FRANKFURT, 23 November 2020: Lufthansa Group airlines (Lufthansa and SWISS) will be the first to use the Star Alliance Biometrics on selected flights starting this week.
Star Alliance has recently completed the development of an interoperable biometric identity and identification platform that will significantly improve the travel experience for frequent flyer programme customers of member airlines. Specific infrastructure is being installed at hub airports Frankfurt and Munich.
Members of the Lufthansa and SWISS Miles & More Frequent Flyer Programme who opt-in to biometrics will be able to pass through both security access and boarding gates in a touchless manner, an important health and hygiene safety measure to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infections.
Most airports are now insisting passengers wear maks, but biometric identity check does not require them to remove the mask.
The Star Alliance Biometrics service is built on NEC Corporation’s NEC I:Delight biometric and identity management platform software. The secure service is available at no cost to customers who are members of the Miles & More loyalty programme, but they must consent to share their biometric data with stakeholders of their choice during travel.
How does it work?
With just a few easy steps on their mobile device, Miles & More customers can enrol in Star Alliance Biometrics, via a link on the Lufthansa app. Customers need to first take a selfie, verify their identity with their passport, and opt-in to the airlines and airports where they want to use the service.
Enrol just once
They only need to enrol once and can then use their biometrics data multiple times at biometrics touchpoints of any participating airport whenever they travel with a Star Alliance member airline who has implemented Star Alliance Biometrics.
Data privacy and security
Personal data, such as photo and other identification details, are encrypted and safely stored within the platform. From the outset, the system has been designed in compliance with applicable data protection laws making use of the latest facial recognition technology. Storage of personal data is kept to a minimum.
