British Airways Trials COVID19 Document Certification on Flights to India

British Airways’ customers eligible to travel to India are now able to upload their negative COVID19 test results and other travel declaration forms directly into their booking on the airline’s website, in advance of travel.

The trial, which is running on all flights from London to India, will help certify that customers 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.

Three days before they are due to depart, customers receive an email directing them to the ‘Manage My Booking’ function on BA's website where they can find the relevant entry requirements, including a negative COVID19 test result and a digital declaration form. The customer will then upload each document via ‘Manage My Booking’ which will be certified by the airline within six hours to ensure they meet the entry requirements.

British Airways 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 COVID19 test results and / or proof of a vaccination if it is required by the government of the destination.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said, “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.”

See also: What is the IATA Travel Pass and what does it mean for travellers and the global travel industry? Exclusive video interview with Vinoop Goel.

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