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The problem with paperless boarding passes? Batteries aren’t included

April 25, 2008

We have word today that the Transportation Security Administration and Continental Airlines are expanding their rollout of the Paperless Boarding Pass pilot program to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Newark International Airport and Logan International Airport in Boston. I have a problem with that.

Not with the idea that paper boarding passes are superfluous and wasteful. They are. It’s the limits of the current technology that make me wonder if paperless passes are a sound idea.

Here’s how the system works: Instead of printing a pass, passengers download it to their cell phones or PDAs, which is then scanned by TSA security officers at the checkpoint, thus theoretically eliminating the need for a real boarding pass.

Each paperless boarding pass will display an encrypted two-dimensional bar code along with passenger and flight information that will identify the traveler. TSA travel document checkers will use hand-held scanners to validate the authenticity of the paperless boarding pass sent to Continental passengers.

So what’s my problem? Batteries aren’t included in this little experiment, and they probably should be.

What if the wireless device fails? Will passengers be sent back to the ticket counter for a paper pass? Might they then miss their plane?

I have a better idea. Why not create a system that allows the TSA scanners to talk to the airline’s reservation system? That way, you could scan a photo ID to verify you have a boarding pass, allowing people without cell phones to participate, too.

And it would cut out the cell phone. Mine hardly works at the airport, anyway.

Seems to me that until there’s something as reliable as a good old-fashioned paper pass, we should refrain from using a paperless system like this.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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18 comments

  • Steve Cousino

    I agree – a paperless boarding pass gives me considerable pause in the airlines’ (and TSA’s) ability to overcome any issues that may happen.

    Even though they’re wasteful, I like having a paper boarding pass. It’s a written confirmation that I’m supposed to be on that flight. It makes me feel more secure and confident that I will not have any issues boarding the plane.

    Do I think a paperless boarding pass system is something to work towards? Yes. Do I think we’re there now? Heck no.

  • http://www.helpstuff.com Char James-Tanny

    RFID chips are low power and designed to work if there’s no battery power. They’ll work even if the phone is off.

    I attended a conference last week where I got a badge with an RFID chip that recorded when I went into various sessions. Monitors at the doors scanned my badge with a hand-held scanner.

    I’m willing to give it a try, but I might need to get a new phone first.

  • VS Brinkman

    RFID chips are on everything. You’ve probably walked around wallyworld with a product containing a chip. They are used for benign reasons – inventory control, and some argue for nefarious reasons – to see where you shop in the store, how long you dilly dally at the underwear counter, etc….

  • Christopher Elliott

    Maybe I’m missing something here, but this technology doesn’t use RFID. It uses cell phones. If we could use RFID, that would solve many problems … but it would also create a few, in my opinion.

  • http://www.coralbrief.com Andy Simpson

    All they need is to have a credit card scanner like the airlines use at the kiosks. Tie that scanner into the various airlines’ reservation systems. (Maybe the passenger would have to specify the airline, or maybe there is a superdatabase out there.) Airlines could use the same type of scanners at the gate.

    But there are two reasons you need paper — (1) when you get on the plane and can’t remember your seat assignment and (2) you do remember it but find someone else in your seat!

  • tab

    When you don’t get your frequent flyer miles, do you send in a picture of the bar code from your phone instead of the usual copy of the boarding pass?

  • Mike

    It is a great idea. Coming by a printer to print boarding passes while on the on the road is always a challenge. Better technologies certainly exist, but this is in place and readily available.

  • Steve

    I’ve not had any issues being able to print a boarding pass while on the road. If my hotel doesn’t have a business center where I can complete the task, I just get to the airport a bit earlier than usual and check in then.

    I agree with Andy Simpson above – there are situations that are averted by the presence of a boarding pass. I’ve been conditioned for many years to “always get it in writing” and this is one way I get my proof of boarding “in writing.” Sending it to me on a cell phone or some other means where I can’t print it out just makes me highly uncomfortable.

  • Jeanette

    Can one still get a paper boarding pass if they don’t have a cell phone?

  • http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com Marilyn Terrell

    Good question, Jeannette! I’m one of about 12 people in the United States who doesn’t own a cell phone, but I like to fly from Reagan.

  • Char James-Tanny

    Oh, my bad…I didn’t realize they weren’t using RFID.

    But it’s silly not to (use RFID). It’s currently estimated that half of all mobile phones will be RFID-enabled by 2009, and RFID avoids problems like low battery, no power, etc. And because it uses Near Field technology, it’s secure. Nokia has been selling RFID-enabled phones for a couple of years now.

    The Amsterdam airport now has a SpeedBoarding Gate. (See http://www.nfcnews.com/articles/2008/04/17/quick-boarding-with-the-touch-of-a-finger.) The US airports should be doing something like this.

  • Davy

    I don’t have a cell phone at all and don’t believe in cell phone. They can’t force me to buy a cell phone to use paperless boarding pass… Forget it.

  • ptkdude

    Let’s all unwad our panties. No one has said they are getting rid of paper boarding passes for the electronic/cell phone ones. There’s a pilot program in place to make this an ***option*** for people. Like some of the commenters have said, not everyone has a cell phone, and not all cell phones meet the minimum specifications for the program.

    As for RFID, just because it uses “near field technology” doesn’t automatically mean it is secure; it just means someone has to be near you to extract the data from the device. How close? Well, my tolltag works from about 20 feet away. There was a rather large uproar over this very thing when the new e-passports were being designed. It is possible to lock down the data on the RFID chip, which means anyone could extract the data, but they wouldn’t necessarily be able to read it if they didn’t have the key(s) to unlock it.

    As for paper boarding passes, I like them since they make great bookmarks! In particular, when you check in with an agent and you get the heavier paper ones.

  • http://www.pjinc.net Maggi D.

    This sounds great in theory, but there are a world of issues that come to mind. What about people who don’t have cell phones? Dead batteries? Itinerary changes/issues? It also seems to open an entirely new set of identity theft and safety issues – it is too easy to trade phones after check-in at the security gate, or to steal someone’s phone inside the airport, and board a flight under a presumed identity.

  • lynn

    I can point out some problems right away.

    1. Most passengers traveling from Regan Airport do not like any type of delays, especially in the TSA lines. If your cell or PDA does not bring up the boarding pass it is not TSA’s job to fix it. Yes -you will have to return to the airline to adjust, fix your e-ticket, or be told of your delay or cancellation. TSA are NOT airline ticket agents.
    2. After waiting in the long lines ( sometimes up to 30 min), the passenger may have changed their reservation, must pay a fee and ‘whoops’ forgot to to do.. TSA can not fix or take any money for a ticket.
    3. For all of the traveling pubic that want privacy and feel that ‘big brother’ watches the airlines to much, why on earth would you want to give TSA the rights to your travel information. Hooking up to an airlines reservation system is a breech of privacy. Come on folks, this is Washington DC, how many couples on a plane do not want to be tracked -together.
    4. If you are so worried about the cell/PDA issue- why don’t you go buy a $100.00 CLEAR pass ( everyone calls them the “cut to the front of the line” pass, and just have your printed boarding card with you. Most airlines have Kisoks available at their ticket counters and you don’t even have to speak with anyone.
    5. What about the passenger that has an Atlanta coshare flight – the ticket reads Continental and they are flying Delta… after the normal confusion they might just miss their flight.
    6. Finally, think about this –TSA is the government, not an airline. The way you will be handled with your PDA/Cell phone needs will not be the Continental way but the government way???– now there’s a whole lot of customer service to think about……..

  • Josh

    My problem with this isn’t so much that they’re talking about potentially getting rid of the paper boarding passes, but exactly what Christopher had as his title: batteries.

    I’ll have power on my cell phone on the way out, but depending on where I go and how long I’m on vacation, I might not have any power on the cell phone to bring up my boarding pass coming home.

    And I’m sure as heck not going to find a free charger at the gate to show the agents my boarding pass.

  • Dsinclair

    There are problems with every solution–here is the problem I see with your idea of using photo ID scanners:  Part of the reason for having a boarding pass in paper or electronic version is so you can make sure what flight you’re supposed to be on, what gate you’re supposed to be at and what seat you’re going to be occupying.  None of these would be immediately visible on a generic photo ID.

  • Dsinclair

    There are problems with every solution–here is the problem I see with your idea of using photo ID scanners:  Part of the reason for having a boarding pass in paper or electronic version is so you can make sure what flight you’re supposed to be on, what gate you’re supposed to be at and what seat you’re going to be occupying.  None of these would be immediately visible on a generic photo ID.

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