How VeriFLY Works (And Can It Save You Time at the Airport?)

Traveling through an airport can be a hassle — especially with international travel. Between checking baggage, getting through security, and going through customs, the process can be very time-consuming. In addition, you might also have to provide the required information about COVID-19 vaccination status and other similar documentation, depending on your itinerary.

VeriFLY hopes to reduce the hassle for travelers and airport employees by providing a way to go through some screening processes before you ever get to the airport.

See how VeriFLY works and if it makes sense for any of your upcoming trips.

What is VeriFLY used for?

VeriFLY, created by identity assurance provider Daon, is an app designed to make it easier for travelers to comply with certain travel requirements, including COVID-19 and vaccination-related requirements. VeriFLY has been called both a digital identity application and digital health passport because it lets you upload important documentation, such as a negative coronavirus test result or vaccination card, straight to the app on your mobile device.

VeriFLY helps streamline specific processes at the airport where agents have to look over test results, passenger locator forms, vaccination certificates, or other pieces of information. Since you can upload this information into VeriFLY before you get to the airport, you can simply show you completed the VeriFLY process to the applicable agent — which is likely to be quicker than the agent manually reviewing individual paper documents.

This is similar to other services, such as TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, that can help you move through the airport quicker. If you travel often and want to save time at the airport, it might be worth looking into credit cards that offer TSA PreCheck or Global Entry as an included benefit. 

How does VeriFLY work?

VeriFLY is a free app available on both iOS and Android devices. If you want to use VeriFLY, you’ll need to download it and create an account. Then you can fill out a “pass” within the application for a specific trip. For example, if you’re flying to the U.K., you would create a pass for your U.K. trip. But you would need to create different passes for additional trips.

For each pass, you’ll enter your flight and passenger details and then upload the required documents. Separating the passes by destination allows VeriFLY to stay updated with the different travel requirements for each country. These requirements are constantly changing, but VeriFLY should stay current as changes are made.

Depending on your trip and the country’s testing requirements, you might have to input information or upload documents, such as:

• Passenger details
• Departure and destination airports
• Passport information
• Companion information (if traveling with others)
• Photos of you and any travel companions (taken directly through the app with your device’s camera)
• Negative COVID-19 test result
• Proof of vaccination
  
• Travel authorization (if required), such as the U.K. passenger locator form

Within 24 hours of your flight, you’ll likely have to review entry requirements for your destination and go through a pre-departure checklist in VeriFLY, which simply confirms certain things, such as having a valid passport and printed copies of necessary documents. At this point, you should receive confirmation that your pass is complete, which is shown by a green check mark. You can then show your completed pass to a check-in agent at the airport.

If everything works out, the check-in agent shouldn’t have to spend additional time looking over your documents — which would be the case for travelers without VeriFLY. This can simplify the verification process and reduce the time you spend checking in for your flight. However, it should be noted that VeriFLY is currently only accepted by certain airlines and in certain countries.

Which airlines use VeriFLY?

Unfortunately, VeriFLY is only available if you’re flying with particular airlines, which limits its usefulness. But if you often fly with airlines that use VeriFLY, this may not be a concern.

Here are the airlines that use VeriFLY:

• Aer Lingus: Supports all flights from Ireland to the U.S. (certain airports).
• American Airlines: Supports all international flights into the U.S. and many flights from the U.S. to international destinations, such as certain countries in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and South America.
• British Airways: Supports international flights from the U.K.  to international destinations, such as certain countries in the Caribbean, North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Japan Airlines: Supports flights from Japan to certain airports in the U.S., along with certain countries in Asia.
• Tradewind: Supports Tradewind flights from Puerto Rico.
• ZIPAIR: Supports ZIPAIR flights from the U.S.

In addition, VeriFLY can also be used with the Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), Seabourn Cruises, and Viking Cruises to help speed up the embarkation process.

FAQs

How to sign up for VeriFLY

To get started with VeriFLY, follow these simple steps:

1. Download the VeriFLY app from the App Store or the Google Play Store  
2. Open the mobile app and agree to the terms and conditions
3. Enter your full name and email address
4. Take a selfie

Bottom line

VeriFLY has received mixed reviews because of its inconsistent functionality and clunky user experience. However, when it works, it seems to work well for expediting getting information checked by airport employees. And since it’s free, you’re not paying anything to give it a try.

For additional ways to improve your travel experience, consider getting a credit card that comes with valuable travel benefits. These could include getting your application fee reimbursed for programs like TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or CLEAR — or sitting back and relaxing in an airport lounge with your complimentary Priority Pass access.

To get started, read our reviews of The Platinum Card^® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. For more options, check out our list of the best travel credit cards.

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