E-Boarding Pass at DTW
 

Checked in online for my flight today and saw a new option show up for an E-Boarding pass at DTW (note: only for direct flights). I had to try it, clicked and within 20 seconds a SMS message showed up on my phone with a link to the E-Boarding pass with a barcode on my cell phone (PDA). Not wanting to risk missing my flight, I also went back in and printed a boarding pass as a backup, that I never had to use.

I had a lot of questions on how it would really work, especially with having to show your boarding pass when you walk under the TSA metal detector and have to show your boarding pass and you are not allowed to bring your cell phone through. So he is how it went today:

TSA Boarding Pass Check - they have a new bar code reader that you hold your phone up to and it reads the bar code and you show them your ID to match the name that shows up on the screen. They then give you a Tuit (a Poker Chip with TSA on it).

TSA Screening - Just like normal, except you hand them the Tuit instead of showing them your Boarding Pass with the TSA checkers initials on it. Sorry, they have to keep the Tuit, I was hoping to start a new game to see who could collect the most Tuits in 1 year.

WorldClub - I use the Amex Plat. Card, so I have to show a Boarding Pass, ID and the Amex Card. They also have the same bar code reader and I put my phone in front of it and it scanned. Good to go.

Gate - I held my phone on top of the normal reader the GA's use and it read it and I boarded without any problems. The only comment from the GA was the the last guy who tried it, didn't work.

I'm sold, will be using the new E-Boarding Pass from now on. Didn't slow me down; however, I did get a lot of stares/attention from fellow pax's as I pulled out my PDA at screening, WorldClubs, Gate.

Can't wait to try this out.

... and how long until they get this at Delta with their 1-D bar code readers ;)

I saw someone hold their blackberry up to the gate scanner on a CO flight out of IAH 2 weeks ago and I was totally amazed. If it wasn't a 7:00am flight after a sleepless night I probably would have asked him to tell me more about it. I may have to try this on my next NW flight in Dec when I go to DTW.

CO has been doing this for awhile now actually. They initiated it in IAH and then expanded it to EWR. Just last week they expanded it further to CLE and now LGA as well.

I think, generally speaking, it's about a 75-80% success rate. A lot of people have screens that are scratched, etc. which prevents the bar code reader from working properly.

The biggest issue with this idea is that if you get all the way up to the TSA person who checks ID and he/she can't scan your BP you are hosed. You have to go back to the airline counter, print a BP and wait in line again.

-RM

gotta expand to connecting flights for it to have a real use.

I agree. Otherwise you'd just be printing a dupe any way for your connecting flights.

and what happens if your in a hurry and have battery problems....

Should any of us be excited?

Bob H

Although I'm not a member of the paranoid tin-foil-hat wearing club, I don't really like the idea of TSA scanning (storing) my boarding pass. It is just one more step down the stupidity ladder that will result in scanning paper boarding passes too and holding up lines even longer.

Also, how long until terrorists can forge the "tuit" - not sure that it would mean anything for them anyway.

I'll stick with paper, thank you. My blackberry is usually buried in my laptop bag when I get out of my car to prevent loss at the checkpoint.

Tried it at IAH last month with CO and was skeptic, but it worked with TSA, the PC and the gate ^

Each checkpoint they were surprised the scanning worked, so things are not running that smoothly, I suppose.

they, in theory, shouldn't be storing it. Their scanner is supposed to check for a valid key signature in the 3d barcode. This is supposed to prevent forgery, as the signature is almost impossible to reproduce. The TSA could/does already know who flies, or will once they require the airlines to submit all the passenger info for comparison to the NFL.

Does anyone know why it is called a Tuit? Is it some kind of joke, as in "I'll finish my chores when I get a round tuit?" COnsidering it is a round shaped "tuit" I couldn't help but wonder if some TSA suit was pulling a joke when they named the item.

In a way, it would be nice to hear this was a joke name. Never hurts to know the TSA has a sense of humor.

Also, I wanted to note that the original post made its way to the TSA blog: http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2008/11/pape...stimonial.html

Nice to see the TSA link to the Post on FT... who wudda thunk they would link to FT... ;)

The barcode on the cellphone screen is common here in Japan for everything from paying bills, using the subway and of course boarding passes at the airport. Nice to see it's working its magic into the US.

CO also uses the E-boarding pass at DCA. No Tuit there just had to show my screen to the TSA worker at the metal detector and then put my blackberry through the x-ray machine. Was very smooth and worked great. ^