Continental Airlines expands paperless boarding in US

Handset addicts traveling domestically through Houston's Intercontinental Airport have likely utilized the paperless boarding option if hopping on a Continental flight, and apparently the initiative is going over so well that the aforesaid airline and the TSA are expanding it to three more venues. As of now, passengers traveling within the US can enjoy the same luxury at Boston's Logan International Airport and Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C; later this month, the program should slide into Newark International Airport in New Jersey. As expected, only folks traveling alone can take advantage, as the airline feels that pulling up passes for an entire group would actually slow the flow of boarding. There's been no word given on future expansion plans, but at this rate, we wouldn't be shocked to see it hit even more airports in the not-too-distant future.

[Via WBZTV]

[Pengadget @ May 5th 2008 11:42AM]

HAHA FIRST TO COMMENT! Why is this significant?

[redo @ May 5th 2008 11:46AM]

you tell me !?

[superpotential @ May 5th 2008 9:10PM]

i'd be scared to use it, in case my cell phone battery dies ...

[mg @ May 5th 2008 11:48AM]

Good to see a few good technology ideas making the rounds. I like this idea too, putting cameras on cops guns is a great idea. Could result in some interesting youtube videos though...
http://impatientsufferance.com/2008/05/05/go-to-the-tape-226/

[wunderbar @ May 5th 2008 11:49AM]

westjet, which is a discount carrier operating in Canada and a limited fashion in the US, has had paperless boarding passes for all domestic flights it flies in Canada for well over a year now. It works awesomely.

[Seth @ May 9th 2008 9:57PM]

Must be fun when you get to the security line and realize your Blackberry is dead.

[WaffleMatt @ May 6th 2008 5:14PM]

Air Canada too has been doing this.

As far as I know, its actually available throughout Canada. Even in my dinky little airport in Timmins, ON, you can use paperless boarding, though they just look at your screen and key in the number instead of scanning.

I haven't personally tried this because I've been too afraid of uninformed staff, I think I will next time I fly.

[gabe @ May 5th 2008 11:54AM]

I fly every other week and this would be convenient. One thing I don't get is how u need to show the security official the boarding pass before preceeding through the metal detector; u can't have metal objects on u so ?????

[Patrick @ May 5th 2008 12:52PM]

you probably need one of those newfangled polymer cell phones w/ no metal parts...

[tcc3 @ May 5th 2008 12:04PM]

Is he scanning a pda screen? I tried that before and couldn't get it to work. I wonder how they do it?

[Unknown @ May 5th 2008 12:11PM]

Whether you can read a barcode off the screen depends on the barcode scanner technology in use. We do it all the time.

[kP @ May 5th 2008 12:51PM]

The "scanner" needs to be an "imager" which can interpret 2D symbols using any color (ambient or self generated) light. The difference of an imager (versus a scanner) is that an imager often has additional capabilities, like replacing a flatbed scanner, and being able to perform OCR. This adds to the price of the device, which in the case of retail may be prohibitive, but in the case of airlines, is a good deal to speed people through the gate.

The LCD screens of today's mobile devices put out their own light, and so the typical laser scanner (recognizable by putting out a scribbling red line) does not work, as the scanner is looking for it's own red light to be reflected.

Electrophoretic paper displays (EPD) aka electronic paper displays (like the Amazon Kindle) do not have this issue - they reflect ambient light, and so a laser scanner would work one.

Electronic shelf tags are a common example of EPD:
http://www.pricer.com/templates/Page.aspx?id=279

And yes, they display readable bar codes.

[deep @ May 5th 2008 1:17PM]

I'm in Houston, and I've been using this system on my iPhone for a few months now. Works like a charm. Have used it at IAH and DCA. Once in DC, the gate attendant was skeptical, but when it the scanner approved it she was impressed. Used at the Elite security gates as well. Very simple and quick.

[Derek @ May 5th 2008 12:09PM]

I live in Houston, but would never fly Continental.

[SearchX @ May 8th 2008 11:06AM]

I fly Continental, but would never live in Houston.

[Derek @ May 5th 2008 5:19PM]

I see what you did there.

[eugene @ May 5th 2008 12:39PM]

wonder if they will raise the rates for wifi in the terminals now.

[CharlieX @ May 5th 2008 12:59PM]

So you just go ahead and use that handy dandy data service on your cellphone. A PDF with a barcode isn't very big

[Ravana @ May 5th 2008 12:59PM]

I've used the SMS boarding pass a few times now and I really like the convenience.

I'm glad they are letting us have the luxury of having them at DCA too now.

[Ravana @ May 5th 2008 1:01PM]

You can't beat their prices for flying into Houston & they actually give you half a sammich instead of pretzels only.

What's not to like?

Once bitten, twice shy? (was that a foreigner song?)

[Derek @ May 5th 2008 5:21PM]

All my experiences with them have been awful. I've given them about 4 chances, and every time I was treated rudely and had my flight delayed.

[Ravana @ May 5th 2008 1:14PM]

that was meant to be a reply to Derek.
I fail at replying :(

[apeguero @ May 5th 2008 1:28PM]

I guess they needed that $25.00 fee for 2nd check-in bag to cover the cost of this new paper-less technology which would save them even more money -- at our expense of course! Like eugene said above, they'll probably now have to raise the cost of wifi in the terminals as well, along with fees for the use of the oxygen in the cabin, as well as fees for lavatory usage...

[TheCaptain @ May 5th 2008 1:43PM]

How does TSA agent #1 sign the back of my boarding pass...er... cell phone?

[Ravana @ May 5th 2008 1:13PM]

They have this scanner that they use on your screen before they let you through, after checking your ID.

[MasterCKO @ May 5th 2008 2:36PM]

hmm, interesting and paper-saving idea. Work it out to the all the airports that Continental flies and they might have earned themselves a new repeat customer (I've flown them a few times in the recent past and they've been just fine, plus I can sign up for Star Alliance and get miles to use there, IIRC)

[Patrick @ May 5th 2008 4:24PM]

I have to ask, why are they not doing this here in Cleveland? We're one of Continental's hubs, we deserve to have this. That being said, I would probably never use this because I never travel alone and always check bags, so I just get my boarding pass there. It is a great concept though.

[eric @ May 5th 2008 6:26PM]

Used this thursday at boston logan and it worked like a charm. I didn't have to print anything, which means I didn't have to be in an office all day. Although the tsa people weren't sure what to do when the barcode kept rotating to stay upright. some day...

[Turner @ May 6th 2008 9:52PM]

I used it one time here in Houston and was not that impressed. The TSA Agent could not get the scanner to read the barcode (Its not a pdf, you are sent a link to a web page) (also of note I use a BB Pearl) and was throwing a fit about how much he hated the non-paper option. He had to call over one of his more capable peers to scan it. The second guy has much better luck with the scanner and I was allowed through, of course at this point everyone in the line behind me hated me.
Once at the gate I encountered a glitch that they may or may not have fixed yet. The link that you use pulls the boarding pass based on the confirmation number, this number is fixed for both portions of a round trip flight. My return flight was less than 24 hours after my flight out, so while sitting in the terminial, I hit the 24 hr mark and was checked into my return flight. At this point the Confirmation number pointed to my return flight and when I pulled up the link for the woman at the gate it was the boarding pass for the next day. They had to go in and print out a paper boarding pass for me... so much for paperless.

Overall I think the intention is good and I am glad that the airline industry is at least trying to innovate. That said I have not utilized this option since this incident. I print out the boarding pass at the office and go about my day.