British Airways is moving ahead with vaccine certification for travel as it trials this on flights to India.
The trial of the new process is now taking place for passengers travelling to India. They are now able to upload their negative COVID-19 test results and other travel declaration forms directly into their booking at ba.com, in advance of travel.
The new initiative is being trialled as part of British Airways’ efforts to simplify the departure process, as it prepares for the return of international travel.
The trial is taking place on all flights to India from London and in the process, it will certify that passengers have the correct documentation needed for their flight before they arrive at the airport, allowing them to check-in online and avoid queuing in the terminal.
Directly upload documents on the website
Three days before they are due to depart, passengers will receive an email directing them to the ‘Manage My Booking’ function on ba.com where they can find the relevant entry requirements, including a negative COVID-19 test result and a digital declaration form.
Then the passengers will have to upload the required documents, which will be certified by the airline within six hours to ensure they meet the entry requirements.
The flag carrier of United Kingdom aims to roll this trial out to more destinations over the coming weeks and is also working to add this functionality for those destinations to its British Airways app.
This will enable customers to securely upload the documentation for their booking directly from their mobile device, which could include negative COVID test results and / or proof of a vaccination if it is required by the government of the destination.
Sean Doyle, Chief Executive Officer, British Airways said:
At British Airways we are preparing for the meaningful return to international travel in the coming months. This means doing everything we can to simplify the journey for our customers, allow them to travel with confidence and create the best possible seamless, frictionless experience in a new Covid era. We know that innovation and technology hold the key to unlocking international travel. We are already offering access to travel app ‘Verifly’ on selected routes and IAG has been helping develop ‘Travel Pass’ with IATA. Now it’s also time to look at what we can offer through our own website. The key benefit of customers being able to upload the correct travel documentation into their booking, is that it enables them to check-in online, speeding up the airport process. We are continually exploring the best possible options to help our customers return to the skies, safely.
Featured image by British Airways
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