Forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere, but if it has, I certainly didn't see it...

Just booked a *A award itin for a friend over the phone. When I mentioned to the phone agent that I'd be signing the bluey at the airport today, she said, "No need for that...we have a new procedure." She conferenced in someone from M+, who asked me a few questions about myself and my account in order to verify it was me, and poof! That was it! ^

(Well, not completely... At some point before travel, I have to show my credit card in person to someone at an airport, but apparently there's an easy check-box on the screen that allows the agent to verify that they saw the card. And that's it.)

IMO, this is a major improvement over the current system of signing blueys then never receiving a confirmation number of receipt for doing so. After several bad experiences of signing them, making agents assure me the PNR would reflect the authorization, and then of course the upgrade/travel not being actually authorized, I resorted to taking digital photos of the form as proof. Ricidulous and degrading. Flashing my credit card is a million times more humane.

Well done, UA ^ (...if it works)