NPR: Will Cell Phones Replace Boarding Passes?

Will Cell Phones Replace Boarding Passes?

For several years now, air travelers have been able to skip paper tickets and use an "e-ticket," which allows them to get boarding passes printed right at the airport.

But what if you could skip this step? Just go straight to security and head to your plane? It could happen sooner than you think. On Thursday, the International Air Transport Association announced plans for travelers to check in using their cell phones or other mobile devices.

Mobile phone check-in enables airlines to send 2D bar codes directly to a passenger's mobile phone, personal digital assistant or smart phone. Passengers simply register their mobile number with their airline at the time of booking to receive a text message with a 2D bar code, or instructions to download it. The bar code becomes the passenger's boarding pass and it is read directly from the screen of the mobile device, eliminating paper completely from the check-in process.

The industry wants to have this in place by 2010 and hopes to save $500 million annually.

Marketplace's Jill Barshay reported on Day to Day that this system is already in place in Japan, and Air Canada has just started to use it. But the Transportation Security Administration will have to approve it in the United States. Continental Airlines has just begun trials with TSA to see how it works.

The airline industry says it will try to give back some of the potential savings to customers, but Barshay says "seeing is believing" on that statement.

That's all for this week. If you see anything interesting over the weekend, drop us a line at newsblog@npr.org.

4:39 PM ET | 10-12-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Very nifty and convenient no doubt for those who own cell phones. BUT what about those of us who do not own or desire to own such technology. Will we have to stop travelling by air?

Sent by Joseph | 4:29 AM ET | 10-13-2007

What!
Is everyone totally nuts?
Hitler would have loved our abdication of ever more power to an unchecked executive.
I. Air traffic control is moving to GPS systems which are based on satellites that can be turned off or modified INSTANTLY by the current resident of the White House.
II. Communications satellites (ditto)
III. Add in previously established the total ability to monitor email and phone converstations totally unchecked----------
Well maybe you see my point about potential for totalitarian abuse of authority.

Sent by Joe Smith | 9:02 PM ET | 10-14-2007

So all someone would have to do is steal your mobile phone and they could board the plane as you?

Yeah - that sounds safe. Because mobiles never get lost or stolen...

Sent by Emily | 4:55 AM ET | 10-15-2007

Send a Comment

Comments are reviewed and edited by NPR prior to display. All comments will be read, but not all will be posted.

NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.

E-mail this Page

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No
Please send me updates from NPR.	Yes No

(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)

Tom Regan

Blogger

About Us

This year's election cycle has been one of the most exciting in memory. At the NPR News Blog we'll do our best to bring you interesting, informative -- and controversial -- stories from our own reporters and bloggers, as well as the rest of the best of the Internet and blogosphere. And we hope you'll let us know what you think as well.

Want to learn more? Be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions and our discussion guidelines.