New policy? Carry your boarding pass on board...
May 13, 2018, 11:37 am
#77
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: LAX/SMF/PDX/HNL
Programs: Hilton-lifetime diamond, Southwest A+, companion pass
Posts: 1,748
Boarding at SMF yesterday the gate agent told those using smart phone passes to turn up the brightness to maximum and "if you are having trouble scanning your pass, we will ask you to step aside and let other passengers board while you fix your phone."
That would solve many objections to electronic BP use.
That would solve many objections to electronic BP use.
May 13, 2018, 11:53 am
#78
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Wallet and Google Pay automatically lock auto-rotate and turn brightness to maximum.
Even with optimal settings on one's phone, it does seem to take very slightly longer to scan it vs a paper BP. There's no reason it should be this way, this is a problem with Southwest's systems, not the mobile boarding pass technology. (Yes, shocking that a Southwest IT implementation is less than ideal.)
One hopes they fix this... eventually.
Even with optimal settings on one's phone, it does seem to take very slightly longer to scan it vs a paper BP. There's no reason it should be this way, this is a problem with Southwest's systems, not the mobile boarding pass technology. (Yes, shocking that a Southwest IT implementation is less than ideal.)
One hopes they fix this... eventually.
May 13, 2018, 1:22 pm
#79
Join Date: May 2007
Location: MDW
Programs: WN CP & A-List Pref, HH Gold, Marriott LT PP
Posts: 708
May 13, 2018, 6:43 pm
#81
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,461
Even with optimal settings on one's phone, it does seem to take very slightly longer to scan it vs a paper BP. There's no reason it should be this way, this is a problem with Southwest's systems, not the mobile boarding pass technology. (Yes, shocking that a Southwest IT implementation is less than ideal.) One hopes they fix this... eventually.
One hopes they fix this... eventually.
May 13, 2018, 9:22 pm
#82
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 159
I use mobile all the time. Once it wouldn't pull up when I was like 2 people away at TSA, so I just let a couple people go ahead of me and then walked up when it had stopped spinning! Google Pay integration will be nice to avoid that problem.
I've never even had issues with boarding with a BP on a smart watch on Delta when they let you do that as well!
I've never even had issues with boarding with a BP on a smart watch on Delta when they let you do that as well!
May 13, 2018, 10:49 pm
#84
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Season tickets to the Golden Knights at T-Mobile, always digital, scans instantly. Perhaps because it's all relatively new equipment... but still.
May 14, 2018, 12:43 pm
#85
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors LTDia, Marriott Plat
Posts: 639
May 14, 2018, 8:05 pm
#86
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: DFW, DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, SWA A-list +
Posts: 1,007
I seem to always have wifi pick up and create a pop up to join on my phone as soon as I try and show the BP at TSA. Stopped this by taking a screen shot of the BP, and then keeping wifi off. easier than using the BP in the app.
not sure if this would help on battery life, but it might since you dont need to have cell or wifi connection for it to work (i take the screen shot the night before)
not sure if this would help on battery life, but it might since you dont need to have cell or wifi connection for it to work (i take the screen shot the night before)
May 16, 2018, 10:06 am
#88
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,966
It's actually faster at the TDC to use a phone (which NEVER has any scanning issues) as you can drop your phone on their reader and remove it; if you use paper they all do that stupid "write a term paper on it" BS- which we now know is more stupid and useless security theater, since electronic BPs don't get nor need such treatment. I asked a TSA about that once- surprise, he didn't know the answer.
May 16, 2018, 11:55 am
#89
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Phone is definitely faster at security. The only scanning issue I've ever had was when WN's PreCheck, despite showing, wasn't scanning correctly. Which was a (temporary) WN IT issue.
This is offset slightly by the need to put the phone away before you enter the scanner (paper can stay in your hand), but I just slide mine into my backpack as I put it on the xray conveyor belt.
This is offset slightly by the need to put the phone away before you enter the scanner (paper can stay in your hand), but I just slide mine into my backpack as I put it on the xray conveyor belt.
May 21, 2018, 1:53 am
#90
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,775
It's been many years since I've had to wait for a kiosk at the airport to print out my boarding pass.
I have a flip phone because it's easy to use and has buttons instead of swipe everything.
I have a flip phone because it's easy to use and has buttons instead of swipe everything.