You Can Now Check In And Board AirAsia Flights Using Just Your Pretty Face

Ask anyone what they hate about boarding a plane, and they'll very likely reply the hassle of checking in at the terminal.

You would have to hold your passport and boarding pass with one hand, while juggling your backpack and carry-on bag with the other and OMG, the stupid long queue.

Needless to say, the whole boarding experience can be quite a nightmare, especially if you're travelling with kids or in a large group.

AirAsia knows your pain, and they are doing something about that.

The low-cost airline has just launched the region's first ever facial recognition boarding system.

Called the Fast Airport Clearance Experience System (FACES), this new system enables travellers to clear the whole check in process without a boarding pass.

When it's all said and done, AirAsia said it will only take between 1.5 seconds to four seconds to clear a single passenger, and the overall boarding process for a full flight of 180 passengers will only take between nine to 11 minutes.

The airlines also added that the system currently has a 98% success rate (the other 2% probably has a face problem).

That's actually pretty impressive.

However, there are a couple of limitations to the system.

One, FACES will only work with adults aged 18 and above. Those below the age of 18 would still need to check in manually as their facial features are not fully developed yet, and this would affect the reliability of the system.

Two, you would still need to print out your boarding pass as it is a standard security procedure set by the authorities.

And three, and probably the biggest limitation of all; FACES is currently only available at the Senai International Airport, Johor. But fret not; AirAsia has assured Malaysians that they will be introducing the system nationwide in the near future.

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Here's the good news, though: according to AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, you can now register your face on the AirAsia app.

Just head over to your profile page on the app, click on the 'MY FACES' tab, record a short video of your mug and submit a copy of your passport.

Once that's done, you need to do a one-time verification process at the airport and in just 30 seconds, you could be breezing through the boarding process.

Anyone giving this new FACES thing a try? Let us know how it goes in the comment section below.