How do travelers set up TSA PreCheck Touchless ID?

In January, TSA PreCheck Touchless ID ran at 15 airports. Today TSA lists 65, with six airlines taking part. Last week IATA named the first two holders of its global One ID standard, so face-based travel is on its way at home and abroad. Before the holiday weeks, it's worth knowing how your travelers get into the lane, and which details in your profiles make it work.

What is TSA PreCheck Touchless ID?

A PreCheck lane where a camera confirms the traveler's identity. The traveler skips handing over an ID and boarding pass at the podium. The camera compares a live photo with the photo on their ID.

It's opt-in, and it works when the traveler flies a participating airline from a participating airport. A traveler who declines the camera gets a standard ID check and keeps their place in line.

Who can use it?

TSA sets three conditions:

• Current TSA PreCheck membership, with a Known Traveler Number.
• A valid passport.
• An active profile with a participating airline. Google Wallet is a second route, with a digital ID backed by a US passport.

The airlines are Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest and United. Each airline runs its own opt-in, so a traveler who flies two of them sets it up twice.

How does a traveler opt in?

The steps are the same at each airline:

1. Open the airline profile. Use the loyalty account the traveler flies under.
2. Add the documents. Enter the Known Traveler Number. Then add the passport number and its issuing country.
3. Opt in. Select Touchless ID on the profile, or accept the invitation at check-in.
4. Check the boarding pass. Once TSA confirms, a Touchless ID mark appears on the mobile boarding pass. That mark opens the dedicated lane.

Delta adds two details. The traveler needs to be a SkyMiles member using the Fly Delta app, and opting in once carries across their SkyMiles profile. At eight Delta airports, including Atlanta, JFK and Los Angeles, the same face match also works at bag drop.

What should your agency check in each profile?

The opt-in belongs to the traveler. The details behind it often come from you. Each one is worth a look before the holiday weeks:

1. Known Traveler Number. Confirm it's on the traveler's profile and on every booking you make for them.
2. Passport details. Keep the number and expiry current. Spell the name as printed.
3. Loyalty numbers. Attach the right airline account to each booking, since that's where the opt-in lives.
4. Pre-trip notes. Add a line for PreCheck travelers explaining the lane and how to opt in with their airline.

What happens to the traveler's photo?

TSA says its cameras are used for identity checks alone. The photo and personal data are deleted within 24 hours of the scheduled departure, and usually right after the match. Delta says it keeps zero customer biometric data. The image goes, encrypted, to the facial matching service run by US Customs and Border Protection.

Travelers ask about this, so it helps to have the answer ready. They can opt out at any time.

How does this connect to IATA's One ID?

Both follow the same pattern. The traveler shares verified documents ahead of time and then moves through by face. IATA's One ID sets that pattern as a global standard, and on October 28 it named Air New Zealand and Hong Kong International Airport as the first to meet it. Our One ID briefing covers what it means for international trips.

Common questions