American Airlines Introduces
Mobile Boarding Passes
You can get your boarding
passes electronically on your mobile phones or PDAs. This eliminates the
need to present paper passes at the gate. Currently available at select
airports, the facility will allow travellers to just show barcodes on
their mobiles to enter.
According to American
Airlines, mobile boarding passes, which use a two-dimensional (2-D)
barcode, are being introduced for passengers departing on domestic
flights from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. On Nov. 17, mobile
boarding passes will be offered as an option for customers departing on
domestic flights from Los Angeles International (LAX) and John Wayne
Orange County (SNA) airports as well.
The mobile boarding pass
program is being rolled out in partnership with the United States
Transportation Security Administration (TSA). If successful in trial
cities, it could be extended to additional U.S. airports in the coming
months.
To use the mobile boarding
pass option -- either with the traditional desktop version of AA.com or
the mobile version -- customers must have an active e-mail address where
their boarding pass may be sent and an Internet-enabled mobile device
where the 2-D barcode can be received.
Additionally, during the
introduction of this feature, customers may list only one person in
their reservation and must be traveling on American or American Eagle
nonstop or same-plane direct to a domestic destination from Chicago, Los
Angeles, or Orange County. Domestic destinations include those within
the 50 United States, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto
Rico.
Process: When customers
check in for their flight using American’s Web site, AA.com -- either
the desktop or mobile versions -- they have the option to receive their
boarding passes on their cell phones or PDAs. If this option is
selected, they will get an e-mail with an Internet link to their
boarding pass. The mobile boarding pass contains a 2-D barcode that can
be scanned at TSA security checkpoints and at American Airlines gates.
At the airport, customers simply scan their cell phone or PDA screen
when going through Security (proper identification must be presented)
and when boarding, just as they would a traditional paper boarding
pass.
Customers wishing to check
bags can also use the new option by scanning the boarding pass on their
cell phone or PDA screen at American Airlines self-service machines,
ticket counters, or curbside check-in facilities.
Customers who check in
online and wish to print a paper boarding pass are still able to do so.
At the end of the online check-in process on AA.com, customers can now
choose how they would like to receive their boarding pass by selecting
either "Print" (customers can print the pass at that time, or use a
self-service check-in machine to print at the airport), "E-mail for
Print" (boarding pass is emailed and customers can print at their
convenience), or "E-mail for use on Cell Phone or Other Device"
(customers receive an electronic boarding pass via email on their cell
phone or mobile device, which would then be presented at the airport).
"Mobile boarding via AA.com
is the latest way American Airlines is making travel as easy and
convenient as possible, especially for our customers on the go," said
Mark DuPont, American's VP - Airport Services Planning. "Customers who
choose this option can bypass printing a boarding pass at their home,
office or even at the airport to board their plane. They can go straight
to Security and then to the aircraft."
Photo courtesy: American
Airlines
