Spirit Airlines has announced that travelers at Orlando International Airport (MCO) can now utilize the airline’s self-bag drop with biometric photo-matching, a solution developed in partnership with Materna Intelligent Passenger Solutions (IPS) North America.
According to the company, 19 self-bag drop units have been newly installed at MCO. Additionally, Spirit says that this is the largest set-up of its kind for the carrier at any airport and more than triple the size of its next largest self-bag drop operation.
The company highlights that the self-bag drop allows guests to check bags directly without working with an agent. Spirit’s machines are also equipped with biometric photo-matching capability that compares a scan of government-issued identification with a photo of the guest for verification.
Following an initial testing period at MCO with both manual ID check and biometric opt-in, the company says that the solution will eliminate the need to hand government-issued identification to an agent when checking baggage.
“We’ve grown to become largest ultra-low-fare carrier at MCO and adding this convenient, self-service option is a significant investment that gives our guests more control over their journey while spending less time in the lobby,” said Mike Byrom, Vice President of Airports & Crew Services for Spirit Airlines.
Guests start by tagging their own checked bags after checking in at the kiosk and then proceed to the self-bag drops. They are then advised of the biometric option after scanning their boarding pass at the self-bag drop unit. They may either opt in and continue unassisted or opt out for agent-assisted service.
If a guest opts in, the unit instructs them to scan their ID on the built-in hardware. It will then compare its scan of the photo on the ID with a facial scan captured by its on-board camera, along with comparing ID information with the guest’s reservation details. None of the data is transmitted to any government agency.
A successful match initiates the rest of the bag check-in process. Guests are instructed to place their bags on the conveyor belt attached to the unit, which then scans the bags, weighs them, accepts payment for any additional services and sends them straight into the airport‘s checked baggage system.
According to Spirit, up to 8,000 bags can be checked in a day at MCO, each of which represents an agent interaction that can be streamlined. Testing data show the new procedure drops average processing time to just 70 seconds per guest, reducing time spent at bag check by 30%.
The self-bag drop system uses software capable of analyzing key physical features on more than 50,000 forms of ID from nearly 200 countries that a guest could potentially use when traveling in the US.
Spirit says that the system is also operating at Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX).