British Airways will begin trialling digital travel solution, IATA Travel Pass, on flights from Heathrow to Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland from June 1.
The app can be downloaded onto a mobile device directly from the app store. Once downloaded, customers will create a secure account and will be presented with the entry requirements for their destination. British Airways’ customers can then book a Covid-19 test with an approved provider* and the results will be automatically uploaded into the app by the laboratory.
The app then checks that a customer meets the entry requirements for their destination and will then notify the customer to let them know that they are ready to travel. The airline’s parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), has been working closely with IATA to co-develop the app that is now being successfully piloted by other global airlines, including British Airways’ sister airline Iberia.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said “We are committed to exploring ways to ensure that the customer journey is as frictionless as possible and sharing our learnings to help the travel industry take off again.
“We know that digital travel passes are part of the solution and they will also play a key role in offering those travelling the reassurance they need before they arrive at the airport. We hope to be able to offer a customer-friendly digital option for every British Airways international route that requires proof of government-mandated Covid status documentation.”
British Airways is also currently trialling digital travel app, VeriFLY, on routes to the US, France, Ireland, Barbados, Bahamas and Canada, as well as all inbound international flights. Once a customer has had their travel documentation certified through the app they will be able to check-in through either ba.com or the British Airways app and download their boarding pass before arriving at the airport.
The airline’s customers travelling to Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal can now also upload their negative Covid-19 test result and other documentation directly into ba.com for verification before travel.
What is IATA Travel Pass?
IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app that helps travelers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests and in future COVID-19 vaccinations.
IATA Travel Pass is built on verifiable credential technology, a new standard for digital identity that puts the individual in control of their data. Verifiable credentials allow individuals to hold identity documents (including COVID-19 test results), as digital ‘credentials’ in a secure smartphone ‘digital wallet’ app, and control when and with whom these credentials are shared. Unlike traditional identity models, the verifiable credential model is completely decentralised, meaning there is no data intermediaries and sensitive data is not stored on a centralised database.
