United Airlines has become the first carrier in the US to allow passengers to scan their passports via its app for iOS and Android devices, enabling them to make use of mobile check-in for international flights.
Travellers can access the passport scanning feature when checking-in for international flights within 24 hours of the departure time.
After initiating the app’s check-in-feature, users will have the option of verifying their existing stored passport data or scanning their passport via the device’s camera. The passport is then verified by Jumio Inc., a credentials management company. Once this verification is complete, the customer can obtain their boarding pass.
Scott Wilson, United’s Vice President of Merchandising and E-commerce, commented: “We are focused on building the most useful travel app in the industry for our customers. The new passport scanning feature saves valuable time and provides customers with more options to control their travel experience.”
The carrier will now collect feedback during the testing phase of passport scanning functionality, with the goal of further improving the product and adding more passenger-friendly features to the app.
