Delta Air Lines is turning the iPhone into a core travel document in 2025, rolling out upgraded boarding passes in Apple Wallet, digital passport IDs for security checks, and deeper links between passengers’ phones and the airline’s systems. Announced on January 7, 2025, during Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s CES 2025 keynote in Las Vegas, the changes could reshape how many people pass through airports in the United States and abroad, especially frequent travelers who already rely on their phones for most parts of their journeys.
Upgraded Boarding Passes — what changed and when
The most immediate change for passengers came on November 19, 2025, when Delta Air Lines switched on support for iOS 26’s new boarding pass experience in Apple Wallet.
- Instead of a static QR code that travelers open at the gate, the new Upgraded Boarding Passes live as Live Activities on the Lock Screen and Apple’s Dynamic Island.
- Flight details such as gate, boarding group, and departure time update in real time.
- From that interface, passengers can tap shortcuts to open airport directions in Apple Maps or track checked bags through Apple’s Find My system.
For many international travelers, this means far fewer paper printouts to juggle along with physical passports and visas.
Digital passport IDs, TSA rules, and limits
The move ties closely to Apple’s digital ID strategy and U.S. airport security rules. At Apple’s 2025 WWDC, a company spokesperson said:
“TSA has already approved the new digital ID as a legitimate form of identification that will allow you to pass through airport security checkpoints in most situations.”
Key points about the digital passport ID:
- iPhone users can add passports to Apple Wallet as a digital passport ID for domestic travel and use at supported TSA checkpoints.
- Apple emphasized limits: “While not a replacement for your physical passport, digital ID can be used for domestic travel and at supported TSA checkpoints.”
- Immigration and border rules are unchanged: physical passports remain required to clear customs and border control at U.S. ports of entry and foreign checkpoints.
- The TSA’s digital ID program, described on the agency’s official website, focuses on identity checks at security — not immigration inspection.
Confusion risks and visa handling
Airline and immigration lawyers warn that the split identity system (digital for security lanes, physical for cross‑border entry) may cause short-term confusion.
- Analysis by VisaVerge.com notes travelers who carry multiple immigration documents — visas, work permits, advance parole letters — must be careful about what can live on phones versus what needs to be presented as originals.
- Visa stamps and stay permits continue to be handled by border agencies and consulates, not Apple Wallet.
- The digital passport ID is best seen as a secondary tool that speeds domestic checks rather than a full replacement for traditional travel documents.
In-flight connectivity and practical benefits
Delta is also pushing in-flight connectivity for iPhone users, which has indirect benefits for people dealing with immigration issues while traveling.
- Delta Sync seatback screens, now on more than 330 aircraft, are designed to feel like smart TVs with personalized entertainment and real-time travel information pulled from Delta’s systems.
- As of fall 2025, fast, free Wi‑Fi (powered by Viasat and Hughes) is available on more than 930 aircraft, including routes linking the United States to Europe, Israel, West Africa, Latin America, and South Africa. Trans‑Pacific routes are due to follow in 2026.
Benefits for migrants, international students, and temporary workers:
- Always-on connectivity lets them receive time‑sensitive emails from consulates, immigration lawyers, or government agencies even while crossing oceans.
- Free Wi‑Fi enables logging in to government portals, checking case statuses, and uploading documents during layovers.
Entertainment partnership with YouTube
Delta’s CES 2025 announcements included a partnership with YouTube:
“Beginning today, Delta and YouTube are teaming up to bring two customer favorites together: Delta’s industry-leading in-flight entertainment and fan-favorite YouTube content.” — Ed Bastian
- YouTube videos, podcasts, and playlists now stream directly to seatback screens and personal devices.
- For many travelers this is improved entertainment on long-haul flights.
- For those in long processing backlogs, the same connectivity provides practical access to immigration portals and case management tools during travel.
Concierge — Delta’s generative AI assistant
Bastian positioned the 2025 technology push as part of a broader shift:
“Delta Air Lines is laying a fresh foundation… between a new generative AI assistant ‘Concierge’ to confirmed vertical takeoff electric aircraft arriving in the next few years with plenty of partnerships, there was certainly a lot of ground to cover.”
- The new Concierge assistant, powered by generative AI, will roll out in stages starting in 2025.
- Delta says Concierge will personalize travel for every passenger, not only premium flyers.
- Although not currently tied directly to immigration services, Concierge could eventually help travelers navigate transit rules, visa‑free entry limits, and connection timing in countries with strict border controls.
Touchless ID and biometric verification
On the ground, Delta is expanding Touchless ID for TSA PreCheck members, a system connected to identity verification that runs alongside immigration controls.
- Major hubs with Touchless ID include:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- New York‑LaGuardia (LGA)
- New York‑JFK (JFK)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- Washington National (DCA)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Eligible travelers can use biometric verification through the Fly Delta app to check bags and pass security without showing a physical ID.
- By the end of 2025, Delta plans to extend this to all its hubs and select other stations.
- The system uses facial recognition and stored government ID data, similar to some Customs and Border Protection deployments, but Delta’s use is focused on security and baggage, not formal immigration entry/exit checks.
Integration with Apple’s travel ecosystem
Delta is among carriers most closely tied to Apple’s travel products:
- The Fly Delta iOS app already sends real‑time flight alerts, pushes digital boarding passes into Apple Wallet, and stores basic travel documents.
- With Upgraded Boarding Passes active, the line between airline systems and Apple Wallet blurs.
Example risk and benefit:
- A traveler flying from Lagos to New York with a U.S. immigrant visa still needs to protect their physical passport and visa packet.
- Their phone can handle nearly everything else — boarding, gate changes, bag tracking — reducing the risk of losing paper boarding cards that sometimes contain sensitive personal information.
Government requirements remain unchanged
For governments and official travel processes, nothing announced at CES 2025 replaces core requirements.
- The U.S. Department of State continues to require in‑person applications, original documents, and secure biometric data collection as explained on its official passport information page.
- Delta and Apple’s changes sit on top of the existing system to potentially make the airport portion of travel smoother for those who already hold the right documents.
Passenger reactions and practical cautions
Passenger response has been mixed, highlighting convenience and potential pitfalls.
- Supporters appreciate carrying boarding pass, airport map, and baggage location on one device, and using accepted digital IDs for domestic security lines.
- Critics worry about phone battery failures during tight connections or border officials insisting on printed confirmations.
Important cautions:
- Apple Wallet and Delta’s systems are designed to work offline for stored passes, but immigration and security rules give final authority to human officers at checkpoints.
- Passengers are still advised to carry physical passports, visas, and any official letters, especially when crossing borders or handling complex immigration situations.
For now, the message from both Delta and Apple is that phones can take on more of the travel burden — but not all of it.
As Delta continues its 2025 rollout, the balance between physical documents and digital proofs of identity will remain delicate. Passengers should embrace the convenience where appropriate, while keeping original, official documents available for any situation that requires them.
Delta’s 2025 rollout centers on turning iPhones into primary travel tools, enabling iOS 26 Upgraded Boarding Passes, Apple Wallet digital passport IDs for supported TSA checkpoints, expanded Touchless ID at major hubs, and widespread in-flight Wi‑Fi. Announced at CES, these features update gates and boarding in real time and speed domestic security screening. Physical passports and visa procedures remain mandatory for customs and border control and should be carried for international travel.
