag station. At the Automated Bag Drop unit, the bag tag is then scanned, followed by an ID scan. A facial recognition process matches the passenger with the photo on their ID before the bag is accepted.
Facial recognition remains optional. Passengers who prefer manual ID checks can request assistance from a member of staff. Alaska Airlines states that photos captured for verification are deleted once the matching process is completed.
Updates at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
In addition to the new identity verification option, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has recently expanded its check-in area. Ten new Automated Bag Drop units and eight Bag Tag stations have been installed as part of the ongoing lobby redevelopment project.
The work is scheduled for completion in 2026 and aims to reduce congestion and improve passenger flow through the terminal.
