- July 2009
- Current Events
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Technology
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Electronic boarding pass use expanding
Starting as a pilot program in the United States late last year, the use of electronic boarding passes displayed on smartphones continues to expand as airports install more scanners to read the bar-coded boarding passes.
American Airlines has just expanded service to include Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Delta Air Lines has added Salt Lake City International Airport to its list of e-boarding enabled airports that include Atlanta, Las Vegas, Memphis International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit Wayne Country Metropolitan Airport*, Indianapolis International Airport* and New York-LaGuardia Airport**.
Travelers who are interested in this efficient and easy e-boarding service—which also conserves paper—should visit the individual airline Web sites for the most current information regarding availability by city. From the Web site, travelers can check in and download bar-coded boarding passes to smartphones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) for scanning at security checkpoints and departing gates.
Airlines recommend the following process for e-boarding:
- At security and the gate, hold the e-boarding pass on the scanner. The agent will advise when the e-boarding pass has been validated for boarding.
- Ensure the entire barcode is visible on the screen of the device.
- Make certain the backlight is on when the barcode is being scanned.
If the scanner cannot read the e-boarding pass, a paper boarding pass will be required.
*Northwest only
**Delta only
Sources: USA Today, nwa.com
Alliance created to urge NextGen full funding
More than 250 organizations have joined to form the National Alliance to Advance NextGen (Next Generation Air Transportation System) under the leadership of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). Representatives from business, travel, tourism, labor, education, airlines and aviation are urging full funding to overhaul the U.S. air traffic control system and reduce delays. The membership includes representatives from 21 states, the District of Columbia, and Brazil.
PANYNJ Chair Anthony Corsica said, “We’re tremendously excited about leading this effort to overhaul the nation’s 1950s-era air traffic control system. This broad-based coalition reflects the importance of NextGen to America’s economic future, and we look forward to securing federal funding for its implementation.”
The Alliance is promoting a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill that incorporates an advanced global positioning system to efficiently move more aircraft requiring a long-tem commitment from Congress and the Obama administration. An expected USD $8 to $10 billion will be necessary for the first 10 years and USD $15 to $22 billion through 2025. The Alliance is pushing for starting with the most congested airspace such as metropolitan New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles areas.
Source: nan.btbtravel, panynj.gov
