Southwest app and NFC passport scan?
 

Wondering if swaMark could comment on this?

I recently used the AA app for an international trip and was able to verify my passport in the app using NFC. Because if this I received a boarding pass immediately and didn’t have to show up early at the airport to get it verified. This saved hours of time and hassle.

This would be fantastic for the leisure international routes that Southwest serves.

Thanks for sharing @ymx.

I agree, I would love to make it possible to get a boarding pass for international travel without going to the airport as well as improving the international check-in process. It is quite cumbersome today. We've been looking into making it happen a few different ways including biometric identity validation as well as steps like this to ensure the passport is easy to add without manual transcription.

Ultimately we have to do some back-end work as well as some front-end work to both fully automate the passport entry step, allow it for storage in your account and change the airport validation procedure. Rest assured though, our Customer Experience Team is working on all things related to improving the experience and choosing the items that have the most impact to make your travel experience smooth and easy.

I'll make sure to pass along this feedback to them as well. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and thank you so much for supporting Southwest.

In all fairness to WN - this would less of a priority than carriers like AA. Mainly due to the low number of intl flights.

Alaska, Spirit & Frontier offer it. All have domestic-focused networks. SWAMark flagging international check-in as "quite cumbersome" is frank and forthright.

Agree about prioritization. AFAIK, Southwest is still working on connectivity to corporations, government agencies, and TMCs through global distribution system (GDS). They can see Southwest's flight schedules but have [had] limited capability for servicing bookings.

The technology is old as the hills. I fully appreciate that WN does not have an HVC international network, but this is now a health issue as it is yet one more choke point where maintaining social distancing and keeping everything is touch-free really matters. If AS, NK & F9 can do it, there is a pretty low bar.

Also perplexing considering WN BOUGHT an international airline, AirTran, many years ago :confused: And took several years to fully incorporate the operations and processes :rolleyes:

I thought they also migrated their bookings to a new Amadeus system used by several airlines which should also have this capability.

There is also the old-fashioned method (which likely requires an extra agent at the gate). One presents one's BP and passport to an agent at the podium and it is stamped "Docs OK" or something similar. Works like charm and the stamps can likely be bought on Amazon for $2.