Travelers leaning into biometric travel, omnichannel approach holds appeal

The travel industry should learn from the omnichannel approach of ecommerce and take advantage of travelers’ readiness to use biometrics. This advice is from Amadeus’ new report which carried out an in-depth survey that uncovered some surprising findings among travellers. The company has been busy as it collaborated with Lufthansa recently to complete tests in using the EUDI Wallet for the travel industry.

Surveying 9,500 adults from seven countries in America, Asia and Europe, the Amadeus report discovered that on average 69 percent of global travellers would consider using biometric gateways, so that there’s no need to stop to show a passport or even a mobile phone, to pass through airport security.

Millennials were most in favor of considering such biometric gateways, such as using face biometrics or fingerprints, at 74 percent. Surprisingly, Gen Z were the least to consider it, at 63 percent. Chinese travellers were most in favor, at 88 percent, while French travellers were the least, at 54 percent.

“Arguably the most critical part of the infrastructure transforming the airport experience is the evolution of biometric solutions,” the Connected Journeys: How will technology transform travel in the next decade? report claims.

Ecommerce is omnichannel

Amadeus believes in a broad approach, which extends to looking at other industries to drive customer retention and growth. It alights on ecommerce. “Central to the [ecommerce] sector’s success has been its omnichannel approach,” it says.

Adapting this to mean that every stage of the travel journey being “seamlessly integrated” and “omnichannel” to mean “unified,” it notes that ecommerce was a pioneer in moving to a mobile-first approach. The study notes that wearable technology (such as smart watches) are also expanding, as smartphones continue to reshape the global travel industry.

“In many of these forward-thinking, device-centric systems, cloud-based processing is essential,” it says. “Cloud technology is rapidly emerging as the key enabler that transforms these cutting-edge ideas into practical solutions. The report highlights especially innovative cases, such as Dubai International Airport and JFK International Airport.

It mentions how, in mid 2024, Curaçao Airport introduced the Curaçao Express Pass, the world’s first biometric digital ID system for pre-flight verification and touchless border control. This was developed by Airside (an Entrust company) in partnership with Amadeus’ Identity and Border Management Platform and border eGates; with the system enabling travellers to securely share verified government-issued ID with immigration officials before departure.

Upon arrival, passengers’ passport and biometric details — transmitted via their smartphone — are already integrated into the immigration system. This allows them to use a dedicated fast-track lane where facial recognition technology grants seamless entry without manual checks.

‘Ready to fly’ becoming mainstream

As biometric technologies continue to advance, the report claims the concept of “ready to fly” travel is becoming increasingly mainstream. It points to how these systems enable travellers to complete government and law enforcement checks well before arriving at the airport.

The research highlights that even small tech-driven improvements can have outsized benefits. Features like real-time travel updates, secure digital wallets for storing travel documents, and intelligent baggage tracking systems are among the innovations travelers worldwide say help reduce stress and enhance the overall journey.

Research from Phocuswright predicts that by 2026, mobile devices will overtake desktops as the primary platform for booking travel, with 46 percent of online bookings already happening via mobile. This trend is mirrored in the hospitality industry, where mobile now accounts for 51 percent of hotel reservations.

However, the transition isn’t without its challenges. The survey published by Amadeus revealed that 57 percent of travelers still prefer to print their boarding passes rather than rely solely on mobile apps. Despite the smartphone’s pivotal role, not everyone is comfortable going fully digital with concerns like “low battery anxiety.”

The research highlights key digital solutions that travelers value most: round-the-clock in-app customer support (30 percent), secure digital wallets for storing travel documents (29 percent), and unified apps that consolidate all trip details such as flights, accommodations, and insurance (28 percent).

Agentic travel and digital ID

In Phocuswright’s The New Age(nts) Trend series, panelists noted that digital ID for travel can simultaneously improve customer experience and reduce cases of fraud. “This idea that the only 360-degree view of the customer is the customer starts to really make sense when I can bring my preferences, my history and my verifiable identity with me,” said Jamie Smith, founder of Customer Futures.

Meanwhile, in an agentic world that can help people book their vacations, delegated identity will be required to identify a good bot. AI advancements will allow travellers, or their AI agents, to discover travel deals via their digital identities and decentralized networks without the middlemen.

Anke Hsu, chief growth officer at Chain4Travel, said blockchain is the trust layer “we need in the agentic world” as agentic searches surge. Chain4Travel is addressing digital trust, verifiable credentials and counterparty trust via its Camino Network.

An agentic AI landscape will usher in open standards, decentralized networks and open-source implementations, which Open Travel Alliance is working to hasten. Part five of Phocuswright’s New Age(nts) Trend looks at the convergence of GenAI with digital identity and can be found here.

Amadeus advocates for decentralized identity for secure, privacy-first biometrics. By storing data in digital wallets and verifying it locally through encrypted, consent-based sharing, travelers maintain control over when and where their information is used. The approach supports global interoperability across platforms like Amadeus’ biometric wallet, IATA’s One ID, and Apple and Google ID wallets. Biometrics extend beyond airports, enabling contactless check-ins at hotels, face biometrics for car rentals, and seamless access to entertainment or insurance services during a trip.

A common currency

Airlines and airports function best when operating cohesively, what Pierre-Olivier Bandet, CIO of Air France-KLM, refers to as using “a common currency.”

This integrated approach is cited in the report with the case of JFK International Airport, where Amadeus uses the cloud-based ACUS platform to maintain a unified, consistent view of each traveler across more than 140 touchpoints in Terminal 4. It claims this ensures a smooth and personalized passenger experience from start to finish.

As airports around the world expand and see increased passenger flows, SITA is positioning itself as the provider of infrastructure, if not the biometric technology, through its Digital Travel Ecosystem. Earlier this year, Cathay Pacific signed a deal with SITA to substantially increase the network bandwidth available at its airports, which will be an important resource for transitioning airport ID checks to users’ mobile devices.

SITA explains in a blog post how the ecosystem, which Idemia and Indicio are partners in, allows airports to integrate emerging technologies and standards “like the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Digital Travel Credential (ICAO DTC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) OneID.”

As expanding the physical infrastructure of airports becomes more capital intensive, airports are turning to technology to maximize existing space. By leveraging biometrics, self-service tools, automation, and AI-driven data intelligence, SITA says they can enhance operations and passenger experiences without the need for costly construction.

As Amadeus says, interoperability is essential in connecting the global travel and tourism industry but also in fostering innovation. The Amadeus report also delves into how artificial intelligence is driving change in travel as one of the major technology trends to emerge this decade.

Article Topics

airport biometrics  |  Amadeus  |  biometrics  |  consumer adoption  |  digital travel  |  digital wallets