what is your experience with online check-in, qr codes, kiosks and printed boarding passes?

nevernevermore, 3 months ago

Hey friend, there’s no need to fear the possibilities. If you are the person named on the ticket you will be able to board. Tickets nowadays can be scanned a multitude of ways, most airlines I’ve flown with the same scanner can read QR codes, barcodes and whatever the SMS style code is called. This isn’t about reducing options for you, it’s about increasing them. If you feel more comfortable with a printed boarding pass then they will be happy for you to do that.

But in answer to your question, there’s nothing special about the cardboard the passes get printed on, it’s just to make it less likely that you’ll lose it or throw it away accidentally. But even then, you can just present ID at the ticket gate, they’ll verify that you’re who you say you are and let you on. So what I’m saying is; give it a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose.

Socsa, 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago)

In addition to what others have said, paying for bags or seat upgrades when you check in online or in the app is usually cheaper than it is at the airport.

MTG8175, 3 months ago

I went into a restaurant here in NYC a out 6 months ago after a long smoke session and was asked to scan a QR code to get the menu. Being too high to operate a phone I told then I didn’t have a phone and they insisted that was the only way to get a menu.

I promptly told them to fuck off and soon realized the only other place to eat for at least 2 blocks was a vegan burger shop. It turns out the vegan burger place had the most bangin burgers I’ve had in years, though that just may be the herb talking.

All in all a satisfying experience.

primalmotion, 3 months ago

it never fucking works. I gave up and just go to the counter and say I can’t use any form of computer because it’s against my religion. Then it takes a few second after that and off I go.

intensely_human, 3 months ago

“It is against my religion to be represented in computer memory in any way. Therefore I’m requesting paperwork processing.”

“Paperwork processing!”

An old gentleman with a monocle is wheeled in.

“May I have your identification sir”

mrmule, 3 months ago

I’ve been traveling full time for 5 years. I always when possible check-in online. I always screenshot my boarding pass so it’s in my gallery and available without internet. (same goes for any any other documents that may be required) No need for Google wallet, seems like an unnecessary step to me.

corsicanguppy, 3 months ago

I also share the pics of my passes with my wife ever since I dropped my phone and smashed its face the day before coming home.

mrmule, 3 months ago

Exactly, same

stealth_cookies, 3 months ago

Loading boarding passes in Google Wallet is nice, I don’t belive you need internet once it is loaded. The airline apps can be great or mediocre. A positive example was from I flew United in the summer and had a tight layover at a large airport I had never been to. As soon as I landed it popped up and provided the instructions for how to get to my gate. No issues with spam from the apps, I always just delete them when I’m done with the trip as I don’t fly that often.

HobbitFoot, 3 months ago

The airlines I fly with will generally only send information about my flight when I fly with them, since I have a flight with them and the app is the cheapest option for them to interact with me.

If an app tries to send you an ad after your flight, you can always delete the app later.

solidgrue, 3 months ago

Never had an issue for as long as I’ve been using them, which is pretty much ever since they were available. I don’t even bother with paper backups anymore because if my phone dies I can just present my credit card that secured the reservation, or my ID, at a kiosk or to a gate agent and get a paper copy.

If you’ve managed to lose your wallet AND your cell while traveling, then frankly you’ve got bigger problems than whether your boarding pass was digital or not.

It’s pretty foolproof, and it’s VERY convenient. Go for it.

terminhell, 3 months ago

I do both. In case I lose my phone, or some kind of outage. It cost basically nothing to have more ways of not being potentially broke or stranded.

vodkasolution, 3 months ago

Fine!

FartsWithAnAccent, 3 months ago

Never had problems with them. My new air fryer uses them so I use them several times a week to make easy prep meals or common freezer items like pizza rolls or whatever. Boarding passes have never been a problem either, though I don’t usually fly because it’s a pain in the ass.

KingJalopy, 3 months ago

Just use the kiosk at the check in line. It will print out for you and only takes a minute.

thragtacular, 3 months ago

I have only used a printed boarding pass once, when I decided last minute to take an extra bag and had to pay at the airport. They printed a new pass.

Otherwise, it's all been apps. Plane or train. App.

You can add the boarding pass to whatever wallet is on your phone. No wifi needed.

If you get ads from signing up for the app you just unsubscribe from them. It's pretty easy.

Rentlar, 3 months ago

So long as you have the QR Code/bar code available and printed out, then you will be fine. Many places will allow you to just pull up a screenshot of the code that was sent to your email on your mobile device. I dislike installing apps I don’t need so I try to use alternatives where I can.

Failing that your name and reservation number (for airlines it is a 6 character alphanumeric string) should do the trick but then you still need to go to a kiosk or checkin counter.

_edge, 3 months ago

Short version: Follow the instructions you received, it will work.

Long version:

• Printed PDF on regular paper will always work. Just make sure that the 2D barcode (usually rectangular) gets printed. (Some countries may have other codes for domestic flights.)
• Mobile boarding pass with 2D barcode (usual square) also works on (practically all) airline/airports. (You don’t need an internet connection, but if you receive this via email make sure it’s available offline. If it’s an airline app, make a screenshot. If it’s Apple/Google Wallet or Passbook, don’t worry.)
• As you noticed above, the print and mobile versions look different. Both will work.
• Most airlines have kiosks where you can get a printed boarding pass whether you checked-in online or not. This is your back-up option if your phone’s battery is about to die, the mobile boarding pass does not work, or there was an operational change that requires a new boarding pass.
• Tiny airports that don’t work with mobile boarding passes will have staff to print the boarding pass for you.
• If you are checking in luggage with a human agent, you will probably get a printed boarding pass.

If I download the airline’s app to […], will the airline spam me with ads I don’t want?

Probably yes. Or the app just refuses to work. Airline apps deserve the bad app store rating.

Can I both print the boarding pass at home AND get the qr code to print the boarding pass at the kiosk?

With sane airlines, yes. Standard protocol is to use the last boarding pass generated. So, if for any reason, you get a new boarding pass at the airport, you will use this, not the one printed at home or on your phone. Some airlines will not accept the old barcode or it confuses their system.

Apparently there is something called ‘receive boarding pass by sms’. How does this work?

Old system. They will send you an MMS message or a link. If you don’t have internet at the airport, you must download the link before you get there.

Another short version: Always have three things with you:

• The booking reference, usually 6 characters
• a valid ID
• whatever you received from the airline during booking or check-in

Booking reference and last name are the magic code that will get you a boarding pass most anywhere.