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SPT Passengers Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the aim of SPT?
- What distinguishes SPT?
- Who benefits from SPT?
- How does a passenger benefit if SPT processes are implemented?
- Each year, the volume of international passenger travel continues to increase yet airport space and immigration services are not necessarily expanding at the same pace. How will this affect me?
- How does a passenger enroll in the SPT system?
- What can a passenger do to support SPT implementation?
- What is biometrics?
- How does a passenger register his/her biometric identifier?
- Is it safe to register biometrics?
- Who will have access to the passenger's information?
- What about the passenger's privacy?
- Where can passengers find out more about ongoing programs?
- Which program is suitable?
- What is the aim of SPT?
- SPT seeks to facilitate the passenger’s travel experience by reducing time and hassle without compromising security requirements of air travel. SPT’s Ideal Process Flow shows how machine-readable travel documents (MRTDs), e-tokens and biometrics can be used to authenticate a passenger and automate the passenger’s progress through airport processes both at departure and on arrival.
- What distinguishes SPT?
- SPT covers the continuum from pre travel to exiting the arrivals process at the destination airport.
The simplified passenger travel process begins at the pre-travel stage when a person decides to travel and obtains pertinent information, it follows on through the steps of check-in, security and boarding at departure which are automated with the use of machine-readable travel documents (MRTDs), e-tokens and biometrics. The process continues at arrivals where the passenger can move quickly through automated border control, expedited baggage collection (based on pre-arrival risk assessment) and also avail of onward travel services such as car rental, baggage delivery.
- SPT covers the continuum from pre travel to exiting the arrivals process at the destination airport.
- Who benefits from SPT?
- The prime beneficiaries of SPT will be those passengers who chose to be compliant and to be involved in SPT process. In addition, SPT will be also beneficial for all stakeholders including travel agents, airlines, airports and government authorities.
- How does a passenger benefit if SPT processes are implemented?
- The implementation of SPT will result in a significantly improved travel experience for the passenger.
- Passengers would spend less time queuing at the airport for check-in, security and government authorities.
- Passengers would not have to arrive 2-3 hours early to check-in at airport.
- Passengers would have the choice to check-in at different places such as home, hotel, railway station etc.
- Passengers information required for international travel can be provided before travelling to the airport.
- Security will be improved by using biometrics and automation.
- Arrival processes will be simplified with less queing
- The implementation of SPT will result in a significantly improved travel experience for the passenger.
- Each year, the volume of international passenger travel continues to increase yet airport space and immigration services are not necessarily expanding at the same pace. How will this affect me?
- If SPT is not implemented, there will be increased congestion at airports, further delays and time wasted, increased hassle and stress, less secure and less thorough processes and possibly increased costs: departures fees, taxes etc.
- How does a passenger enroll in the SPT system?
- There are different SPT programs available around the world. Each program has different enrollment criteria and fee structures. There is a list of trials and programs that passengers can join, on this website. It is expected that some of these programs will be interoperable, avoiding the need for a passenger to be enrolled several times in different systems. Discussions are underway among countries to begin tests of this concept
- What can a passenger do to support SPT implementation?
- Passengers need to enroll in available programs.
- Passengers should provide information that is required for international travel at the time of booking or at check-in.
- Passengers should support registering their biometric identifiers, i.e. face image, fingerprint image or iris image.
- Passengers should lobby for SPT processes to be implemented in the country they live in.
- What is biometrics?
- A biometric is a technology that automatically confirms the identity of people by comparing patterns of physical or behavioral characteristics in real-time against enrolled computer records of those patterns. (Source: IBIA)
- How does a passenger register his/her biometric identifier?
- An image of the passenger's biometric identifier, that is their face or finger or iris, will be recorded during registration and stored in a token (e.g.: passport or frequent flyer card) or in a central database.
- Is it safe to register biometrics?
- Yes. It is safe to register (or enroll) one's biometric identifier. Whatever the technology (face, finger or iris), registering consists in taking a picture of one part of your body using a convenient camera, then processing the image.
- Who will have access to the passenger's information?
- The passenger's information will be accessible by the organization providing this service (i.e. program that passenger has joined). This could be the airline, the airport or the government authority, in exactly the same way as is done today.
The passenger's information with regard to international travel would also be accessible by the travel agent.
- The passenger's information will be accessible by the organization providing this service (i.e. program that passenger has joined). This could be the airline, the airport or the government authority, in exactly the same way as is done today.
- What about the passenger's privacy?
- All privacy issues will be addressed as per the rules and regulations of the country or international bodies. Passengers would be advised of specific privacy issues at the time of enrolment and have the choice to volunteer their private information or refrain from joining the program.
- Where can passengers find out more about ongoing programs?
- Passengers can find out about a number of programs from this website. They can also check with airports, airlines and government authorities to see if there is a program in place.
- Passengers can find out about a number of programs from this website. They can also check with airports, airlines and government authorities to see if there is a program in place.
- Which program is suitable?
- Currently there are different types of programs in place. There are programs for quicker check-in and departure offered by airlines and airports. There are also programs for expedited arrivals offered by border control authorities. The eligibility criteria for the programs vary from frequent flyer membership to citizenship. Based on pre-requisites and suitability, passengers may choose to participate in any program that facilitates and enhances their travel experience.
