Boarding Passes Go Mobile?

Over 85% of Northwest Airlines passengers use self-service options such as internet check-in or check-in kiosks, but boarding pass options will soon be even more high tech.

Continental Airlines is currently testing electronic boarding passes using hand-held mobile devices, such as Blackberries, and phones as displays. The imgae on the screen is then scanned by security personnel and gate agents.

Right now, the service is only available in U.S on non-stop domestic flights from Continental's hub in Houston.

The bar code used in Continental's electronic boarding passes is two dimensional and looks very different than the series of the vertical lines most people think of as a bar code. The two dimensional code is much harder to duplicate, which will cut down on the ticket fraud. The IATA expects that its 240 members airlines will be using two-dimensional bar codes exclusively by the end of 2010.

Many foreign carriers already use electronic boarding passes. Air Canada has been using them since September of last year for flights to doemstic and international destinations, except to the U.S.

NWA is planning to run an E-boarding pass test for customers flying out of Indianapolis on non-stop flights, but is currently waiting for final legal and Tranportation Security Administration (TSA) approval to proceed with the test.

The TSA has been working with Continental, and other carriers are said to be eager to start experimenting with the program as soon as TSA gives their approval. Continental is hoping to expand the program to other locations this spring.