Last week, American Airlines announced that passengers traveling from selected airports (Chicago's O'Hare, Los Angeles International and John Wayne Orange County) will be able to receive their boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or PDAs, saving the time it takes to print out and present a paper boarding pass at the airport. The mobile boarding passes use a two-dimensional (2-D) barcode, which must be entirely visible (the backlight needs to be in the brightest mode possible) when going through the security checkpoint. If the scanner cannot read your barcode, you will be directed to a kiosk where a paper-boarding pass can be printed.

The process for obtaining a mobile boarding pass is straightforward: When travelers check in for their flight using American's Web site, AA.com – either the desktop or mobile versions – they have the option to receive their boarding passes on their cell phones or PDAs. If this option is selected, they will get an e-mail with an Internet link to their boarding pass. Anyone with bags to check can also use this new option by scanning the boarding pass on their cell phone or PDA screen at American Airlines self-service machines, ticket counters, or curbside check-in facilities.

There doesn't appear to be a fee for the mobile boarding pass. This could be a time saver and very convenient if the scanning equipment works. Just think, no more fumbling with an 8 x 11 piece of paper!

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