American Airlines Expands Mobile Boarding Pass Service

American Airlines' customers departing from London Heathrow (LHR), Colorado Springs (COS), San Jose (SJC) and Washington Reagan(DCA) can now save time and paper by choosing to receive boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or smart phones.

Mobile boarding passes, which use a two-dimensional (2-D) barcode, were rolled out in partnership with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2008 and are currently available to travelers departing on American Airlines and American Eagle flights from 42 airports.

"We know our customers are mobile by definition, which is why the option to use personal devices to expedite travel has been so popular with our customers over the past two years," said Andrew Watson, American's Vice President – Customer Technology. "Eligible passengers departing from London Heathrow or one of the 41 U.S. cities that currently offer the program now have the option to avoid printing a paper boarding pass and choose instead to have their boarding pass displayed on their mobile device, thereby speeding the process at the airport, and helping the environment by saving paper."

The mobile boarding pass process is simple. When customers check in for their flight using AA.com and opt to receive their boarding pass on their cell phones or smart phones, they will receive an e-mail with an Internet link to the boarding pass. Customers must have an active e-mail address where their boarding pass can be sent and an internet-enabled mobile device where the 2-D barcode can be received.

The mobile boarding pass contains a 2-D barcode that can be scanned at security checkpoints and at American Airlines gates. At the airport, customers simply scan their cell phone or smart phone screen when going through security (proper identification must be presented) and when boarding, just as they would a traditional paper boarding pass. Customers who wish to check bags can also use the electronic option by scanning the boarding pass on their cell phone or smart phone screen at American Airlines self-service machines, ticket counters, or curbside check-in facilities.

At this time, customers who opt to use the electronic boarding pass may list only one person in their reservation. They must be traveling on American or American Eagle to a U.S. destination from one of the 42 participating airports on a nonstop or same-plane direct flight or connecting flight through a participating mobile-boarding airport.

Domestic destinations include those within the United States, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. London Heathrow is the first international location to offer the program, and American Airlines is one of the first carriers to roll out the mobile boarding pass technology in the U.K.

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