Alaska Airlines Will Let You Verify Your Passport Before Arriving at Airport
Alaska Airlines announced a new partnership today that will let passengers securely verify their passport before arriving at the airport.
Every traveler leaving or entering the United States is required to have their passport verified by their airline. Beginning today, guests traveling internationally on Alaska flights and using U.S. or Canadian passports have the option to use the new Mobile Verify program. This means no longer needing to wait in line in the lobby or at the gate to have a customer service agent check your documents. You can take care of this step safely and securely from the comfort of your home.
Alaska says that eventually, guests will be able to flow through every airport touchpoint without having to take out identification documents, simply by controlling their digital identity on their smart phone. The Mobile Verify platform is just the latest tool to build this vision where everyone has access to self-service tools.
How does Mobile Verify Work
To get started, you need to complete a one-time setup process. First, you will need to create your digital identity, you only have to do this once during the lifespan of your passport.
- download the Airside Digital Identity mobile app on an iOS or Android device.
- take a selfie of your face.
- scan your passport photo page.
- hold your phone against the inside of the passport’s back cover to read the embedded chip.
The app verifies your information by scanning the photo page of the passport and reading the embedded NFC chip. Then, the digital ID is securely stored on your mobile device until you choose where and when to share it.
Then, before each trip, because you have already created your digital identity, there are just a couple steps. The Alaska app will prompt you to open your Airside app to:
- select your departure date and location.
- enter your confirmation code.
This gives a one-time consent to use your digital identity, which alerts Alaska that you have had your documents verified for international travel and do not need to see an agent. You’ll repeat this simple process for each international trip.
Customer service agents will still be around to help if you’d rather go the traditional route, or if you have any issues with this new option.
