Alaska Airlines Offering VeriFLY Digital Health Passport for International Travel

Alaska Airlines passengers arriving in the U.S. will be able to streamline their required COVID-19 documents using the VeriFLY app beginning Friday, February 5, the airline announced on Thursday.

The free and secure third-party app offers travelers expedited check-in and verification for their arrival to the U.S. so they can meet the latest entry requirements established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last month. As of January 26, all U.S.-bound air travelers age 2 and over must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of departure and complete a health attestation form.

The VeriFLY app is essentially a digital health passport similar to Alaska Airlines’ Pre-Clear program that allows for real-time verification of COVID-related credentials such as health questionnaires and test results.

Guests can store proof of their negative COVID-19 test and their health attestation form in the app as well as documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the event that they’ve contracted the virus.

Travelers can take advantage of the new VeriFLY option by downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play at least seven hours prior to departure and registering a user profile complete with a photo. From there, users must browse the app to select their country of destination and add in their inbound flight details. This will generate a pre-travel “to-do” list that includes all of the necessary requirements. Users will complete the to-do list by uploading their health documents and completing any required forms.

If the information is correct, users will receive travel pass verification, which can take up to six hours. Finally, travelers arriving at the airport will present their certified VeriFLY profile to an Alaska Airlines agent and continue with normal check-in for their flight.

Earlier this week, American Airlines announced it has expanded VeriFLY access, revealing that customers traveling from all of its domestic airports to eight countries—including the United Kingdom, Canada, Jamaica, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala—have the option to use the free app as of February 3.