Google Chrome for Android adds boarding pass detection

Google wants to streamline your travel experience by introducing a new feature in Chrome for Android designed to simplify access to boarding pass information. The addition of a flag in Chrome signals Google’s intention to automate this process with the aim of enhancing the overall user convenience.

This feature will allegedly utilize Google’s extensive list of airline URLs, enabling Chrome to scan open tabs for boarding pass data. While the primary focus seems to be on airlines, the potential impact could extend beyond flights to include other modes of transportation such as buses, trains, and monorails.

The ability for Chrome to detect boarding pass data comes shortly after Google added yet another useful feature that allows Google Wallet users to share boarding passes and event tickets with others even if they don’t have Wallet installed on their phones. The feature creates a link that can then be shared through email or using the various messaging apps on your phone. To further improve the entire travelling experience, Google is now looking to add boarding pass detection to Chrome so that you can easily get your boarding pass on any Android device you have.

As I pen this, boarding pass detection in Chrome is hidden behind a flag, meaning it’s still under testing. This was highlighted by AssembleDebug from GApps Flags & Leaks on Telegram, who discovered that Google added this flag to Chrome Canary in mid-November, but there are no traces of it in the latest stable version 119. The flag is accessible through the link chrome://flags#boarding-pass-detector on Android. At this point, though, it’s still unclear what happens once Chrome detects the boarding pass data. But it’s possible Google Wallet will be involved in some capacity.

Featured image: Google