American Airlines Introduces New Touchless Check-In, In-Flight Wi-Fi Portal

Image: American Airlines flight prepares to land at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. (photo via Michael Valdez/iStock Unreleased)
Image: American Airlines flight prepares to land at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. (photo via Michael Valdez/iStock Unreleased)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 12:30 AM ET, Sat July 18, 2020

American Airlines is rolling out new technology designed to enhance the customer experience while keeping passengers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, the airline introduced a new touchless check-in experience allowing travelers to reach their gate without having to make contact with the kiosk screen.

Customers traveling domestically on a single itinerary who want to check luggage can simply indicate how many bags they plan to check on the American Airlines app or at aa.com. Customers can then scan their boarding pass, whether printed or from their phone, to automatically print the bag tags.

The new touchless technology will be in place at more than 230 airports.

The airline also recently began the phased launch of a new in-flight Wi-Fi portal, aainflight.com, which provides for a smoother sign-on process. Passengers can use their AAdvantage credentials and stored credit card information to purchase flight passes for internet access on flights equipped with Gogo and Viasat internet services; use their existing Gogo Wi-Fi subscription on Gogo and Viasat flights or purchase individual flight passes as a guest.

American eventually plans to introduce the American Airlines Wi-Fi Subscription Plan but will share additional details at a later date.

The airline continues to frequently disinfect aircraft and customer lounges as well as gate areas, ticket counters, service counters, baggage service offices and team member rooms. Still, American is not among those carriers blocking seats and limiting capacity to allow for better physical distancing on board this summer.


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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