British Airways is expanding the use of the Verifly app. The airline says that over 500,000 customers have successfully used the pass “to make sure they have the right documentation ahead of their flights.”
The opening up of US flights for UK and European citizens from November 8, 2021 will increase the use of the app and British Airways says that “the whole of its route network is covered by a functionality that allows customers to have their documents checked before travel by the end of the year.”
The app has been updated a number of times since first launching. Most recently the app has been adapted to extend its capability to read QR codes that appear on documentation such as vaccination certificates or the UK passenger locator form. Judging by comments on our own review, travellers are still encountering problems when they use the app.
The purpose of the app was, initially, to provide a document checklist for passengers and prevent them travelling to the airport without the necessary documentation for their journey. Travellers can upload any Covid-19 related documentation required for their destination, including vaccination records, negative Covid-19 results and government documents into the VeriFLY mobile app. Assuming these documents are accepted by the technology, they are then ‘verified’ before travel. This then lets customers know if they have met the appropriate Covid-19 entry requirements for their destination before leaving for the airport.
The airline says that it has signed a long-term agreement with Daon, the technology company behind Verifly.
Verifly is now available on all flights to North, South and Central America the Caribbean, Middle East, South Africa, Cayman Islands, Egypt and European destinations including Bulgaria, France, Croatia, Ireland and Switzerland, as well as on the majority of flights into the UK.
Anthony Allcock, British Airways’ Chief Information and Digital Officer, said: “We started working with Daon at the beginning of this year with one simple objective – to make it as simple as possible for our customers to understand and conform with different country entry requirements when they fly with us. Since then, we have worked with Daon to make it even easier, allowing customers to unlock online check in and automate approvals for digital documentation such as vaccination certificates or the Government’s passenger locator form, helping reduce complexity.’
The app can now handle multiple customers travelling on one booking reference, and Beitish Airways says that it is working closely with other airlines on the role that Verifly plays in multi sector journeys.
For countries that Verifly does not work for, customers can verify their Covid-19 documents through ‘Manage My Booking’ on ba.com and once verified they will be able to check-in online. Destinations include Hong Kong, Nigeria, Ghana, Singapore, India, Maldives and Pakistan, as well as a handful of European destinations.