Passport, Please. Now Look at the Camera: Crossing Borders in the Digital Age

 International travel used to mean standing in front of an immigration officer, handing over a passport, answering a few questions, perhaps getting a stamp, and waiting for that moment when you were officially waved through.

On this trip, both France and the United States showed me just how much that process has changed.

Leaving France: Passport First, Face Second

At Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, I encountered France’s automated border-control system.

The process was remarkably straightforward.

First, I placed my passport on the scanner. The machine read it, and the first glass door opened. I stepped into the small enclosed area between the two gates.

Then I simply looked into the camera.

Apparently, my face and my passport agreed that I was, indeed, me.

The second door opened, and I walked through.

That was it.

No lengthy conversation. No complicated series of questions. No hunting around for another document. The system used the biometric information in my passport along with facial recognition to verify my identity and complete the border check.

Considering how many different checkpoints and lines can be involved in navigating Charles de Gaulle, I found this particular part of the journey impressively simple.

Arriving Home: Global Entry in Phoenix

When I arrived back in Phoenix on Thursday, the process was slightly different but equally easy.

I used Global Entry.

Instead of beginning with my passport, the system relied heavily on facial recognition. I stepped up, looked into the camera, and the system identified me through the information already associated with my Global Entry membership and travel records.

Again, the remarkable part was how little I actually had to do.

France essentially said:

Show me your passport. Now show me your face.

The United States essentially said:

Show me your face. We already know who you are.

Both systems were quick, intuitive and remarkably efficient.

Automation, With a Human Nearby

There was one detail I particularly appreciated about both systems.

They were automated, but they didn’t feel abandoned.

At both Charles de Gaulle and Phoenix, there was a human nearby to help travelers navigate the equipment. If I stopped for a moment or looked even slightly questioning, someone was available to point me toward the scanner, indicate where I should stand, or reassure me about what came next.

I liked that combination.

The technology handled the repetitive identification work, while a person remained available for the very human moment of standing in front of an unfamiliar machine thinking, Now what am I supposed to do?

There was no need to search for an employee or hold up the line while figuring things out. A glance of uncertainty seemed to be enough to bring a little guidance.

Different Systems, Same Goal

The French and American approaches aren’t identical.

At Charles de Gaulle, my passport initiated the process, followed by facial recognition.

In Phoenix, my face was essentially the key, with Global Entry and government records already connecting that face to my identity.

But from the traveler’s perspective, the result was much the same: very little paperwork, very little interaction and very little confusion.

After an international flight, when you are tired, carrying luggage and mentally calculating how many more steps stand between you and your own bed, simplicity matters.

Both countries got this part right.

Technology did the complicated work behind the scenes. I provided a passport in France, a face in both countries, and just enough occasional uncertainty to keep the helpful humans employed.

And then the doors opened.

Sometimes the best technology is the technology that makes you wonder afterward:

Was that really all I had to do?

There was one more thing that struck me as I came through Global Entry in Phoenix: there was essentially no line.

There were perhaps six Global Entry stations available. One traveler just ahead of me stepped up to one, while I simply walked over to another empty station. Within moments, I was completing the facial recognition process and moving on.

Then I looked to my left.

There was a long line of arriving passengers waiting to go through the regular immigration process.

Standing there, with several Global Entry stations open and virtually no wait, I couldn’t help wondering: Why don’t more international travelers use Global Entry?

There is an application process, a fee, a background check and usually an interview involved in becoming a member, so it does require some effort beforehand. But for someone who travels internationally with any regularity, that preparation can pay off at exactly the moment you appreciate it most: after a long international flight, when all you really want to do is get through the airport and go home.

On this arrival, the contrast couldn’t have been more visible. A long line on one side and an open Global Entry station waiting for me on the other.

I know which line I want to be in.

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