Mobile phone check-in will soon become a norm in the air transportation industry with the recent announcement of a global standard that paves the way for global mobile phone check-in using two-dimensional (2D) bar codes.
2D bar codes
Under the standard, announced earlier this week by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), airlines will send 2D bar codes directly to a passenger’s mobile phone, personal digital assistant or smart phone which becomes the passenger’s boarding pass.
“It is read directly from the screen of the mobile device, eliminating paper completely from the check-in process,” the IATA said.
How to receive bar codes
To receive the bar codes, passengers simply register their mobile number with their airline at the time of booking to receive a text message with a 2D bar code, or instructions to download it.
Paperless flight check-in
“Passengers want the convenience of self-service options in a paperless environment. This standard is an important step in getting rid of paper that bogs down processes and drives up costs,” said IATA director general and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani.
The industry is now working on how to develop a standardised process and guidelines for global implementation and has set end-2010 as the deadline to implement 100 per cent bar coded boarding passes (BCBP).
Huge saving for the industry
Upon full implementation, BCBP will save the industry over US$500 million annually.
The IATA said that the global introduction of BCBP to replace magnetic stripe technology is one of five Simplifying the Business (StB) projects it launched in 2004. The StB goal is to use technology to make travel more convenient while saving US$6.5 billion in costs.
So what do we, as consumer need to do?
I guess we need to adapt to this whole new standard — to never again forget to bring mobile phones to the airport, and to never again let the device run out of batteries, especially when we are in airports, which normally is the case among many of us.
Old habits die hard
Then again, I believe the industry will still maintain the normal check-in procedure just in case. Whether they like it or not, there would still be a huge number of travellers who would find it more convenient to check-in the “old” way.
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