Boston Airport Partners With Accesso For Virtual Security Line

Boston Logan International Airport is partnering with the high-tech ticketing firm accesso Technology Group to pilot a virtual security line, accesso announced in a Thursday (June 3) press release. The Virtual Security Line will be powered by Qsmart, accesso’s virtual queuing platform, and is being piloted for an initial eight-week period.

This is the firm’s initial entree into servicing the airline sector and makes Logan a pioneer in integrating technology that can boost the safety of its clients while building trust and loyalty as it continues to follow pandemic policies.

“More than ever, our customers want an easy and efficient travel experience. Even before the pandemic, we had been working on integrating more technology and innovation into the traditional services provided at Boston Logan International Airport,” said Kwang Chen, chief information officer at the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns and operates Boston Logan International Airport.

After checking in to the line, passengers will be able to view their remaining wait time and will be alerted when it’s time to enter the line. They can then redeem their place in line with airport staff using a QR code on their phone.

“The TSA line creates stress for many travelers, so our goal for this pilot program is to see if a virtual queue improves the customer experience by helping to reduce some of that stress while traveling,” Chen added.

Virtual queuing will also help security agents manage the flow of security line traffic, including forecasting the amount of arriving passengers. This will make capacity management easier for security agents and the process quicker and safer for passengers.

Passengers at Boston Logan International Airport can use the virtual queuing platform to support the airport, its team members, and its passengers, in time for the expected uptick in air travel post-pandemic. Virtual queuing, a technology that used to be part of the leisure and entertainment industry, has become a mainstay being used by a variety of industries. 

As more people get vaccinated and the world reopens, long lines at airports are now commonplace. Domestic leisure travel is now at pre-pandemic levels and it was expected that more than 2 million people would take a flight before May closed out.

Facial recognition and other biometric identification protocols were more widely adopted as the pandemic took hold worldwide, which helped spur products that could propel a touchless society.