Andreas Sjöström, a Stockholm-based technology consultant, recently boarded a SAS flight by waving his hand at the electronic gate.
Here's what happened, in the words of a blog post he published today:
"A few weeks ago I had an NFC chip implanted into my hand, just beneath the skin. While I am certainly not the first person to have an NFC implant, I am probably one of the first travelers to pass through Stockholm Arlanda airport, through security, at the lounge, and finally through the gate to the aircraft, using only the chip in my hand.
My NFC chip contains my Scandinavian Airlines EuroBonus member ID, and since the airport has NFC readers all the way from security to the gate, I can use the chip instead of ordinary boarding passes."
Here's a video to show and discuss the experiment. It was done in collaboration with SAS and Sjöström's employer, tech consultancy Sogeti.
To be clear, Sjöström had the implant injected into his hand through a large needle. Needless to say, SAS has no plans to offer this as an option for passengers. But the stunt does open a potential window into our shared futures.
This story was first reported by Mic, which has additional interviews: "This Is the First Man to Board a Plane Just by Waving His Hand"
Source:Andreas Sjöström's blog: Boarding a flight with an NFC implant