Mobile Boarding Passes are coming

Mobile Boarding passes are being trialled from today for flights ex-MAN, and will be rolled out to LGW and then LHR in the coming months.

Because it's a trial it's only open to passengers checking in singularly at present.

Another step in the right direction I feel! ^)

[Neil]

This is one of the things I'm not sure I like, long term I mean.

What happens when you are abroad and aren't able to receive data?

Will every pax require a mobile device to have their own boarding pass (obviously not feasible for all families etc), or will you be able to have multiple passes on one device.

It will cause more faffing when going through security, and mean you have to have your mobile on you? At present I keep mine in my carry on while going through security so less chance of losing/forgetting it

Assume duty free type shops will accept a mobile boarding pass?

I know mobile is the way forward, and while it will no doubt be easier and save the airlines money, I just see many potential issues and complications for the pax.

[Darren Wheeler]

Plus many people like to keep their stub as part of their memories.

Hopefully not compulsory.

I'm all for progress and anything that removes the need to carry suitcase full of paperwork around on holiday, can only be a good thing in my books.
I think though, that a lot of people will still opt to have a paper boarding pass, just reading the various posts regarding online check in, the consensus seems to be that people use the online check in, but still have their tickets printed at the airport ?|

You'll still be able to print off your boarding pass or collect it at the airport as normal if you wish (I think Mobile has replaced the current Fax options).

Time will tell I guess!

Good news, if you can store your mobile BP in something like TripIt for example (where I put electronic documents of all travel bookings, flights, hotels, cars, etc.) that would be great - I've managed to move mostly digital and while I understand printed BPs are nostalgic, they're just another thing to lose nowadays.

Excellent news. I've used the BA mobile BP and it was excellent.

[mitchja]

All boarding pass bar code scanners will work with either printed on phone screen barcodes but it only takes a dodgy scanner or a dirty phone screen and this slows everything down as the member of staff then has to manually check you in etc slowing eveything down.

I've even been sent back from security to check-in to get a proper boarding pass before now as they could not scan my iPhone screen.

I also hate handing my iPhone over to someone else. What happens if they drop and break it? This is also acknowledged by several staff as many now get you to scan you own phone screen.

Agreed on the BA app.
It is another of my checklists before I go, charge phone, download pass and check it works. There can be trouble on the return if you can't get any Wi-Fi and are as stingy as I am in paying for data-roaming!

Ed

How do you claim missing miles? Is it a case of just sending the bar code number?

I liked the BA version it made things smooth for me.

[Darren Wheeler]

and while I understand printed BPs are nostalgic, they're just another thing to lose nowadays.

Lose boarding pass

Lose phone/iPad etc. :0 :0 :0

When flying out of the USA, how do the [ever effective] TSA write on your mobile boarding pass to say they have checked the ID against the pass?

and while I understand printed BPs are nostalgic, they're just another thing to lose nowadays.

Lose boarding pass

Lose phone/iPad etc. :0 :0 :0

Ha ha I have redundancy - but then you could always lose your passport :0 .

[Darren Wheeler]

and while I understand printed BPs are nostalgic, they're just another thing to lose nowadays.

Lose boarding pass

Lose phone/iPad etc. :0 :0 :0

Ha ha I have redundancy - but then you could always lose your passport :0 .

Well played, Sir.

I like Mobile Phone Boarding Passes. If you are a frequent traveller, Mobile BP's are great. Less hassle, all online within the app. It's usually a 3D barcode which works well. I've used both BA and Lufthansa's apps and they work great.

As highlighted above, I'm not sure whether Mobile BP's are really suited to families travelling once or twice a year so I'm certain you won't see the end of printed BP's for a while yet.

Can’t wait for 2017 when my Facebook iPhone 9 runs out of battery at the gate with my eBoarding card, eTicket, eWallet and ePassport on it… xx(

Used it on UA at Easter and it was great but found it fiddly to scan at the gate. Gate agent said i had to scan it as they were not allowed to hold the phone in case they dropped and damaged it.

I don't use mobile passes (am old fashioned!), but I welcome VS keeping up with the pack.

The various objections/worries people have raised are precisely the reason why there will be an alternative to this.

And then of course you have to show it to the crew at the boarding door without them dropping it down gap between aircraft and airbridge :0

I for one really loved this feature on the BA app and often downloaded my boarding pass to my blackberry. Maybe the reasons it was perfect were (1) it was for short hops around europe and (2) no checked in bags.

I never had an issue with scanning the barcode at any of the airports I used it and only handed it over at the security gate and boarding gate, just held it up at the plane door.

There's going to be a few changes with the way BP's are handled at the gate - VS will no longer tear off the stub..

Further work is currently being implemented in the US to comply with TSA regulations with regards to mobile boarding passes so expect that to be coming soon too.

Maybe it'll be an iPad app that shows a huge BP filling the entire screen?

Having just completed a business trip using the BA app, I can see the points raised.

For a sort business trip to Stockholm, it was perfect and worked seemlessly.

The dropping issue was certainly one I considered....

The other one, and Neil raised it earlier, is when I go on holiday with my familym, who don't all have iPhones, how does it work? If you can have multiple baording passes on a single device, how practical is it going to be to switch between them and scan them individually? More chance for things to go wrong...

[Decker]

Meh I love them - I normally get one on the phone and print one just because. It's a teeny bit fiddly going through the detectors though as I'm used to carrying my BP with me and they tend to want to screen iPhones...