Comments on: A Warning About Mobile Phone Check-In

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:22:47 +0000

Great invention – really convenient. There’s other places that do it in this article:
http://www.atelier-us.com/emerging-technologies/article/airlines-adopt-cell-phone-check-in-for-paperless-boarding-pass

By: CF

CF — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:53:00 +0000

David – That’s good to know, but will Northwest or Delta accept that emailed pass as proof of travel to give you miles? That’s the real question.

By: David

David — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:31:42 +0000

CO’s Mobile application also allows you to e-mail a boarding pass. This should take care of nervous frequent fliers. ;-)

By: jt

jt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:25:31 +0000

Have had the same problems as Audit with Continental’s mobile check-in; in retrospect, I think I should have turned the backlight of my PDA to maximum brightness (as well as print a back-up paper pass). Oops. The irate passengers behind me would certainly have appreciated it, as I brought the elite access line at EWR security to a screeching halt.
Continental does appear to send the “boarding pass” as a web link that expires shortly after published departure.

By: Audit

Audit — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:59:07 +0000

I’ve had several problems with using Continental’s mobile check in. They always seem to have a difficult time reading the bar code on my phone.

Once, at security, it wouldn’t read at all so I was forced get out of line to go print the pass at a kiosk. Another time, my flight was delayed four hours. As we finally went to board, I tried to pull up the bar code only to find out that the mobile link was no longer valid. Apparently, the links expire after the scheduled time of departure. I then had to hurry to customer service to get a paper boarding pass.

It’s a nice idea, and I agree with Cranky that it could be very helpful when I’m traveling and do not have access to a printer. However, I’m going back to paper until they work out the bugs.

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:57:23 +0000

That’s pretty scummy of the US majors, not giving passengers any sort of paper trail.

Here in Japan, where the whole concept of mobile phone check-in started, you place the bar code under the scanner at the gate, and the machine gives you a little paper boarding pass right before you board the plane. It looks more like a commuter rail ticket than a traditional boarding pass, but it gets the job done as far as proving that you flew.

It’s particularly important since Northwest lets Japan-based WorldPerks members fax in boarding passes from any domestic flight (regardless of airline) for 500 free miles per segment…

By: CF

CF — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:02:26 +0000

Skinny – I believe they come in as an MMS message, so you might be able to forward it on, but there is supposed to be some sort of encryption. I’m not sure how that would work, nor am I sure that they would accept a forwarded text message. It’s more about airlines updating policies, I think.

Jennifer – Yeah, for Continental credit on Continental flights, you can submit electronically. This is an issue when you’re trying to get Continental credit on partner flights, like Hawaiian or (currently) Northwest and Delta.

By: John

John — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:13:04 +0000

That happened to us once. Now I just either print off a second set of boarding passes when my wife and I fly or make copies.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:08:28 +0000

That’s somewhat odd…. usually, if you have the e-mail receipt and confirmation with the ticket number on it, you can apply for the credits on Continental.com using the ticket number as the reference.

Since the airline will show the ticket has been flown, and everybody knows it has to be that traveler who flew the ticket, you should get credit.

Continental has always handled us quickly and easily this way.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:21:38 +0000

And rereading what I wrote I realize it might not make perfect sense. I was trying to say that the part of the boarding pass that you get to keep might not have the ticket number on it.