bballdad175

I am 100% electronic. I carry no paper boarding passes or travel itineraries. Never had a problem, but I do carry a USB external charger thingie to keep my phone charged.

frappant

I tried mobile passes a few times. A couple of times, the gate agent just printed out a paper boarding pass and told me to use it instead. It was on regular printer paper so they had to hold it flat to scan it at the gate.

Once or twice, the TSA or the agent would take my phone to zoom into the QR or bar code, pan or scroll around to center it.

So I've been just getting the cardboard boarding passes. I don't bother to do OLCI either because I'm always checking bags.

It's a lot easier to have my passport with the boarding passes handy or even carry around. Preferable to having my phone and passport out.

And I'm a person who's big on mobile payments, like not carrying a wallet or physical cards.

But it doesn't work as well for mobile boarding passes.

lincolnjkc

It's kind of like the digital key for hotel rooms... The further my room is from the front desk the less likely my digital key experience is going to be flawless. The few seconds it takes to get a physical BP saves as much time fiddling at the gate (when UA forces agents to use the Mobile Agent Platform for boarding boarding it is painful enough with a paper BP but it is almost comical to watch the mating dance of the phones while agent and traveler puff their respective plumage in order to consummate the boarding ritual "maybe a little closer...further...turn it a little...no the other way"

benewr

Paper as a GS, mobile now as a 1K as I would suffer a great deal seeing this huge PREMIER 1K on the paper BP 😉

bmwe92fan

I feel your pain....

Boraxo

this is a good point. Years ago I tried to use Fast track exit immigration line at CTU and was told to go back to counter to get a paper BP.

I mostly use mobile pass now (saved to apple wallet) for domestic flights but always good to have paper backup.

Chiro1979

Mobile is my first choice but I’ll always print out a paper copy as well (I know it kind of defeats the purpose of the mobile). I’ve found mobile passes are great until they’re not. There’s been a few instances where having a paper back up has saved me so now I mobile check in and add my mobile pass to my wallet, but still keep a printed copy with me just in case.

sonyeoshin

I like having paper BPs as it's also a souvenir of my travels.

miamiflyer8

I do a combination of both. I always OLCI (or at least try to as it doesn't always work) so that I can get a mobile copy. I go to the counter (if the line is short) to get a real cardstock copy as a souvenir, and if on an INTL itinerary I go to the counter (or lounge) to get the DOCS OK. Plus, many foreign airports require/prefer paper bp.

Sadly, I've found that cardstock is getting increasingly rare on UA and instead you get the flimsy thermal paper. Many hubs don't even want to provide full service, it's a kiosk circus where the agent is pressing the kiosk prompts for you. EWR Polaris 1K and IAD Premier come to mind.

tarheelnj

Paper nearly always.
1. Print at home/hotel or at kiosk at airport. I know the print-at-home BPs aren't always accepted by the security line monitors (e.g., EWR), so I use the phone to get into the Clear/Pre-Check line, then the paper BP afterwards.
2. When I want to get on an earlier flight, handing a paper BP to the GA (with the "Premier 1K" showing) can improve my chances of a quick turnaround. Plus, I don't want to hand over my phone.
3. Boarding: I'd rather put my phone away while juggling carry-on and instead use the paper BP.
4. Seat dispute: In the unlikely event of a seat poacher, I'd rather hand my paper BP to the FA/GA than my phone. That of course can initially work for the poacher as well, if they have an old copy of their BP prior to a seat change.

WheelsUpGal

Paper. Last Fall there was no option to “Save to Apple Wallet”. I always get a paper copy anyway, just in case . . .

Repooc17

Hundreds of flights every year, sometimes dozens a week, no paper, por favor. Two exceptions, partner flights, and special flights, but the latter only if I can get them in nice thick paper stock. Difficult to get UA boarding passes in the thick paper stock anyway.

I also never check bags, so I don't get to airport early. Usually arrive as the plane is boarding, head straight to security and gate.

dorisrpas

Paper... Just simpler, for so many reasons

1200GS

I used to be digital but print paper "just in case". I did this for years - but I've given up on paper and I'm digital (app and/or apple wallet 100% now).

In all my years of travel, I've only ever "needed" paper ONE time, when electronic would not have worked. I was on a flight that diverted (ATL bound DL flight that diverted to Huntsville) w/ a forced overnight stay. The next morning, they had to manually check boarding passes at TSA, and if you didnt have one, you had to go to long line at counter, and those w/ electronic passes would not scan, since it was not original airport. Paper passes were checked visually. Because of this, for years, I printed a BP just to have "just in case", but I've given up on that.

AsiaTravel2019

Digital if domestic itinerary. Always paper for international, keeps things simple in other countries.