TLDR: Apple Watch works perfectly as a boarding pass for Delta flights.
I'm currently flying today with my Watch for the first time... thought others might want to know how it went.
I am flying Delta (currently somewhere over Wisconsin). If you're not used to flying Delta the first thing you should know is that they have an excellent iPhone App... so everything starts with downloading that bad boy.
Using the iPhone App you will want to get checked in the day before your flight (even if you are checking bags). This allows you to get your electronic boarding passes. Once you have those passes you can choose to load them into Passbook on your iPhone... do that.
On your Watch you have 2 different things:
1. The Delta App extension. This basically just shows you flight and gate information. Just informative.
2. Passbook. Make sure that Passbook on your Watch is set to mirror Passbook on your phone and then your boarding passes that you stored in Passbook on your phone will automatically show up on your Watch.
Here's where stuff gets cool. The morning of your flight you will get a notification on your Watch that gives you a shortcut to the boarding pass for your first flight. That notification can't be "dismissed". It will stay in the notification tray on your Watch, giving you one-swipe + one-touch access to your boarding pass at all times. Very cool and unbelievably simple.
Upon arriving at the airport if you're not checking bags just head straight for the security checkin-in. If you are checking bags get in the "Baggage Checkin" line and check your bags... but go ahead and decline getting boarding passes... you won't need them!
At the security gate simply hand the TSA attendant your drivers license... then lift up your wrist and go to the notification that has your boarding pass in it. Scroll down to the QR code so it fills the whole screen. Then just turn your wrist over onto the scanner. It worked perfectly for me.
One cool thing I've noticed about Passbook passes on the Watch: when you get to the QR/barcode it kind of "locks" into place, filling the screen. It also seems to raise the brightness of the screen up to maximum... probably helping the scanners read the code.
My TSA person waived me right through.
Now we get to one of the PITA things about the Watch. You gotta take it off to go through the scanners. I haven't worn a watch in years so this was new to me. I generally take everything off / out of my pockets while in line and put it in my backpack/satchel and that's what I did with my Watch. Not that big of a deal, just remember to do it ;-)
Once on the other side strap your Watch back on and fire up the Delta App on your Watch. It will tell you what gate to go to (and any other important information about your flight).
When it comes time to board the plane simply raise your wrist and grab the notification with the Passbook pass in it again. Scroll to the QR code, then, when it's your turn, flip your wrist down on the scanner. Simple, worked perfectly for me.
Honestly, even though I'm a frequent flyer and I love technology and my iPhone I've still been preferring to use paper boarding passes most of the time even though you have been able to use your iPhone as a boarding pass for a while. Getting out your phone and fumbling with the QR code never really seemed like that big of a boost over just handing the attendant a piece of paper. The only case where I always used my iPhone as my pass was if I wasn't checking any baggage... allowing me to simply go right to the security line.
However... the Watch makes the whole process so simple that I'm definitely going to use it from now on. I really don't know how it could be any easier...
I'm currently flying today with my Watch for the first time... thought others might want to know how it went.
I am flying Delta (currently somewhere over Wisconsin). If you're not used to flying Delta the first thing you should know is that they have an excellent iPhone App... so everything starts with downloading that bad boy.
Using the iPhone App you will want to get checked in the day before your flight (even if you are checking bags). This allows you to get your electronic boarding passes. Once you have those passes you can choose to load them into Passbook on your iPhone... do that.
On your Watch you have 2 different things:
1. The Delta App extension. This basically just shows you flight and gate information. Just informative.
2. Passbook. Make sure that Passbook on your Watch is set to mirror Passbook on your phone and then your boarding passes that you stored in Passbook on your phone will automatically show up on your Watch.
Here's where stuff gets cool. The morning of your flight you will get a notification on your Watch that gives you a shortcut to the boarding pass for your first flight. That notification can't be "dismissed". It will stay in the notification tray on your Watch, giving you one-swipe + one-touch access to your boarding pass at all times. Very cool and unbelievably simple.
Upon arriving at the airport if you're not checking bags just head straight for the security checkin-in. If you are checking bags get in the "Baggage Checkin" line and check your bags... but go ahead and decline getting boarding passes... you won't need them!
At the security gate simply hand the TSA attendant your drivers license... then lift up your wrist and go to the notification that has your boarding pass in it. Scroll down to the QR code so it fills the whole screen. Then just turn your wrist over onto the scanner. It worked perfectly for me.
One cool thing I've noticed about Passbook passes on the Watch: when you get to the QR/barcode it kind of "locks" into place, filling the screen. It also seems to raise the brightness of the screen up to maximum... probably helping the scanners read the code.
My TSA person waived me right through.
Now we get to one of the PITA things about the Watch. You gotta take it off to go through the scanners. I haven't worn a watch in years so this was new to me. I generally take everything off / out of my pockets while in line and put it in my backpack/satchel and that's what I did with my Watch. Not that big of a deal, just remember to do it ;-)
Once on the other side strap your Watch back on and fire up the Delta App on your Watch. It will tell you what gate to go to (and any other important information about your flight).
When it comes time to board the plane simply raise your wrist and grab the notification with the Passbook pass in it again. Scroll to the QR code, then, when it's your turn, flip your wrist down on the scanner. Simple, worked perfectly for me.
Honestly, even though I'm a frequent flyer and I love technology and my iPhone I've still been preferring to use paper boarding passes most of the time even though you have been able to use your iPhone as a boarding pass for a while. Getting out your phone and fumbling with the QR code never really seemed like that big of a boost over just handing the attendant a piece of paper. The only case where I always used my iPhone as my pass was if I wasn't checking any baggage... allowing me to simply go right to the security line.
However... the Watch makes the whole process so simple that I'm definitely going to use it from now on. I really don't know how it could be any easier...
