American Airlines today launched paperless boarding pass capabilities for passengers at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, with plans to roll out the capability next week at airports in Los Angeles and Orange Country, Calif. The technology allows passengers to use a bar-coded image delivered electronically to a handheld device in lieu of a paper boarding pass.
American Airlines called the limited rollout a "trial" and said it could extend it to other U.S. airports in the coming months "if successful."
American rolled out the capabilities in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration, which already has adopted the offering with other carriers at other major U.S. airports. Continental Airlines sponsors the program at eight U.S. airports, including those in Houston, Newark, LaGuardia and Cleveland
(BTNonline, Oct. 30). Other carriers, including Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines are piloting the technology at airports from Seattle to Indianapolis.
When passengers check in for flights online at applicable airports, American said they now have the option to send a barcode image to a handheld device. TSA security checkpoint agents then can scan the image as passengers move through security, and gate agents can scan the image as passengers board the plane, "just as they would a traditional paper boarding pass," American said.