Back in 2004, Southwest began allowing people to
print their own boarding passes instead of trade-in a confirmation for one at the airport. Now, in keeping with the ever-evolving mobile market, they have rolled out a test in some Texas locations letting some people show the boarding pass
on their smart phone and check in that way. It's not a huge deal, but it certainly is a convenience.
If I'm on Southwest, wherever I end up I have to take time out of the visit to print out the boarding pass, which is a major extra step, since I use the phone to check in in the first place. Hopefully this will be something they roll out on a national level. The image below is an example taken from the linked Cnet article.
This has helped me a great deal. I have a very bad memory and I have many times thought that I had printed out my boarding pass and had it with me, only to get to the airport and figure out that I don't. Most of the time I had to wait in line to get a boarding pass printed out but now with this handy dandy new way, saves me time and it is the best thing ever. I also hope that more airlines do this soon. I know they will all eventually go green but the question is when. Hope it is soon,
ReplyDeleteI think that Southwest Airlines, definitely needs to roll this out throughout the country, as other airlines already have. I have flown a couple of other airlines that currently use this technology and was shocked when Southwest Airlines had not implemented its use yet. It makes it so much easier on the passenger. Southwest can also promote the fact that they are going "greener" by reducing the amount of paper used to print out the boarding passes. One per passenger, per flight, adds up quickly.
ReplyDeleteI think that Southwest needs to hurry in having this form of boarding pass for every flight. It would be so much easier for people to board their plane by using their phone as their boarding passes, because no one every forgets their phones, but do forget to print out their boarding passes. Like you said, if you can check in on your phone for your flight, you should be able to board you flight from having your boarding pass on your phone.
ReplyDelete-Shane Booth
I don't fly anywhere, or I haven't flown in quite a few years. But this sounds like it could help many people that do fly on a regular basis. I can imagine the frustration from people when they need to dig for their boarding pass, and what a hassle it could become. Hopefully other airlines will follow in this idea.
ReplyDeleteMya Taylor
I haven’t flown Southwest in a long time. In the past few years, their rates seem much higher than they were in the past, so I whenever possible, I fly JetBlue. (JetBlue is easily the best flying experience I have ever had) JetBlue has offered this service since last year, but keep forgetting to use it. If you scan coupons with your phone at the grocery store, and scan your phone to pay for coffee, why not use it for boarding passes; it makes perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteI first saw this technology in 2006. It was being used by Lufthansa all throughout Europe. You could pull up the email that contained your flight information and it had a QR code in it that was scanned by a device as you went through security. I don't see why airlines or TSA have been avoiding using such a technology which could aid in security.
ReplyDeleteI always try and fly Southwest. They always have great customer service and their flights aren't just on time they're usually always early which is nice when traveling. Being able to check in with your boarding pass on your phone would be very convenient for most people, but I still think they should have an option to check in the regular way with a person at the Southwest check in.
ReplyDelete-Kristen Lalli
I really do like Southwest Airlines. I always fly with them when I am traveling. I think that this is a great thing and they need to get going on getting this app out. It’s the same thing that Geico has with their ID cards on the phones. People today want instant gratification and being able to pull up your boarding pass on your phone will help fully that want. I agree with you saying that if people are able to check in for their flights on their phone they should be allowed to use their phones for their boarding pass.
ReplyDelete- Stephanie Theobald
This is a great idea and will help reduce travel time and stress. It is just like when you purchase your movie ticket online. You just show them the purchase info on your phone and they give you your ticket. The only thing that I can see as a problem is the security risks that would be involved.
ReplyDeleteThis would make many people happy, including me! Every time I travel since I'm usually going out of the country I have to constantly check my purse and make sure I didn't left my boarding pass on same table. It also sucks that every step you take you have to show them your papers to be able to board. It should be available to everyone with a smart phone to have that advantage. However I wonder if they would have a secure way to make sure that person is in fact supposed to be on the plane or has a fake functioning boarding pass. Still, I think it would save a lot of time even if they did it just for national flights.
ReplyDeleteSouthwest is really the epitome of convenience. Fair prices, easy check in, and now I can be paperless. I am good with that! What a great idea since as you stated, you use your phone to check in; may have even used to it to buy your ticket. A barcode prints on your ticket so you would think they can include it in their email and just scan that as you board the plane. If retailers can scan your phone, airlines should too. It’s all about convenience and as stressful as travel can be, this added convenience would make the experience even better! It will be interested to see what other airline companies do after Southwest’s test phase takes off.
ReplyDelete-Bridget Towery
If I am not mistaken, I thought you could print your boarding pass with other airlines as well, but I could be thinking of a confirmation code instead. I'm not sure why more people haven't implemented this sooner. Smart phones have become such a big part of our lives that you would think something like this would have been made a long time ago. I can see each airline having their own app where you can check in to your flight and also show TSA your boarding pass as well as at the gate. I don't see how this would be different from a paper boarding pass when you have to show your ID card anyway. Since I try to travel with only a carry on bag I have no real reason to go to the desk unless it is to get my boarding pass. So this would help save a lot of time.
ReplyDeleteSouthwest is behind their competition since they are just now rolling out this feature. Delta has been doing this for a while and is one of the reason why they have gained a lot of popularity. It is only a matter of time before Southwest lets more locations accept the mobile boarding pass because with so many flight being offered, this will also be a convenience to themselves as well the customers.
ReplyDeleteI don't fly much but when I do I'm sure I would use this. It seems simple but yet efficient. You don't have to worry about remembering where you put it. We are all pretty connected to our phones. It would save paper which is always a good thing. I hope the airline I fly for summer vacation has it set up for use already. Look forward to trying it out. Anything that can help simplify things is great.
ReplyDeleteWhen I flew Delta last year I was able to check in via my smartphone, it was quick and convenient. I do like having to stand in line to use the kiosk booth to print my boarding pass, and having to input all the necessary information to get the boarding pass. It is good to know that Southwest is rolling out this new feature which will making getting your boarding pass more effcient.
ReplyDelete