Paper boarding passes may soon become a thing of the past. Tony Douglas, CEO of Saudi Arabian airline startup Riyadh Air, announced that the carrier will not offer printable boarding cards. Douglas expects that paper boarding cards will be eliminated in three to five years.
In actuality, this is not a radical remark, as most airlines are moving away from paper boarding passes and toward digital technologies.
Airlines regard digital as the way of the future, claiming that mobile boarding passes, among other things, improve productivity and minimize waste.
Perhaps Tony Douglas is accurate, but some claim that paper passes are still necessary for some members of the traveling public, while others simply prefer paper over digital. In this essay, we look at the history, present, and future of airline boarding cards.
A brief history of airline boarding permits.
The airline boarding card has changed shape over the years. As new technology advanced and more people became aware of the benefits of air travel, more efficient ticketing processes and distinctive boarding pass designs emerged.
Previously, readers of Simple Flying had to purchase and print their tickets at the airport. On the day of travel, a passenger would check in with this ticket at the airline’s desk and be given a boarding card for the aircraft. Although it is still used over the world, it is becoming less common.
As time progressed, alternative ways were devised, and traditional paper boarding cards became less popular. The internet introduced the globe to the convenience of online ticketing, which was soon followed by online check-in.
Tickets produced from a home computer and mobile boarding cards quickly became the standard. Here’s a quick history of airline boarding cards, starting in the 1950s, when air travel really began to grow:
- 1950s – The traveler received a paper ticket jacket with their name, flight number, and destination written on the exterior.
- 1960s – Airlines began to use adhesive tabs to reflect passengers’ seat assignments. When a person checked in, these tabs were stuck to their ticket jacket. As time passed, the first individual boarding cards were introduced.
- The 1970s saw the introduction of the first computer-printed boarding permits.
- 1980s – Magnetic strips were introduced to tickets, allowing all ticket information to be stored on the ticket itself. Additionally, the ticket and boarding pass were printed on the same card, separated by a perforation.
- In the 1990s, bar codes replaced magnetic strips. The IATA eventually published a standard for barcodes. 2D codes were introduced to provide extra security and encryption capabilities. In the late 1990s, the first online ticketing and check-in alternatives were offered.
- 2000s: By the mid-2000s, the first mobile boarding permits were launched.
- 2020s – More flight travelers use mobile boarding cards than printable boarding passes, as the move toward digital technology continues.
Mobile boarding passes
A mobile boarding pass is digital and accessible by smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. It contains a scannable QR code, which must be scanned at the boarding gate before a passenger can board the plane. Mobile boarding passes are believed to be more secure than traditional paper passes since they protect the passenger’s personal information from prying eyes.
Riyadh Air is not the first airline considering replacing paper boarding permits in favor of mobile boarding passes.Ryanair intends to phase out paper passes in 2025. In May 2023, Emirates started requiring most passengers departing Dubai to utilize a smartphone boarding pass rather than a printed paper version.
Alaska Airlines no longer offers paper boarding passes at check-in kiosks in the US. However, travelers who cannot use a mobile boarding pass can still print one at a counter.
Taking a screenshot of one’s mobile boarding pass can be useful in the event of technical issues or a lack of connectivity. Sharing this photo on social media may disclose a traveler’s personal information, making them exposed to hackers.
On a recent domestic flight with American Airlines, it was noted that the majority of customers used a mobile boarding pass rather than traditional paper permits.
This appears to be a prevalent trend in air travel nowadays, while most airlines still provide a printable pass for people who prefer a paper boarding pass or do not have a smartphone or device that supports mobile boarding pass technology.
Advantages of Mobile Boarding Passes
There are various advantages to using mobile boarding cards, the most notable of which is that it saves paper and reduces waste. However, that is not the only reason why most airlines and customers use this digital technology. A few other benefits of using mobile boarding cards are outlined below.
- Customers can download the pass on their mobile and go directly to security and the boarding gate. There is no need to go to a kiosk or a desk to print a boarding card.
- Any modifications to a traveler’s itinerary are promptly reflected on the boarding pass. There is rarely a need to print a new pass, as was the case previously.
- Mobile boarding passes are more secure in protecting a passenger’s personal information from prying eyes.
- It is less likely that a client will forget their boarding pass on a flight or lose their mobile boarding card during connections.
- It allows airlines to decrease expenses and boost scalability by eliminating the need to print paper passes for each individual passenger.
Cons of mobile boarding passes:
The most serious issue with mobile boarding passes is that they are easily replicated using screenshots or images. If a passenger’s ID is not correctly validated, someone may obtain entrance to the terminal’s secure section and board an aircraft illegally. This has the potential to cause a critical security risk.
Mobile boarding cards have few disadvantages in terms of passenger convenience and travel efficiency. According to Stafanie Waldek of Travel + Leisure magazine, printing boarding tickets is still recommended due to potential complications with mobile devices.
“There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to determining which sort of boarding card is best for you; both work just well. But when it comes to air travel, we like to play it safe, so we also recommend printing out your boarding pass.
Here are some potential concerns a passenger could encounter with mobile boarding passes:
- Depending on the duration of the trip, a passenger’s mobile device’s battery life may be very low or dead when making connections to the following flight.
- When connecting on international flights in certain countries, travelers may be required to submit a paper boarding permit to customs agents.
- Sometimes a dead spot at the gate makes it difficult for a customer to download or access their most recent mobile boarding ticket.
- The app may time out just as a passenger approaches the security screening checkpoint or boarding gate. Though not a severe concern, it has the ability to extend the procedure.
- Some passengers, such as unaccompanied youngsters or parents with newborns, may still require physical boarding permits to be printed.
Overall, the advantages of mobile boarding cards outweigh the disadvantages. There may be some complications, but the most of them can be resolved by flying with a power bank (where permitted), snapping a screenshot of the boarding pass, or saving it to one’s digital wallet.
For passengers concerned about concerns with mobile boarding cards, most airlines still allow them to print a boarding permit at airport ticket kiosks. It never hurts to print a backup.
The future
Tony Douglas indicated that Riyadh Air will not use paper boarding passes, but that mobile boarding permits will disappear as more airlines adopt biometric scanning. Many people in the airline business share this opinion.
Emirates highlighted that some registered passengers may already use biometric machines in Dubai to ensure a smooth transition via airport connections.Sherry Stein, chief of technology for the Americas at SITA, stated:
“Our vision of the future is one in which passengers can glide through airports using their face as their boarding pass, with the ability to travel from anywhere to everywhere without ever needing to show their travel documents.”
A sentimental voyage.
Digital technology is the wave of the future, promising to make air travel seamless and smooth. Paper boarding passes may soon be a thing of the past. However, for many tourists, going paperless represents a sad departure from the days when boarding cards were a tangible reminder of life’s travels.
Many people have saved their boarding tickets as souvenirs of remarkable journeys, keepsakes from family vacations, and reminders of significant accomplishments.
In some ways, this is similar to how some people prefer print books to eBooks. In an increasingly digital age, many people still prefer material, tactile objects that do not vanish as quickly. Nonetheless, if Tony Douglas is correct, paper boarding cards will be eliminated in three to five years.