A handful of carriers, including American Airlines and Continental Airlines, have started to let you skip the check-in counter or kiosk while helping the environment. And they’re using a business traveler’s best friend to make it all possible—the cell phone.
Boarding planes with the swipe of a phone is the fastest way in self-service check-in. To do that, you have to download a dedicated application, such as Flight Status for iPhone or WorldMate Live Gold for BlackBerry.
Travelers first check in through the airline’s mobile site on their phone’s browser; after checking in, you’ll see a two-dimensional, encrypted bar code on the screen. Airline officials can scan the bar code on your cell, both at security checkpoints and the gate. Despite its convenience, mobile boarding still has its drawbacks. For now, the U.S. airlines are offering the service just on domestic flights, and since only a handful of airports are participating, your phone can display only one boarding pass. Plus, it’s limited to direct flights. And mobile boarding passes aren’t time-saving for those who check luggage.
This is very interesting, but it raises questions about identity. Could not someone steal another person's phone and check-in with this false identity?
ReplyDeleteYeah. It is interesting question. Maybe RFID (MIS, haha...) could implant in the cell phone to prevent the identity theft. So the bar code has to also match other stuff you have.
ReplyDeleteVery cool. I haven't heard about this before. Which airports are offering the service? What is the timeline for widespread implementation? Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete