Digital travel passes to replace passenger cards on Qantas NZ routes and more to follow

Weeks after calls to scrap ‘embarrassing’ passenger cards for overseas arrivals, the Australian Border Force has announced it will test ‘digital travel declarations’.

Qantas will be the first airline to test digital travel passes for passengers on flights from New Zealand. Picture: AAP

Weeks after calls to scrap “embarrassing” incoming passenger cards for overseas arrivals, Australian Border Force has announced it will test “digital travel declarations”.

In the first instance, only passengers travelling with Qantas on flights from New Zealand will be able to use the digital pass for entry into Australia. Other airlines would be able to join the program as it progressed beyond the pilot stage, the ABF said.

Unlike the paper passenger cards that were typically distributed on flights into Australia or at the airport, the digital pass would be available to travellers to fill out 72 hours before flying.

An ABF statement said “engaging passengers before they travel would give them the opportunity to leave goods that are a risk offshore, potentially improving their experience on arrival”.

“Once completed, passengers will receive a digital pass through the app and to their nominated email, which will include a QR code that can be shown to ABF officers on arrival,” it said.

“Digitising the incoming passenger card presents opportunities to streamline processes, improve data quality, and offer a seamless experience for users.”

The pilot program would allow the ABF to receive feedback from passengers to help refine the product and shape expansion of the program for the passengers of other countries.

ABF commissioner Michael Outram said the initiative was the result of work by the trans-Tasman seamless travel group, which had brought together experts across government and industry to solve problems and innovate.

“The Australia (digital) travel declaration is the first initiative from the group and shows the power of a joint approach and leveraging expertise to modernise and improve the experience for travellers,” Mr Outram said.

“We are excited by the possibilities this pilot program can open up for the future traveller experience – both in and out of Australia – and as we prepare to welcome the world when Brisbane hosts the Olympics in 2032.”

The Qantas app will be tweaked to allow arrivals from NZ to use a digital travel pass.

Qantas chief customer and digital officer Catriona Larritt said the airline was “always looking at ways to innovate and create a more efficient travel experience”.

The announcement came after a report by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s tourism branch highlighted the backward nature of overseas passenger processing at airports.

ACCI Tourism executive John Hart said the paper cards and “so called smartgates” needed overhauling to streamline the arrival experience.

In response to the latest development, Mr Hart said it was “a great start and a good way to prove we can digitise the incoming passenger card”.

“Once this is established with New Zealand, it is an easy next step to extend to other countries,” Mr Hart said.

It was hoped the pilot would be more successful than a previous attempt to go digital during the Covid pandemic, which was such a failure it was quickly abandoned.

Australian Airports Association head of policy and advocacy Natalie Heazlewood said the pilot was welcome, and would hopefully lead to a wider rollout for international arrivals.

“A digital option helps provide a seamless travel experience that airports strive for, boosting efficiency and getting passengers moving quicker,” Ms Heazlewood said.

“Border processing can create delays in arrivals terminals, particularly when there are Border Force staffing issues or the kiosks are not working, and the AAA welcomes measures that improve these processes.”

Executive Traveller editor David Flynn said it was long overdue.

“It makes sense to start small and trial this on the Australia-New Zealand market, which has long been seeking frictionless movement between the two countries,” Mr Flynn said.

“Having the Australia Travel Declaration initially built into the Qantas app also speeds the ‘time to market’ for this trial, compared to the government building its own app and website.”