Life in the Fast Lane: Flying with Verified Identity Pass
Steve Brill’s Verified Identity Pass is back in the press, but we’re not sure exactly why. The system has been in place at Orlando International Airport since July, and Brill hopes to expand it, though only San Jose International Airport has announced any firm plans to introduce Brill’s branded registered traveler system. The current publicity blitz should help: Slate might as well get paid for its coverage. Budget Travel Editor Erik Torkells takes the opposite tack, complaining that a registered traveler program is
yet another case of the baseline service being lowered: The average leisure traveler can no longer reasonably expect the kind of service he used to–unless he pays for it.”
Come now, Erik, business travelers have been paying for (and getting free) swag for decades, and you can’t expect broke airlines (and airports) to shell out money they don’t have.
This media blitz might be orchestrated by Brill himself, a former magazine publisher. Despite his past in print, he runs with big shots in multiple industries, and his contacts have surely helped make VIP a robust company. But two issues remain: the cost of Brill’s program ($80 a year) and its universality (it’s only available in Orlando, but Brill says 30-40 airports are lined up to join). We’re waiting to see what happens next.
Tags: Airport Security, News, News
Paul
November 28th, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Paul is with the office of the Chairman, Universal Music Group in Los Angeles.
He would like to secure information of the verified identity pass.
He can be reached at 310 865 4561 or paul.cooper@umusic.com