Why does AA print their boarding passes on ticket stock?
Jul 16, 2018, 12:09 pm
#31
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: IAD/DCA/BWI
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At least those are for the manifests, lists and such, and not the BP's like they used to be. After the PI merger, US installed dot matrix printers that handled both the BP's and baggage -- one stock was the boarding pass and the other were fold-over paper luggage tags. That was fun to listen to for every single passenger and bag.
Jul 16, 2018, 1:38 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Hahahaha.
Only thing I collect actually. Well, I used to collect safety cards as a kid (ask nicely and the FAs used to always find a spare to give me). I'll see if I can upload a picture of a stack of the BPs though.
Only thing I collect actually. Well, I used to collect safety cards as a kid (ask nicely and the FAs used to always find a spare to give me). I'll see if I can upload a picture of a stack of the BPs though.
Jul 16, 2018, 2:24 pm
#33
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AUS, GVA, and in between
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 178
I wonder if the "AA is too cheap to use white stock" people are aware of what US BPs used to be printed on. Y'all want to go to SHARES?
In all seriousness I assume AA IT have got far more important things to worry about than whether their printed boarding passes have a proper 2010s aesthetic.
In all seriousness I assume AA IT have got far more important things to worry about than whether their printed boarding passes have a proper 2010s aesthetic.
Jul 16, 2018, 2:32 pm
#34
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Given the % of my trips that are with various partners, and given what % of said trips I need to ask for credit after the fact, the paper BPs are quite valuable.
Jul 16, 2018, 2:34 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: W29
Programs: It's Complicated...
Posts: 6,811
One of the few times I ensure that I have a paper boarding pass is when a partner flight is involved, for the reason you mention.
Jul 16, 2018, 3:24 pm
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Posts: 638
Jul 17, 2018, 1:11 pm
#37
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They still do paper vouchers sometimes. I got one 6 months ago. Forget about 2010s aesthetic. This was straight out of the 1970s - full with the mail it in or ticket at a ticketing counter bonus experience.
Jul 17, 2018, 3:26 pm
#38
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 578
...At least as long as you limit it to the white card stock and not Shares as a whole.
Jul 17, 2018, 7:54 pm
#40
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,157
UA bumped me over to AA this afternoon when it became clear UA couldn't get me from DCA to MEM tonight and staring at my AA BP for the last few hours I've wondered about this.
It was "quaint" the first time I flew AA in my adult life (around 2003 maybe) and now it seems positively a historical artifact. They're using the same IER/Sato/etc SITA-compliant thermal printers UA (and just about every other airline in the developed world) is using so it's not a "capability" issue. They've vlearly tweaked the template to e.g. add TSA PRECHK, seating group numbers, the cabin name, etc. So it's not something so baked that it can't be changed, and as SITA-compliant it should be relatively easy to change the PECTAB... So there must be a non-technical reason for continuing to use the ATB2 stock two decades after the introduction of eTicketing and over 10 years after IATAs "simplifying the business" inititaive phased out paper tickets for all but extremely rare cases.
Don't get me wrong, I love the look of ATB2 stock -- it "feels" so much more official than the UA/WN stock, bit it also feels a bit like an antique.
It was "quaint" the first time I flew AA in my adult life (around 2003 maybe) and now it seems positively a historical artifact. They're using the same IER/Sato/etc SITA-compliant thermal printers UA (and just about every other airline in the developed world) is using so it's not a "capability" issue. They've vlearly tweaked the template to e.g. add TSA PRECHK, seating group numbers, the cabin name, etc. So it's not something so baked that it can't be changed, and as SITA-compliant it should be relatively easy to change the PECTAB... So there must be a non-technical reason for continuing to use the ATB2 stock two decades after the introduction of eTicketing and over 10 years after IATAs "simplifying the business" inititaive phased out paper tickets for all but extremely rare cases.
Don't get me wrong, I love the look of ATB2 stock -- it "feels" so much more official than the UA/WN stock, bit it also feels a bit like an antique.
Jul 17, 2018, 9:58 pm
#41
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: IL
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Posts: 150
The green is thicker and has the magnetic strip on the back for the pre-QR code gate scanners ... remember those?!?!
I prefer AA’s pass because it has much more info than many other carriers boarding passes ... including booking class, issuing agent/place, and ticket number and coupon.
I prefer AA’s pass because it has much more info than many other carriers boarding passes ... including booking class, issuing agent/place, and ticket number and coupon.