Delta is testing face-recognition technology for bag drops—so it knows whose luggage it’s losing

You may have to start fixing your hair before dropping off your bag at the airport. Delta has just announced that it is launching a facial-recognition self-service bag drop, which will be the first of its kind in the United States. That means that Delta will now have to look into your sad puppy-dog eyes as you drop off your bag, which will hopefully encourage them to ensure that your suitcase arrives at the same location as you. 

Delta just dropped $600,000 on the tech, which will be tested in four new self-service bag drops at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this summer. One of those machines will test facial-recognition technology that matches customers with their passport photos. According to a press release sent out by Delta, studies have found that self-service bag drops have the potential to process twice as many customers per hour, which frees up time for Delta agents to explain the self-service ticket machines to those bewildered passengers who are always in front of you when you’re late for a plane.

ML