PDA/Blackberry Check-In
 

hey all,

So I regularly fly out of DCA and see that CO offers the PDA/Blackberry Boarding Passes. Has anyone actually used this and had any sort of issues or success?

I once did the PDA/Blackberry Tickets for a Washington Nationals Game and was looked at with befuddlement by the gate agents at RFK and had to walk around the stadium to figure out who the hell to go to....Thus I am very wary of this, but do like the idea of paperless. Any personal experiences?

Russh884

Tried it for the first time this morning in EWR, with no problems, but not done it at DCA.

Best bet when you are trying it for the first time is the carry a paper copy in your bag as backup. Also, remember to alert the WTMD operator who will take a look at your PDA, then have you put it through the x-ray.

Other than not longer having a piece of paper to store/throw away when I'm done, I'm not really sure if the new technology benefits me much.

If you print a copy of the boarding pass at the airport I think it may invalidate the digital version.

I have tried the PDA check-in a few times and for safe measure I printed my boarding pass beforehand and the PDA check-in did not work. Other than that, it's worked fine for me at IAH.

I use it all the time at IAH, and despite some issues when it was first launched there, it works well now. A couple of tricks that will help — At security, the TSA agent has to hold the phone at an angle where the screen does not reflect the overhead lights. Usually this means holding the phone perpendicular to the floor. Holding it parallel to the floor and aiming the scanner down at it usually means the overhead lights cast reflections on the phone's screen, which prevent the scan from reading the bar code. Also, at the gate, angle the phone up a little toward you so that the scanner's beam hits the bar code at an angle. Laying the phone down flat under the scanner almost never works. Angling the phone up a little so it's facing you works much better.

I love the new system and wish it would get rolled out at more airports. It's nice to not have to keep up with a piece of paper, and if this system could get widespread adoption, it would prevent a lot of waste generated by printing boarding passes.

Ditto to ssullivan's comments and experiences.

In addition to inventing a clip to keep the toilet seats up on the Boening fleet (:rolleyes:) I'm going to invent a piece of plastic to rest over the scanners to eliminate overhead glare for the PDA BP's.

The process is simple, and I've walked a couple of TSA agents through it, that had never seen it before. :rolleyes:

The only ongoing kerfuffle at EWR is in the dilemna of showing your BP after you go through the metal detector. I usually say "I have an electronic BP on my blackberry. Do you want to see it before I put it through the x-ray" and then the answer varies wildly.

You know, cause the "standardization of airport security" is oh so standardized. :rolleyes:

And Useful!!:rolleyes:

I used it at DCA two weeks ago. It took TSA an extra minute or two because the first scanner didn't work. Once scanned, the agent pointed me out to another at the metal detector that I was using the paperless boarding pass since the blackberry still goes through the x-ray. At the gate, I scanned the blackberry myself to board.

On the return from IAH, TSA's scanner worked on the first try. No probs at the gate either.

Nice to be able to go paperless.^

Can you use it for connecting flights?
 

I am connecting through EWR. I realize I'll have to have a paper pass for at least my first flight to EWR, but would like to try this out for the sake of novelty. Will it give you an electronic boarding pass for the flight out of EWR? My guess is no, but never hurts to ask.