I'm curious how this would be more secure. Can anyone explain that? (and for once I'm not being flip, I'm genuinely curious).

"Imagine that, a new security procedure that is both more secure, and more convenient."

The TSA would never allow that, their agency thrives on incompetence, insecurity, and inconvenience. If they did not, they couldn't justify their perpetual need of everything they don't have yet. Just like all other government bureaucracy that gets more from failing than it does at succeeding.

@darkened: I agree. If our country was safe enough to discontinue the TSA, or at least dramatically cut it back, then, umm, the terrorist have won?

@ptkdude: Right there with you.

It is perfect until your batteries run out and get stuck in a major hub trying to get someone to print you a pass.

Why is it more convenient?

or what if you don't have a cell phone?

@pepe the king prawn: I'm sure you could still do it the old way.

Or what if you have an older model cellphone? Or what if your cellphone isn't in color? Or what if it is in color but the resolution isn't that high (128x128 is common with most lower priced phones)? Or what if you don't wish to pay for the cost of a multimedia message to your phone? It's the latter part that I really don't want to do.

wtf and you STILL need to show a photo id?

What if monkeys flew outta my butt?

If this goes mainstream, all I have to say is: No thanks, I'm not going to be upgrading my phone just for this. Print me a paper ticket and if you want to charge for it, it better be modest and reasonable.

A few years ago, Delta announced something they called SkyMiles Virtual Check-In. Medallion level fliers could check in by computer or even phone, and use their Medallion frequent flier card as their boarding pass (meaning you didn't have to print anything out).

The card had a bar code on the back, and the gate scanners would scan it and print out a small slip with your seat assignment on it. We tried it once, and both amused and amazed the gate staff (who hadn't seen it before).

Of course, they started doing this in mid-2001, so it didn't last long; it went away after September 11, "replaced" by the current scheme involving the oh so secure method of printing out boarding passes at home.

@ptkdude: The black and white blob is considerably harder to forge or decrypt than paper tickets, especially the kind you print at home.

If you go to websites in countries that aren't as mobile-retarded, you sometimes see these things, you can scan with your cell phone: [i.yimg.jp]

@spinachdip: I don't see why the boarding passes you print at home couldn't use the same kind of 2-D barcode.

I also don't see how this is better than printing your own boarding pass. Yes, when you're on the road, you may not have access to a printer. But I'd be more comfortable with a piece of paper that I know won't run out of batteries or otherwise malfunction.

@Papa Midnight: In Japan (where ANA has done a similar program- get to the airport 15 minutes before departure, scan the code, check in, and board 5 minutes before departure- gotta love Japanese efficiency) those sort of issues never come up because none of the big 3 (DoCoMo, Softbank, KDDI- Willcom's an exception)sell phones with anything less than QVGA screens. In fact, most of them are moving on to VGA and beyond (on 3-inch screens).

If you still have an issue, you can use an RFID-enabled phone and save the ticket data to board with. Wave the phone over the reader and you're in (security is much less of a hassle). Scared that others will skim your data? PIN-lock your phone- you will be prompted to enter your PIN every time you use the chip.

Air Canada mobile check-in is great - I even used it while camping in Cape Cod, letting me secure a front seat before I got back to Boston to catch the flight.

But I have a recent non-smartphone Sony Ericsson model, and it told me I was eligible to receive a boarding pass, but then told me my decide didn't support it.

No problem though, you just print a copy out when you get to the airport.

I'm getting a very bad feeling from all this.

Yes! Let us all fear new technology together!

It's Houston Intercontinental not International.

@calpchen: Yeah, you can print the same code on paper, but you can make unlimited copies of a paper ticket. The code would be tied to the phone number it's sent to, so you can't replicate it.

Also, you know you can still get a ticket printed at the airport even if you print at home? I imagine it would be the same if your phone ran out of battery.

re: the battery comment, I've had technical difficulties with even a lower-tech method. I opted to wake up at 4 and check-in from the computer of the hotel I was staying at, rather than get up even earlier for my 6 am flight, only to find that their printer wouldn't work and no one in the hotel knew how to fix it. I did manage to get there in time, except my Mom had to park instead of just dropping me off, so she and her credit card (that we used to buy the ticket) could come with, so I could use the check-in kiosk there. And then I was the LAST person to get on the plane about ten minutes before take-off. Whew!

WestJet has been doing this very thing in Canada for a while now.

I took advantage for the first time just yesterday and it was great. Walked right passed the big check-in line, right pass the luggage drop off (only had carry-on) and right into the security screening.

It is a great time saver and makes the whole traveling by plane process less stressful.