Delta phone app automatically checks you in for your flight

Modern air travel is full of hassles, but one of the most arbitrary is the check-in. Why do I have to manually confirm that I'm flying when I've already paid for tickets and chosen seats? A few airlines around the world have eliminated that drudgery, but now it's coming to a major American airline. Delta has updated its iOS app (there's no update for its Android equivalent yet) with automatic check-in -- you'll get your boarding passes 24 hours before takeoff. In theory, the days of frantic last-minute check-ins are over.

There are some questions, though. What happens if you want to change seats, or you realize you don't need to check bags after all? We've asked Delta for answers, but there is a chance that this could create problems for travelers who need to make last-minute changes. Even so, it's easy to see this feature spreading. This makes traveling a bit less painful if you're just confirming your original flight choices, and airline staff can breathe easier knowing they'll see fewer people scrambling to check in at the airport.