Every US Airline That Supports Apple Wallet's Revamped Boarding Passes

If you're a longtime Apple user, you know the mix of anticipation and dread that accompanies any interface update. Oftentimes, the frustration of waking up to find your iPhone updated to the latest operating system is enough to turn any tech-savvy customer into a begrudging Luddite. iOS 26, for instance, was particularly contentious. Introducing the company's Liquid Glass redesign and a barrage of Apple Intelligence AI features, iOS 26 was the most dramatic shift in the company's operating system design since iOS 7. And while some hailed the system as ushering in the next era of Apple products, others were less impressed. Complaints ranged from finicky performance to battery-hungry.

Part of this redesign meant a series of shifts, changing both the aesthetics and capabilities of several customer favorites. One such revamp involved Apple's beloved Wallet application, which is beefed up with several helpful features to complement its new look. Apple's boarding pass system saw several changes, adding a host of new features. However, not every boarding pass is included in the update, as the Apple allowed individual airlines to decide whether to support the new application. To date, four North American airlines have rolled out revamped boarding passes, including Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines.

The first thing users are likely to see when opening a new boarding pass is its revamped look. Like other Liquid Glass applications that received a new design, Apple's new Wallet provides a more aesthetic experience that Apple claims is "more dynamic and configurable than ever before." One area of improvement is boarding pass's integration of popular Apple applications. For example, Wallet allows users to track luggage via the FindMy app. The application has integrated with Apple Maps, allowing users to navigate to, and within, airport terminals. An airline services and updates section at the bottom of the boarding pass enables travelers to customize flight experiences. In this window, users can adjust flight details, change seats, add baggage, or upgrade to priority boarding directly in the Wallet application.

A major capabilities shift is in the system's live updates. Integrating with Apple's flight services, the new boarding passes automatically update whenever a flight changes gates or experiences a delay, keeping an itinerary up to date. A new live activity feature shows users' flight information throughout a trip. Users can then share this information via Messages, allowing loved ones to track the progress of their flight. With this feature, users who add an updated boarding pass subscribe to the flight's updated flight status. Updates are automatically showcased on both the pass itself and the live activity feature. No more pestering your family members about arrival times when a flight gets delayed or trying to calculate how much time you have to clean the house before your a friend arrives for a cross-country vacation.

In addition to its boarding pass update, Apple has delivered several changes to Wallet that enhance the user experience. For travelers, updates like Digital ID allow travelers to create an identification card via their U.S. passport. Users can present this ID at TSA checkpoints and other accepting locations. Similarly, wallet has made it easier to securely verify user's identities when using web applications. According to Apple's developer page, "instead of requiring people to scan documents or take selfies, websites can reduce friction and abandonment by letting people complete verification with a user-friendly and simple experience." Such functionalities extend to the business side as well, as its ID Verifier functionalities allow organizations to securely verify a customer's identity without burdensome hardware.

Along the same lines as the boarding pass update, Apple has added several features to its ticketing practices. For instance, Wallet can now hold multiple events in a single ticket. This means that season ticket holders can easily manage a sequence, as each game or event ticket retains a "comprehensive event guide, seating information, and unique ticket management link" despite sitting in the same location in your Wallet. Apple also made it easier for developers to integrate tickets into Wallet's API, expanding functionalities to everything from loyalty cards to car rental passes.

As with Apple's integration of FindMy and Maps into its boarding pass experience, it's also expanding the functionalities of its Wallet application. For instance, Wallet's integration of Mail will allow consumers to track packages and orders. Using Apple Intelligence, Wallet can display key information about your order, including merchant names, tracking numbers, and shipping status. FinanceKit, meanwhile, allows financial management applications using Apple Wallet to share information.