Passenger Biometric Boarding Trust & Privacy Survey

Welcome to this survey about biometric verification in air travel. This study explores passenger perspectives on technologies like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning used during airport processes. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are anonymous and will be reported only in aggregate. Results will be used to inform improvements in traveler experience, transparency, and data-protection practices. Estimated time: 7–10 minutes. By continuing, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and consent to participate.

Have you taken at least one commercial flight in the past 12 months?

• Yes
• No

Approximately how many one-way flights did you take in the past 12 months?

• 1–2
• 3–5
• 6–10
• 11–20
• More than 20

On those trips, did you use any biometric verification — such as a face scan at boarding or an automated passport eGate?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

How comfortable would you be using facial recognition to board a flight?

Which safeguards, if any, would increase your willingness to use biometric checks at airports? Please select all that apply.

• Clear opt-out available at every step
• No storage of biometric templates
• Deletion immediately after verification
• Deletion within 24 hours
• Independent security/privacy audits
• Visible signage explaining the process
• Staff assistance always available
• Per-flight control (opt in/out each time)
• Regulatory oversight and standards
• Other (please specify)
• None of the above

Which of the following, if any, are reasons you might hesitate to use biometric verification at airports? Please select all that apply.

• Privacy concerns / potential misuse of data
• Accuracy errors / false matches
• Bias or fairness concerns
• Data retention policies are unclear
• Risk of identity theft
• Prefer human interaction
• Hygiene / contact concerns
• Seems to take longer or is complex
• Not well explained at airports
• General distrust of facial recognition technology
• Other (please specify)
• None of the above

Where did you use biometric verification in the past 12 months? Please select all that apply.

• Boarding gate face scan
• Automated immigration eGate
• Security checkpoint ID verification
• Self-service bag drop
• Lounge or facility access
• Other (please specify)

Overall, how much do you trust the biometric identity checks you used during air travel?

Compared with manual ID checks, how would you rate the speed of the biometric process you experienced?

Which of the following concerns, if any, did you have when using biometric verification? Please select all that apply.

• Unclear what data is stored
• Difficulty opting out
• Potential misuse by third parties
• False match / denied boarding
• Bias across different traveler groups
• System outage or poor fallback process
• Lack of transparency about technology vendors
• Other (please specify)
• None of the above

Were you clearly offered a non-biometric option (e.g., manual ID check) at the point of use?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Briefly describe anything that worked well or poorly with the biometric process you experienced.

How much do you trust airlines to handle your biometric data responsibly?

How much do you trust airport authorities to handle your biometric data responsibly?

How much do you trust government agencies (e.g., border control, TSA) to handle your biometric data responsibly?

How much do you trust technology vendors (the companies that build biometric systems) to handle your biometric data responsibly?

Please rank the following potential benefits of biometric verification in air travel in order of importance to you.

1. Faster boarding
2. Shorter security/immigration lines
3. Fewer document checks
4. Enhanced security
5. Less physical contact

In your view, what should happen to biometric data collected during your trip?

• Do not collect or store at all
• Delete immediately after verification
• Delete within 24 hours
• Store only with explicit opt-in for frequent travelers
• Store for future trips with opt-in control
• Not sure

To what extent, if at all, should biometric data be used for personalization or marketing purposes?

• Never
• Only with explicit opt-in
• Only in anonymized/aggregated form
• Acceptable for standard personalization
• Not sure

How clear are airport instructions and signage about biometric verification options at the airports you have used?

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or feelings about biometric verification in air travel.

We'd like to understand your perspective on biometric verification in air travel in more depth. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of brief follow-up questions based on your earlier responses.

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

How do you describe your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say

Where do you currently live?

• North America
• Europe
• Asia
• South America
• Africa
• Oceania
• Middle East
• Prefer not to say

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• High school or less
• Some college / technical
• Bachelor's degree
• Postgraduate degree
• Prefer not to say

What is your current employment status?

• Employed full-time
• Employed part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Unemployed
• Homemaker / Caregiver
• Retired
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your responses will help improve traveler choice, transparency, and data protections around biometric verification in air travel.