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THE FREQUENT FLYER GAZETTE   ::  Issue 98  -  28 Sept 2007
(past issues)  
 

Welcome to Issue 98 of The Australian Frequent Flyer Gazette.

   Member's Talk

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How Many Airlines?
Our members discuss HOW MANY AIRLINES they have flown with in the past twelve months; it seems the numbers are increasing.

Qantas Record Profit
Our members discuss the recent news of QANTAS RECORD PROFIT of $1,032 million before tax.

Hot tips
Check out some hot tips from one member about FLYING TO THE UK AND EUROPE. These tips include everything from the best check-in times, the lounges and the food. Thanks Platy for an excellent contribution!

First-Time Frequent Flyer
Our members HELP OUT A NEWBIE manoeuvrer their way around the frequent flyer scheme.

A Taxing time
One member expresses concern about THE HIDDEN TAXES on a flight to the US. Our members suggest a dummy booking is the best way to work it out.

DVT Advice
Our members provide some handy advice on HOW TO AVOID THE DREADED DVT.

   Fingerprinting Fun

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Fingerprinting technologies may no longer be the purview of the police with airlines set to utilise the technologies in new and varied ways.

French airline, Air France plans to introduce biometric boarding passes that allow passengers to zip through airport checks using a scan of their fingerprint.

Passengers, who volunteer for the pilot scheme, have to put a digital record of their index finger print onto an individual chip card. Using scanners and dedicated check-in lanes, biometric card holders will print out their own boarding pass and board the plane through an electronic gate which checks their print and the one on the card. Frequent flyers are set to road test the new technology.

In other fingerprinting news, the US department of Homeland Security is hoping to begin a new program in 2008 that requires all international air travellers departing the US to undergo a fingerprint scan during airport check-in. Airline staff are reportedly upset by the new scheme, arguing that fingerprinting passengers for security purposes is not in their job description.

Whilst one plan appears to fast-track check-in times, the other may make it significantly longer. Is fingerprinting the way of the future?