Alaska Airlines has launched Mobile Verify, a digital verification service that enables Alaska Airlines guests to remotely verify their identities to bypass airport check-in queues before international flights. The service is provided by Airside Mobile, which specialises in private, digital, identity-sharing technology.

US and Canadian passport holders using the Airside app will no longer need to present a physical copy of their passport to an airline agent for verification. Instead, guests can remotely complete this process prior to arrival, and as a result move through the airport lobby more quickly.

US and Canadian passport holders seeking to use Mobile Verify will need to download the Airside Digital Identity app on an iOS or Android device. They will then match a selfie with a scan of their passport photo page, before holding the smartphone against the inside of their passport’s back cover so it can read the embedded chip. From here, the app verifies their information and securely stores their digital ID on their mobile device until they choose where and when to share it. 

For an upcoming flight, passengers enter the departure city, date and Alaska confirmation code. After consenting to share this information, the app then alerts Alaska that they have verified documents for international travel and do not need to see an agent. While Mobile Verify only accepts US and Canadian passports upon launch, additional country ID documents will be added in the future.  

Alaska Airline passengers that do not want to use Mobile Verify can still access and speak with the airline’s customer service agents.  

“We’re reimagining the entire guest experience at our airports with the goal of getting you through the lobby in five minutes or less,” said Charu Jain, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Merchandising at Alaska Airlines. “We’re investing in technology that takes processes traditionally only available at an airport and makes them possible from your smartphone. This new Mobile Verify technology creates a seamless airport experience for guests traveling internationally – eliminating the uncertainty that comes with having to wait in airport lines.”