In an era when every minute counts for travelers, Alaska Airlines is betting big on a digital solution to an old problem: Identity verification at the airport. 

By teaming up with Jumio, a California-based leader in biometric identity verification, the airline has begun streamlining the check-in process through its mobile app. The goal is straightforward but ambitious: Eliminate the bottlenecks at airport counters and get passengers from curb to security quicker. 

The innovation lies in the use of Jumio’s AI-powered identity verification software, now integrated directly into the Alaska Airlines app. Instead of waiting in line to present a U.S. or Canadian passport or U.S. state-issued driver’s license or ID card to a customer service agent, travelers can now verify their identity from their phones before even arriving at the airport. 

“We selected Jumio as the solution that best provides our guests with a seamless travel experience,” said Natalie Bowman, vice president of digital experience at Alaska Airlines. “Through this partnership, guests can verify their travel documents directly in their Alaska Airlines app, saving time in the airport lobby and at their gate.” 

For travelers, the process is simple: Scan the passport using the app, which captures a high-quality image. Then, using computer vision, machine learning and AI, Jumio extracts and verifies data in real time. If the system confirms the document is authentic, the traveler is cleared to complete the check-in process in-app. It all takes a matter of minutes, in fact, Alaska Airlines is aiming for guests to reach security in under five minutes. 

Jumio, which works with companies like Airbnb, Uber, HSBC and United Airlines, brings considerable experience in digital identity. Its platform supports over 5,000 types of government-issued IDs from around the world and has processed more than 1 billion identity transactions globally. The technology is also being used to combat a more invisible threat: fraud. According to Jumio, airlines lose at least $1 billion each year to payment fraud—not including reputational damage or losses tied to frequent flyer scams. 

“Helping travelers save time while protecting companies from fraud is what we do,” said Bala Kumar, chief product and technology officer at Jumio. “We’re proud to work with Alaska Airlines to push digital identity forward in aviation.” 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has also taken steps to modernize its approach to ID. Digital driver’s licenses are now accepted at many checkpoints through mobile wallets that transmit only necessary information. While passengers must still carry a physical ID as backup, TSA officials say digital documents are harder to fake and more private. “Digital IDs are also more private because you only share the information TSA needs to verify your identity—nothing more,” TSA noted in a recent statement. 

The Alaska-Jumio collaboration dovetails with this broader digital ID movement. It also arrives just in time for the May 7, 2025, enforcement deadline for REAL ID, the federal standard that will require compliant identification to board domestic flights in the U.S. 

For Alaska Airlines, the shift is more than a tech upgrade—it’s part of a long-term vision. With the company’s recent merger with Hawaiian Airlines, which has used Jumio since 2021, executives see a path toward an even more unified digital experience for travelers. 

“Because Hawaiian Airlines guests are already familiar with Jumio, future technology integration will be much smoother,” Bowman said. 

The partnership reflects a growing trend across the airline industry: Using biometrics and digital identity to remove friction from travel. In Europe, a consortium called SafeTravellers, funded by the European Union, is testing biometric screening tools at borders using facial recognition, fingerprint scanning and mobile ID wallets. The project includes efforts to detect document fraud, identify morphing attacks—when criminals digitally blend faces—and ensure biometric systems can resist cyber intrusions. 

Jumio’s edge, for now, lies in real-time verification through a device travelers already carry—their phone. According to Bowman, the airline hopes that by the end of 2025, at least half of its international passengers will use self-service ID verification. Early signs are promising. Alaska Airlines reports that integrating Jumio’s software development kit has led to higher self-check-in adoption and better image-capture accuracy, reducing the kinds of errors that frustrate travelers.