With Apple?s release of iOS 6 you can expect companies such as Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and undoubtedly other carriers to be supporting Passbook?s mobile boarding pass functionality at launch or soon thereafter.
With Passbook, you are able to scan your iPhone or iPod as mobile boarding passes at airport gates for airlines that support the feature. Passbook would even automatically display the boarding pass when you arrive at the airport. Which is pretty cool if you ask me.
A spokesperson for American Airlines reveals it will be ?rolling out an app update in the coming weeks in support of Passbook. In the meantime, customers can still access their mobile boarding passes in the current version of American?s mobile app.?
Delta and other airlines have not officially commented on the situation as of yet.
However, United?s logo is used in Apple?s photos depicting Passbook so it wouldn?t be a big shock if United is on board.
On the rail front, Amtrak?s logo is in Apple?s Passbook pics, as well.
There are some various reports stating that Virgin Australia is already supporting Passbook, which also stores movie tickets, loyalty cards and coupons, in addition to mobile boarding passes.
A Virgin Australia passenger was running a developers? preview version of iOS 6 on his iPhone, and Passbook detected his airline boarding pass and asked whether he wanted to store it in Passbook, Australian Business Traveler reports.
Passbook?s location-based features are geared to surface your mobile boarding passes when you reach the airport so there would be no fumbling around trying to dig out your boarding pass from some long-forgotten email.
?And if your gate changes after you?ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you?re not relaxing in the wrong terminal,? Apple states.
Some airlines might still be uncomfortable about Apple inserting itself with Passbook into the passenger-carrier relationship, but the early signs from American, Delta and Virgin Australia, at least, are that the advantages may outweigh such concerns.