Qantas adds Apple Passbook support for iPhone 5 mobile checkin
By David Flynn, November 27 2012
Qantas is joining the growing number of airlines backing Apple's Passbook technology for mobile boarding passes.
Starting today, Qantas travellers who complete domestic check-in on their iPhone will be able to add their mobile boarding pass to their Passbook app.
Just follow the mobile check-in process as you ordinarily would, and watch for the Add to Passbook button to appear at the top of the mobile boarding pass.
This will add a boarding pass – colour-coded to match your Qantas frequent flyer status – for that flight into Passbook.
The Passbook app is a 'digital wallet' capable of storing boarding passes, movie tickets and membership cards, and is built into the iPhone 5 as well as being available on earlier model iPhones which have been updated to Apple's latest iOS 6 software (however, Passbook isn't in the iOS 6 available on iPads).
“The overwhelming majority of our customers who use mobile check-in do so via an iPhone” notes Samantha Taranto, Executive Manager Domestic Customer Experience.
A Qantas spokesperson says the airline is "working on further developments to the app which will enable live updates to the boarding passes. We expect that this extension will be in place by late January 2013."
Other airlines which have rolled out Passbook support include Qantas partner American Airlines, Virgin Australia, United and Delta.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
19 Sep 2012
Total posts 9
Cue the posts complaining about how Qantas is neglecting Android/Windows Phone/Symbian/WebOS devices
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 May 2012
Total posts 581
How is it neglecting those platforms when they don't support Passbook?
They still support Mobile Check-in, of which Passbook is just an extension.
21 Feb 2012
Total posts 40
including this one? :P
Windows Mobile users can't complain, they have a much better app than iOS or Android
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2549
Agreed! The Qantas Windows Phone app is amazing, it raises the bar for the airline's anemic iPhone app (which admittedly is more for frequent flyers than travelling per se).
Earlier this year Qantas told us that an improved iDevice app was on the way and hinted at an Android app too, but we've heard naught since then...
21 Feb 2012
Total posts 40
Completed my return flight to Perth yesterday. Would've loved to test it out.
Ah well, will check it out next time I fly. (mid december)
27 Nov 2012
Total posts 1
How about the Qants Club members who are below Gold?
27 Nov 2012
Total posts 2
Azzaau, Qantas Club Bronze and Silver members still get their personalised boarding passes, although not displayed on the screenshot above.
04 Nov 2010
Total posts 671
You get a crayon scribbling on a piece of butcher's paper.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3020
Do you need to be a Qantas Frequent Flyer to use this facility?
27 Nov 2012
Total posts 2
No, you don't have to be a Fequent Flyer member. This is available to everyone that checks in using their iPhone (iOS6).
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