Tanzguy

I just downloaded the new SAA app for the iPhone and thought I would try to check-in on line, and get the boarding pass onto Passport. Worked perfectly, and I have to say I was impressed.

Then I get to security (I just had a small carry on for a regional flight) and security informs me, "oh we don't accept 'those.'" Had to go all the way back to SAA and get a paper boarding pass. I again tried the electronic boarding pass in the lounge, and they couldn't accept it either. Seems like the IT folks at SAA are a bit ahead of Johannesburg airport management and structures.

Cheetah_SA

Not sure what's happening with this recently. It used to work.

But I used an iPhone/Passport stored bp last week in JNB when I was flying on BA. The scanner (i.e. the reader) refused to scan the iPhone 3D code and after a few attempts the agent got so flustered that she just waved me through.

At the BA lounge I mentioned that there had been difficulty reading my bp at security and the agent there said: "Let me print you a paper one". In retrospect it almost seems as if she knew that the problem was pervasive.

Tanzguy

It does seem to be a problem. My LH boarding pass worked at the gate a few weeks ago, but not at security and not in the SA lounge. Looks like they were a bit premature on this one!

thijsseh

Well, I am flying LHR/JNB/CPT tomorrow. Lets see what the difference in experience between LHR and JNB is where 'passport' is concerned. I have used it several times on BA flights between LCY and AMS in the past few months without any hassle whatsoever.
My fear is that my flights may not be credited to my Voyager account (happens regularly ) and they'll want me to send the original boarding passes to that Private Bag in Kempton Park (which, I am convinced, is just a big rubbish bin as never ever happens when you do that). Must I send my iPhone .
SAA and IT are notoriously bad bedmates.....

Cheetah_SA

thijsseh

Just to end this story:
Arrived at the LHR SA check-in. Proudly showed the boarding pass on the iPhone. Agent did recognise it, and said: I am going to print you a BP, as you need to scan it at the entry to security... So she obviously did not know you could scan the BP on the 'phone (at least, I suspect you can as you can do so in T5 as well as at LCY). I smiled, accepted the BP's (also for the onward JNB/CPT segment) and just used the printed ones. Did not want the hassle of trying out the system (especially not in JNB).

I see that the miles for the second segment have not been credited, so it might be good that I have these BP's.....

Cheetah_SA

I used an iPhone boarding pass when flying JNB/CPT last week (on BA). No issues at security, lounge or on boarding. So the system seems to be working at JNB.

When I boarded the flight attendant who looked at my BP seemed slightly perplexed but didn't say anything. I thought she was either unfamiliar with electronic BPs or was having trouble reading it. Only when I got to my seat and wanted to turn my phone off did I realise that I had accidentally flashed an old BP for LHR/MRS!

thijsseh

Well, I am flying CPT/JNB/CPT on BA this coming weekend. Hand luggage only, so I will load the BP's on my iPhone and not go anywhere near a counter. Interesting to see what happens, both in CPT and in JNB.....

thijsseh

Ok, the feedback is: all went well, apart that at security, both at CPT and at JNB, they had to manually 'check me through'. At CPT they tried scanning the BP without success, at JNB they did not even try. But at the gates and on entering the aircraft, all was well.

On a more negative note we had another incident of one of our bags being 'examined' at JNB. On arrival in CPT last night, the lock on one of the bags had een cut off and the bag had clearly been tampered with. Apart from reporting it at the baggage counter, I have also sent an email to the 'crime' email address of ACSA. Wonder if I'll get any response, not holding my breath.
Our experience at JNB is 33% bag tampering on flights departing to transferring. Arriving is OK. But don't let them convince you the stats are improving. They are not!!

Cheetah_SA

Very disappointing that they are still unable - or perhaps I should say unwilling - to put a stop to this.