App Update - Mobile Boarding Pass Now Systemwide (was: in 28 Cities)

Historically, A1 (or the first non-preboarder) is asked to hand their paper BP to the F/A as you board. This is their positive indication from the gate agent that all preboarders are on the plane (although often not yet seated).

The F/A will announce on the cabin PA "general boarding", an indication to the other F/As that passengers that follow aren't restricted from the exit row(s) (at least not for reason of being a preboarder).

Since I had no "paper" to hand her/him, I was asked to verbally announce my presence.

Very happy to see this is available at TPA. Couple of questions for those experienced.

I just made A-List Preferred. It shows in very tiny text on the iphone app at the bottom. App and FAQ online says to save image to my phone. On the image, it does not show A-List Preferred. ...

1. Have you had any issue getting on the TSA priority line with the tiny text?
2. Free drink? Did not see a drink coupon an either the app or image, so how do I get the free drink if I have to use the app or if I have to use the image, which does not even show A+ on it?

Naive question here: how to handle a phone with a mobile BP when clearing security? It will alarm the WTMD, and I may need to show close to the WTMD if I have Pre-check. I usually have a jacket that I'd take off because of other metal; once I've shown the phone to the person who needs to see it, slip it into the jacket and put that into a tub for the x-ray?

Just put the phone into your carry on before you go through the WTMD..

At stations where they only have PreCheck Jr., they should give you a laminated card to give to the moat dragon (clerk behind the WTMD)

Same glitch here (Samsung Galaxy S4).

Going to the site via my desktop and all displays properly.

Not naïve at all.

The Moat Dragon(s) at the Pre-Check line entrance will take a quick cursory glance and nothing more. They have seemed to figure out that if a passenger "knows" to get into the Pre line, they likely belong there.

My observation in recent weeks is that the majority of the Dragons' labor is spent re-directing the very INfrequent flier (aka the K word) that scored random inclusion from the "regular" line to the Pre line.

Once you get to the podium, it's DIY at the reader with your wireless device for the 3 beeps. I stuff my phone back inside my backpack and toss it onto the belt; certainly no reason you couldn't do the same with your phone/jacket.

There was quite the log-jam at the (two) belts after the Pre- podium in LAS mid-afternoon yesterday. Probably 80% clueless attempting to disrobe, remove their shoes, etc.

As previously reported/suggested here and other threads, go around the amateurs, shove your item thru the scanner at the end of the belt and keep walking thru the WTMD. The TSA WTMD watchers always seemed pleased/relieved that someone can read and/or knows the drill and it speeds things up significantly.

A couple of Mobile BP updates/observations:

The check-in terminals at the Southwest counter/bag check at MCI don't have QR readers even though they are a newer model of terminal. You'll still need to either punch your RR or PNR -or- swipe a card. A non-issue for me as I can punch-in my RR as fast as the terminal can take it, but YMMV.

The terminals on the little outboard islands in front of the counter/bag check at LAS have had QR readers "hay-wired" onto the left side of the terminals. They work, but are finicky about how/where you hold your mobile device.

The readers at the TSA PRE podiums at LAS are the little black rectangular rigs that sit on top of the podiums. Slap your phone down on the glass and they read/decode the QR pretty much immediately.

Several of the readers at the TSA podiums at MCI are handheld units mounted on a flexible gooseneck thingie. They work fine, but as previously noted upstream, it takes a bit to get The Knack re: how/where to hold your phone.

I think this varies quite a bit by airport.

Southwest Airlines Introduces Mobile Boarding Passes For Customers At All Domestic Airports!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/south...140500595.html

Awesome news! Thanks! I can use eboarding pass from my iPhone. It's very easy. I don't have print the boarding pass at home anymore.

Didn't work at OAK on 5/24 at Security with my iPad. I was required to leave the line and print a paper BP.

Is it because iPads are too big and therefore the barcode is too big?

A QR code rather than a Barcode, but yes pads/tablets are unlikely to reliably work.

The QR readers are sized to "read" a QR of a specific size at a specific distance.

In general, airline (all airlines') QR codes are published to fit on the display of a smartphone AND sized so they can be read by existing TSA & airline QR readers.

http://www.qrstuff.com/blog/2011/01/...d-a-qr-code-be

Boarding passes on smartphones don't do much for me. I have to walk right past the boarding pass machine anyway, and it takes only a few seconds to print one.

You need get new iPhone. You can't use iPads. It's too big. You don't have one. You need buy a new iPhone.

I'm glad they've rolled out mobile boarding passes nationwide. Although it's easy enough to use a check-in kiosk at the airport it's often a big time sink. For example, at PHX airport the kiosks are 1) located far off the path between where rental car shuttles drop off outside the terminal and where the TSA line starts, and 2) frequently have long lines even for the self-service machines.