United App Now Allows Passport Scanning for International Check-In

United Airlines became the first U.S. airline on Wednesday to allow customers flying internationally the chance to scan their passport using their mobile phone and be issued a boarding pass.

United has led the airline industry in mobile check-in since 2007, when it became the first in the country to introduce mobile boarding passes. Today, United is the only U.S. carrier to accommodate mobile boarding at all of its U.S. destinations and dozens of its international airports.

The convenience of mobile boarding passes and automated self-boarding gates is clear, but for international travelers there has been a hitch in the system — passports must be verified before boarding passes can be issued. This has effectively curbed the ability to use mobile boarding passes for international flights. On Wednesday, United updated its popular mobile app, which may have solved the problem.

United is testing a system that allows passengers with iOS or Android mobile devices to scan their passports up to 24 hours before an international flight. Once the passport is verified, a mobile boarding pass can be issued. The technology works in a similar manner as using a mobile device to scan a check for a bank deposit. Passport authenticity is verified by an independent document management firm in a process that is expected to take less than 5 minutes. Travelers who have previously scanned their passports into the system have the option of verifying that the stored passport information is correct and current.

Passengers will still need passports on their person for security, customs and border control and those requiring travel visas will continue to check-in at the airport.

[Photo: United]