Continental Airlines has launched a test program in Houston that allows travelers to board flights using their cell phone or personal-digital assistant instead of the usual boarding pass. If it works, the program could expand to airlines and airports nationwide. How will it work? According to USA Today, instead of a traditional pass, Continental Airlines (CAL) and the Transportation Security Administration will let passengers show a code the airline has sent to their cell phone or PDA. Here's more:
The two-dimensional bar code, a jumble of squares and rectangles, stores the passenger's name and flight information. A TSA screener will confirm the bar code's authenticity with a handheld scanner. Passengers still need to show photo identification. The electronic boarding pass also works at airport gates.
I always email myself flight information so I can open up my email on my BlackBerry when I get up to the check-in window, so I love the idea of being able to use my cell as a boarding pass. It means one less step, right?
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Labour Of Love
Comme des Garcons
Jil Sander
i dont really care though.
1my family usually has etickets anyhow.
it may run smooth for a while but i think its a bad idea.
2pretty soon people will be complaining that their pda's were hacked into and whatnot.
interesting....but like kitkatherine said....most people have etickets anyways. I mean, you honestly can't get more convienient than that.
3well if it's one less piece of paper filling our landfills, I'm all for it! Even with etickets, you still have to print out a boarding pass, right???
4syako your right about the paper issue. That is the only reason I would consider using this, but...
There are also a few other points. My cellphones screen is the smallest on earth because I hate big phones. What if your battery is dead and everyone is hogging the ONE outlet in the terminal? You can be a clutz like me and break your brand new pda screen and then be screwed! different operating system formats?
Overall I think its a good idea, and I am sure that with testing at one airport they can see the flaws and correct them before a national release.
5yeah...digital stuff is so easy to obtain...doesn't feel v safe
6It may be easier, but sometimes the old ways are better.
7Why not? I use my PDA for everything.
8yes, this is great. it just makes life that much more simple when we travel because commercial travel is stressful enough these days, it's nice to have one less thing to worry about.
now, if we can only get tsa to stop with the silly and false-sense of security rule of no lotions or liquids less than 2.5 oz in a quart-size bag. this rule makes me insane!!
however, i'm really excited about having wi-fi access when i fly. well, it's just american airlines and jetblue to start, but the others will follow (if they're smart, which they aren't always). here's more from PC World.
9i just think its another way that we can be tracked with our phones.
10Too bad I don't have any plans on traveling. I could have tried it out.
11I think it's a great idea.
This is great idea, it saves paper , it is convenient..
even if someone steals your cell phone they can not do anything with it 'cause you have to show photo ID anyway..also, it is faster too..
Eventhough these days everyone has E-ticket as someone said you have to print your boarding pass anyway, this way it is not necessary , you have anyway your cell phones with you at all times and even if you cell phone is stollen you can still get your boarding pass at ticket counter with your photo ID
I hope this will work out , it would be awesome
12Good idea, but im not sure if some people would trust it.
13Wouldn't you still have to print something out to get through security?
14Oh, duh. Never mind. Skimmed over the TSA part...
15Too bad I refuse to fly Continental, I would have loved to try this out tomorrow.
16No i would not.
17It's easy now, but I would use my cell phone if it was an option. You'd still have to use your id to get through security so really it wouldn't matter if you got hacked...
18We already have this in canada through westjet. love it!makes things so much easier. its easy to lose a peice of paper, but i hold on to my cell phone for dear life!
19maybe - but I'd probably bring a paper copy anyway, just as a backup
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