Amadeus and Lufthansa are testing the European Union’s digital identity wallet
Travelers will be able to check in, drop off their luggage, board, and choose biometrics with a single click or touch. The EUDI Wallet will enable airlines to simplify the travel experience. Amadeus is promoting its Travel Ready solution.
Services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay have transformed the payment experience by allowing consumers to pay online or in person with a single click or touch, making payments from a card stored in a digital wallet. Today, a similar one-click experience is being tested for travel.
Available to citizens in 2026, EUDI Wallet Wallets will be provided by member states to securely store identity documents such as passports and national ID cards, as well as payment methods and biometric profiles.
Over the summer, Amadeus and Lufthansa, two partners participating in the EUDI Identity Wallet consortium’s large-scale pilot project, successfully tested the wallet for online check-in and airport travel scenarios, such as check-in, baggage drop-off, and boarding. This fall, Amadeus will test its Travel Ready solution for digital travel document use cases, such as airport security and border control.
The end of physical documents
Overall, the EUDI Wallet is expected to improve the traveler experience in several areas. One example that immediately comes to mind is online check-in: rather than manually entering their passport information on an airline’s website, travelers can choose to provide the documents stored in their wallet with a single click.
This is followed by biometric check-in: with a single click or touch, travelers can choose to securely share their biometric profile, stored in the wallet, with an airline online or at airport checkpoints, eliminating the need to take a selfie or scan documents to use biometrics at the airport.
Identify yourself, but also pay
At the airport, instead of presenting physical documents, travelers can use their phones at check-in counters, self-service kiosks, automatic baggage check-in machines, lounge entrances, and boarding gates—if travelers have chosen to use biometrics, only a face scan is required.
At customs, in the future, rather than scanning their passport at electronic immigration gates, travelers can use their phone to securely share their identification information.
Finally, the wallet can also be used to securely pay for online services and at major airport retail outlets by accessing a registered payment card.
