American Airlines has updated its mobile app to allow travellers to scan their passports and check in for flights.
Previously, advance check-in was cumbersome for international flights, with passengers being required to show passports upon arrival at the airport in order to complete the process.
Passports would have to be rechecked by airline customer-service personnel, even when travellers uploaded an image of their passport in advance of the day of flight.
American claims to be the first airline to offer passport chip scanning that securely transmits information directly from the Near Field Communication (NFC) chip embedded in passports.
“We are continuously adding features to our app to make travel easier and worry-free for our customers,” said Maya Leibman, American’s chief information officer.
“Mobile passport scanning removes a time-consuming step, providing our customers with a smoother check-in experience for international flights.”
Passport scanning is available on the app for both iOS and Android mobile devices.
