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Phone as airline boarding pass coming to American Airlines

Categories: Announcements,
By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 9:13 PM

The US airline industry, with airlines still using decades-old planes and FAA air-control computers running less processing power than the smartphone that’s being used to write this post, isn’t exactly quick to adopt new technologies. But, they’re slowly starting to catch on.

In their search to attract more customers and streamline operations, American Airlines has announced that they’re shunning paper-based boarding passes and e-tickets in favor of using electronic boarding passes. The cellphone-as-boarding-pass program is now available to American Airlines travelers departing from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

American is offering eco-travelers looking to save a few trees and techie-flyers alike the option to use their mobile phone as an electronic boarding pass. Upon checking-in via AA.com (which now has a mobile version), American will email electronic boarding passes to customers with email-capable cellphones. These e-boarding passes contain barcodes that can be scanned by TSA security personnel and American Airlines gate-crews at O’Hare.

The move follows similar programs rolled out by Continental Airlines and Delta Airlines at select airports across the US. Continental launched their own electronic boarding pass program last year, followed by Delta’s own phone-based paperless boarding pass program earlier this year.

American says it will expand the program to American Airlines travelers departing from Los Angeles International and John Wayne Orange County airports starting November 17.

Now, with US airlines starting to finally embrace technologies like in-flight internet access and mobile phone-based boarding passes, we’re sure to see the FAA start to upgrade their antiquated air-control system. Right?

[Via: Chicago Tribune]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • Zak

    This already exsists in Canada as my older brother uses it all the time

    (as far back as the palm treo)

  • Will Park

    Wow, I can't believe it's taken this long to get this tech to cross the border.

  • Hassan

    I wonder how you get through security with a mobile boarding pass?

  • Zak

    I think my brother travels via West Jet when he goes in and out of Vancouver.

    It's called an "EPB" (electronic boarding pass)

  • KPO’M

    I noticed at ORD that they had some new scanners at the security desk that I suppose are for the bar codes. I am flying tomorrow so I’ll give it a try. Too bad they don’t have it at more airports yet.