rickg523

And this is what this whole argument has been about. The OP's reason for wanting a BP is immaterial. The agent of the airline he was patronizing - paying money to in exchange for travel services - responded rudely and inappropriately. Remember the title of this thread is "I work at the airport. You're wrong." The reasons for a customer service saying such a thing are also immaterial. Even if it's a "stupid" customer asking a "stupid" question, the agent's JOB is serving the customer...not judging the customer. We want to waste time querying the OP's need for BP, that's appropriate in THIS forum. Not at the check-in desk.
So there.

Adam Smith

Evidently not. I vastly prefer having a paper BP. I don't have to turn it in to accounting, but it just makes my life a lot easier. In addition to the points noted above about handing over phones, I'm often on the phone (I'm an old-fashioned guy) or reading/writing e-mails or doing something else on my phone when I'm boarding or getting up to the CATSA line.

With all due respect to ffsim's comments, I find that CATSA (or TSA or whatever) agents and GAs are a lot less good at handling phones than he thinks.

Much easier just to hand over a piece of paper. And no check-in agent or anyone else should get snippy with me if I ask for one.

I think the furthest thing from a germophobe is a germophile. Are you really sure you want to go there?

quantumofforce

I had to have a physical boarding pass when going through customs at yyz to a domestic connection last year. So I had to get one reprinted at a kiosk just before the lineup for customs.

kwflyer

Because everyone owns a smartphone, is willing to hand over their expensive device to an agent who may or May not drop it (as reported here before). And a simple paper pass (which solves all
Of the problems above and more) is too much to handle?

I would question ones fitness to fly/travel then.

Technology has a good record of solving problems and making life easier, but this isn't one of them.

canadiancow

Well AC on FB is sending a note to the airport as a result of this thread lol.

DrunkCargo

Yes, I remember being held waiting for your DL app... Crap, sometimes my Nexus N takes 30 seconds to unlock, nm pulling up the app, and my privacy screen messes with the reader at times.

Paper BP is the way to go.

quantumofforce

Then there's the flying with kids, I keep my cellphone in my pocket as much as possible so the kids don't knock it and I can keep an eye on my innocent little angels.

No fear of them knocking my paper BP out of my hand.

smallmj

Also, there's no way to have BP's for the whole family on 1 phone is there. That makes paper the only way.

D404

My one and only reason for getting paper BPs is so I can scan them for AE when my miles inevitably do not post on non-AC flights.

D404

Certainly possible on some airlines (EZY), but not AC.

24left

Screen shot solves that problem - unless someone at Aeroplan/AC decided that the Wallet BP is not "good enough" for verification. Don't laugh. You never know.


However, I'm +1 with all those who use paper BPs for all the reasons stated above.

I've seen a CATSA agent drop a phone.
AT LAX T2, the fun TSA guy told me they don't touch phones anymore due to that exact reason. He then shows you where to place/how to hold your phone over the scanner.
With AA and AS, I've used both methods but it was really a matter of what else I was carrying.

For all international flights, I will only use paper and I discovered at least one location that was very strict about you only having 1 BP in your possession (so turn off phone )

As for "I work at the airport. You're wrong".....one concierge could not attach my Aeroplan # to my Aeroplan ticket (obviously not the field for accumulation of miles), saying it could not be done. Yet another agent could. Weird.

D404

Exactly my (paranoid) reasoning. Rational? No. But... Aeroplan.

jc94

"You need to use the machine"
"Really is that new"
"No"
"Oh I didn't have to a few weeks ago"
"Yes you did"
"No, I didn't"
"Yes, you did"

Really? You were working on the last trip through a few weeks back and remember me using a machine that I clearly remember not using due to having already completed the blue form?

I may not work at the airport but I'm pretty sure I can remember my last US customs experience.

Unbelievable.

yyznomad

An agent at the airport printed my boarding pass for tomorrow (and not a post-midnight redeye)... and nobody said I was wrong!

PointWeasel

With my travel pattern, only paper BPs all the time. No question.

Just try using a mobile boarding pass departing Cairo or Addis Ababa. More hassle than its worth.