With Apple set to launch the iPhone 5 next week, and potentially iOS 6 shortly after, airlines are already starting to support one of the key features of iOS 6, Passbook. According to Australian Business Traveller, an Australian man running a developer preview of iOS 6 found that when he checked in for a Virgin Australia flight using the airline’s website on his iPhone, Passbook detected the checkin and offered to save the boarding pass.
For those that don’t know, Passbook is a new iOS 6 feature that acts as a virtual wallet and lets users ‘store’ digital passes, tickets, membership cards, gift cards, etc. right on their iPhone. This discovery can only mean that the new feature is in the advanced stages of development, with support from existing partners and the ability for the software to detect the checkin and act on it.
In addition to storing digital boarding passes, Passbook can also update users on changes like flight delays or concert cancellations through push notifications. Virgin has reportedly agreed to support the program, and United Airlines has also publicly committed to it as well, with other airlines to follow.
Who needs NFC in a phone when they have Passbook?
Source: Australian Business Traveller via MacNN
Image Credit: Australian Business Traveller
