Can I add multiple passenger boarding passes from one Qatar Airways booking?

Each passenger needs an Add to Apple Wallet tap from their own boarding card screen. Some Qatar Airways app users have reported the Wallet button only worked for the lead passenger in older app versions, so the safer approach is to AirDrop the additional passes to the right phones after adding them.

Will the Etihad Wallet pass work at gates outside Abu Dhabi?

Yes. The pass carries the same IATA-standard 2D barcode the printed Etihad pass uses, so any gate scanner that handles Etihad mobile boarding passes reads it the same way. Local airport rules at non-hub stations may still require a printed copy in rare cases, so check the airport's mobile boarding policy before departure.

What if my booking only sends a PDF e-ticket and no Wallet button?

Bookings made through corporate tools or travel agents sometimes skip the airline's Wallet handover. The PDF still contains the same Aztec or QR barcode the gate scans. A pass app like NeatPass can read that barcode from a screenshot or PDF and create a Wallet pass with identical barcode data, with the original kept as a backup.

Emirates, Qatar, Etihad: Apple Wallet Boarding Passes

Q: Do Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad all support Apple Wallet boarding passes?

Yes. All three Gulf carriers issue mobile boarding passes from their iOS apps and offer an Add to Apple Wallet button after online check-in. Emirates also confirms Apple Wallet support on its mobile help pages, and Qatar Airways and Etihad publish similar app-based flows.

Q: Is a printed boarding pass still required for flights from Dubai on Emirates?

No. Emirates phased out paper boarding passes for most passengers departing Dubai in May 2023. Travelers receive the boarding pass by email or SMS at check-in and can show it from Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or the Emirates app. Exceptions include passengers with infants, unaccompanied minors, those requiring special assistance, US-bound passengers, and passengers connecting to other airlines.

Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad all support Apple Wallet boarding passes through their iOS apps. The flows are similar but each has its own quirks: Emirates phased out paper passes from Dubai, Qatar Airways has had multi-passenger Wallet bugs, and Etihad has supported Wallet since the original Passbook era.

This guide walks through the native flow for each carrier, explains where the policies differ, and covers the PDF fallback for bookings that arrive without an Add to Apple Wallet button.

Emirates Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

The Emirates iOS app puts boarding passes into Apple Wallet directly after online check-in. Emirates documents the flow on its mobile help pages and confirms that the pass works offline once added.

Paperless from Dubai since May 2023

Emirates phased out paper boarding passes for most passengers departing Dubai on 15 May 2023. After check-in, the pass arrives by email or SMS and can be shown from Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or the Emirates app. Exceptions still apply for passengers with infants, unaccompanied minors, those needing special assistance, US-bound flights, and connections onto other carriers.

The native Add to Apple Wallet flow inside the Emirates app is the cleanest path for most travelers.

Install the Emirates app

Download Emirates from the App Store and sign in with the Skywards account that holds the booking. Bookings without a Skywards account can be linked using the booking reference and last name.

Open the trip and check in

Tap the booking, complete online check-in, and confirm passport details. The boarding pass screen appears once check-in is approved.

Tap Add to Apple Wallet

On the boarding pass screen, tap Add to Apple Wallet. iOS opens Wallet with a preview. Tap Add in the top-right corner.

Repeat for each passenger

Multi-passenger bookings need one Add to Apple Wallet tap per traveler from each passenger's own boarding pass screen. AirDrop or iMessage works for sending passes to other phones.

Qatar Airways Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

Qatar Airways added Apple Wallet support to its iOS app years ago. After mobile check-in, the boarding card screen shows an Add to Apple Wallet icon directly under the barcode. The Privilege Club membership card can also be added to Wallet from the loyalty section.

Install the Qatar Airways app

Download Qatar Airways from the App Store. Privilege Club login enables faster check-in and stores frequent flyer details locally with Face ID or Touch ID.

Check in and open the boarding pass

Use the app's check-in flow when it opens: usually from 48 hours before departure, but from 24 hours before departure for flights to or from the United States. The boarding pass screen displays the barcode and an Add to Apple Wallet button below it.

Add to Apple Wallet

Tap the Add to Apple Wallet button under the barcode. The pass is signed by Qatar Airways and opens in Wallet with a preview. Tap Add to confirm.

Verify each passenger

Older Qatar Airways app versions had a known issue where the Wallet button worked only for the lead passenger. Confirm each passenger's pass added correctly, and update the app if any traveler's button stays inactive.

Multi-passenger bookings: verify each pass

FlyerTalk and Apple Community threads document cases where the Add to Apple Wallet button fired only for the first passenger in a Qatar Airways booking. Update the app, sign in as each passenger if booked under separate accounts, or AirDrop the pass once the lead traveler has added it. Always check that every passenger has a pass in Wallet before leaving for the airport.

Etihad Airways Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

Etihad Airways introduced mobile boarding passes through Apple's Passbook (now Apple Wallet) back in 2014, and the support has carried through every app version since. The Etihad iOS app handles check-in, the mobile boarding pass, and the Add to Apple Wallet handover. The Etihad Guest loyalty card can also be added to Wallet to display Guest Miles balance.

Install the Etihad app

Download Etihad from the App Store and sign in with the Etihad Guest account that holds the booking. Bookings without an account can be linked using the booking reference and surname.

Check in inside the app

Open the booking, complete online check-in, pick a seat if not already assigned, and confirm passport details. The mobile boarding pass appears on the trip screen.

Tap Add to Apple Wallet

On the boarding pass screen, tap Add to Apple Wallet. The pass is signed by Etihad and opens in Wallet with a preview before being added.

Optionally add the Etihad Guest card

From the loyalty section of the app, the Etihad Guest membership card can also be added to Wallet so the membership number is one tap away during travel.

Once added, the pass surfaces through a lock screen widget as departure or boarding approaches, which puts the barcode a double-tap away without opening any app.

What All Three Wallet Passes Carry

Across Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad, the Wallet pass holds the same information airport scanners need.

Flight and seat details

Flight number, route, departure time, gate, seat, and boarding zone where assigned

Standard 2D barcode

IATA-format Aztec or QR barcode that matches the airline's printed boarding pass for the same booking

Passenger and frequent flyer reference

Name as booked, plus Skywards, Privilege Club, or Etihad Guest number when linked to the booking

Boarding group and class

Cabin and boarding group as assigned by the airline, the same indicator a printed pass would carry

Where the Three Carriers Differ

The mobile pass works similarly across all three airlines, but a few practical differences matter at the airport.

Mobile boarding pass accepted

Emirates flights from Dubai for most passenger types as the default since May 2023
Qatar Airways flights from Doha and across the network where mobile passes are supported
Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi and most international destinations where mobile passes are accepted
Codeshare and partner-operated flights where the operating airline accepts mobile passes

May still need a printed pass

Emirates passengers with infants, unaccompanied minors, special assistance, US-bound flights, or connections to other airlines
Some non-hub airports for any of the three carriers that have not enabled mobile pass scanning
Last-minute changes that require an agent to re-issue the boarding pass at the airport desk
Codeshare segments where the partner airline issues the pass in a different format

Backup the pass before the airport

Phones run out of battery, apps crash, and a few non-hub gates still struggle with dim screens. A screenshot of the boarding pass, kept in the photo library, removes a stress point. Apple Wallet itself works offline once the pass is added, so airplane mode at the gate is not the issue.

Need a Wallet pass from a Gulf carrier PDF?

NeatPass makes it easy to convert any ticket, pass, or loyalty card to Apple Wallet.

Try NeatPass Free

When Only a PDF Arrives in the Inbox

Bookings made through corporate travel tools, online travel agents, or third-party portals sometimes drop the airline's Wallet handover and just send a PDF e-ticket or a check-in confirmation with the boarding pass attached.

The barcode on that PDF is the same Aztec or QR code the gate scans. A pass app like NeatPass reads the barcode from a PDF or screenshot and creates a native Wallet pass with identical barcode data.

Save the PDF on the iPhone

Open the airline email and save the boarding pass PDF, or screenshot the page that shows the barcode. Make sure no edge of the barcode is cropped.

Open NeatPass and import

Open NeatPass, tap the plus button, and pick the PDF or screenshot from the photo library or Files. On-device AI detects the barcode and reads flight details where it can.

Review the details

Check that flight number, route, seat, and passenger name match the original boarding pass. Adjust any field that needs fixing.

Add to Wallet

Tap Add to Apple Wallet. The new pass opens in Wallet and is double-tap accessible from the lock screen, with the same barcode the airline pass carries.

NeatPass works with every supported barcode format and offers several import methods, so even unusual e-ticket formats can land in Wallet.

When the Pass Does Not Behave

A few patterns repeat across all three carriers and are worth knowing in advance.

No Add to Apple Wallet button - The booking may have come through a third-party channel; the PDF fallback above covers this case
Pass not on the Lock Screen - Wallet may surface the pass as departure or boarding approaches; outside that context, open Wallet directly
Seat or gate change after adding the pass - Re-open the booking in the airline app, grab the updated boarding pass, and add it again; delete the older Wallet version to keep things tidy
Multiple passengers missing - Each traveler needs their own Add to Apple Wallet tap from their own boarding pass screen, or the pass can be shared via AirDrop

Once added, the pass works in airplane mode and on weak networks, which matters in busy international terminals where airport WiFi rarely cooperates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Convert a Gulf carrier PDF into a Wallet pass

Download

Three Carriers, One Wallet Pass Format

Across Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad, the cleanest path is the same: check in inside the airline app, tap Add to Apple Wallet, and the pass lands on the lock screen with the right barcode. Where the booking dodges the native flow, a PDF screenshot and a pass app close the gap.

For the PDF route in detail, read how to convert a PDF boarding pass. For European long-haul, see British Airways boarding passes in Apple Wallet, and Lufthansa boarding passes in Apple Wallet.