British Airways last month started piloting a program in which it issues boarding passes without requiring any action from the passenger.

BA claimed it could become the world's first airline to provide such an "automatic" check-in service. Using technology developed in-house, BA initially is conducting the trial among selected passengers traveling from airports in France. A boarding pass with an assigned seat is sent electronically to the traveler 24 hours before departure, and passengers drop off any checked baggage in the usual way. BA said it would extend the trial next spring and is targeting a systemwide launch by the end of 2013.