United Airlines Will Let You Check-In With Just A Photo Of Your Passport

You Can Now Check-In With Just A Photo Of Your Passport

Airline security is obviously a contentious and serious issue - but at least one carrier is prepared to trust technology to try and make it easier to travel.

United Airlines has announced that it will now let customers on some flights scan their passports into their phone, instead of showing the actual document at the airport.

Under the new system, you take a picture of your passport using an iOS or Android app.

A third party company called Jumio then checks the document and makes sure everything is correct, before sending you a boarding pass to print.

You can even store your passport in the app for future flights, meaning next time you wouldn't even need to scan it.

The only stipulation is that customers who need to get a Visa to travel to their destination will still need to check in at the airport. Countries' own border controls will also still require passport checks. But this system at least means you'll have one fewer opportunities to lose your documents before boarding the plane.

“We are focused on building the most useful travel app for our customers,” said Mark Nasr, United's managing director of eCommerce. “The new passport scanning feature saves valuable time and provides customers with more options to control their travel experience.”

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