Thursday February 11, 2021 - In response to tightening border controls by the UK government, British Airways has today announced it intends to increase its trial of the VeriFLY digital health app across all International flights operating into the UK.
The expansion, which will come in to effect from February 15, is designed to help those eligible to travel to navigate the changing entry requirements and facilitate a seamless journey by ensuring customers are ready to fly and have the appropriate documentation in place, before departing for the airport.
The trial is part of the airline’s ongoing work to explore digital health travel wallet and document verification solutions which help customers and support the government in ensuring conformance with the UK’s entry requirements.
The news also comes as IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac this week reaffirmed that it was working closely with IAG, British Airways’ parent company, on its IATA Travel Pass app which is being developed to launch in the coming weeks.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ CEO said: “We know that digital health apps and wallets will likely become commonplace when travel opens up again. We are exploring every available solution to support eligible customers and the UK government both during this period of limited travel and in preparation for a time when restrictions are eased, when we hope many more people will be able to resume flying again.”
VeriFLY can be downloaded to a mobile device is designed to offer peace of mind before travel by checking customers meet the entry requirements of their destination by providing digital health document verification and confirming eligibility. Use of the VeriFLY app will be optional and customers will also continue to be able to evidence they meet a country’s entry requirements at check-in.
The app has been pioneered by private software company, Daon, which also works with some of the world’s leading banking and credit card companies. The software will allow people to combine travel verification documents and Covid-19 test results in one place, ensuring travellers are fully compliant with the entry requirements for their destination before leaving home. Certified customers will be fast-tracked through the airport where specially designated desks will be available for check in.
British Airways had previously announced it would be the first UK airline to start trialling VeriFLY and customers have been invited to have the option of using it since February 4 on all flights from London to the US. Since then, the trial has been extended to offer customers on inbound flights to the UK from the US the option to use it.
American Airlines, British Airways’ joint business and oneworld partner, offers customers the opportunity to use VeriFLY when they are travelling to the US from all international destinations.
British Airways is simultaneously conducting a testing trial with American Airlines and oneworld on some routes from the US to the UK. The results of the trial will be shared with Oxford University, the trial’s academic partner, and with governments on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ends
Notes to editors:
*American Airlines US routes originally trialling VeriFLY were: Jamaica, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to Miami. From January 23, 2021 this was extended to any international destination to the U.S.
**British Airways US routes currently operating are New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, Miami, Washington, Houston and Seattle.
About a mobile travel health app
The use of a mobile travel health app is optional for customers, and will not be a mandatory requirement. British Airways does not determine what entry requirements are but assists customers in demonstrating eligibility to travel.
About Daon
Founded in 2000, Daon operates across six continents. Daon’s award-winning identity assurance technology successfully performs 100M+ authentications each day for iconic companies around the world protecting individual’s life savings, banking accounts and other consequential transactions. The company features a design philosophy that emphasises inclusion, privacy and ease of use. This empowers Daon’s customers and their users to best meet their needs and preferences.
Some of the iconic and innovative brands across the world, such as NatWest, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Standard Chartered Bank, Softbank, PNC and Atom Bank use Daon products for mission critical areas of their business, such as customer authentication. Many other companies and governments, such as Experian, Australia Post, New Zealand Government RealMe program, and Capitec in South Africa, use the Daon platform.
It was Daon’s pioneering methods of deploying digital identity solutions for border security agencies and high street banks that led to the creation of VeriFLY.
Daon is ISO certified for ISO 27001:2013 the international standard for information security management and the 27018:2019 extension for the management of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). The company is subject to rigorous security tests and privacy audits by some of the largest governments and commercial organizations globally on a monthly basis.
With global headquarters in Washington, DC, Daon maintains offices in Dublin, Belgrade and Canberra, Australia.
About IATA
For more information:
Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org
About VeriFLY
VeriFLY is developed and managed by the biometric authentication and identity assurance solutions provider, Daon. VeriFLY offers travelers a secure and simple way to confirm their destination’s COVID-19 requirements. After creating a secure profile on the VeriFLY app, Daon verifies that the customer’s data matches a country’s requirements and displays a simple pass or fail message. This simple message streamlines the check-in and documentation verification process at the airport before departure. The app also provides travelers with reminders when their travel window is coming to a close or once their credential has expired.
How do travellers use VeriFLY?
After creating a secure profile on your mobile device, the VeriFLY app will prompt you to confirm the details of your trip, including a) flight information, b) a negative COVID-19 test that fulfills your travel destination's requirements, and c) any required documentation. As you verify each required element for travel, the app verifies that your test matches your destination country's requirements and displays a simple pass or fail message. A traveller will thus have confidence that they meet the destination’s COVID-19 requirements before they leave their homes. This simple message will also help streamline the check-in and documentation verification process at the airport before your departure. The message also provides you with reminders when your travel window is coming to a close or once your credential has expired
