New QuickCheck machine - are trad boarding passes endangered?

[Mal]

Yes - UA have it available on all of their Easy Check-in terminals now in the US. It was by far the easiest way to check in - put the passport photo page on the scanning surface, and it correctly recognised me every time in a second or so.

AA do as well, but I'm not sure if it's on all machines yet.

 

[simongr]

I have mixed emotions on this. Whilst I am all for improving speed and efficiency I do dislike home printed BPs as I end up with large sheets of A4 paper to carry around - not heavy but not as easy to tuck into my passport. I do keep my BPs - mostly for reference when collecting points or writing trip reports

I too use the BPs as book marks.

One concern is the durability of any BPs like the quick check ones you get in the US. If I have multiple flights (maybe not an issue in the future anyway) then I would be concerned that BP four might be tatty by the end of flight 1...

 

[codash1099]

Will the QP check in still issue cardboard stock?

I collect BPs and a thermal paper BP is just not the same thing.

But think of the increase in value when they are no longer being issued. I can see the e-Bay entry 100 years from now......................

 

[Yada Yada]

Now that a legacy carrier like QF has begun down this road, is this the beginning of the end of the cardboard stock boarding pass??

Yep, the sky is falling.

Can't wait for mobile phone BP's in the future. Based on a recent survey I filled in, QF is considering them again and I bet DJ probably is too.

 

[serfty]

I guess I shall have to invest in a laminating machine. I ran my AK and DJ BPs through a laminator and it worked a treat.

Be careful what you laminate, if it's heat sensitive paper you make end up with a piece of plastic covered black paper! :shock:

 

[pauly7]

As far as I am concerned, a boarding pass is just a piece of paper used to identity the flight details and my entitlement to board the aircraft. I don't care what type of paper its printed on or how it is read by the scanner. If paper and barcodes is more efficient for the airline, then it makes sense to use them.

I agree, if it uses less paper and is recycleable then I'm all good!

The only thing I see when I fly Virgin (and when alot of people have printed out paper ones on QF as well) is that it does take longer to check in as people crumple them and the poor gate attendents fluff around trying to get a good scan - whereas the carboard ones are pretty sturdy and go through the machine pretty easily.

 

[Mal]

I agree, if it uses less paper and is recycleable then I'm all good!

Most airlines I've seen use thermal paper rather than normal paper. My understanding is that Thermal paper isn't recyclable at all due to it's chemical content. There are also other concerns over the way it's made and environmental damage from the manufacturing process.

Dunno what's better really.

 

[oz_mark]

Thermal paper is everywhere these days. SHopping receipts, ATM transaction record, credit card transactions etc etc etc.

Pity if is not recyclable.

 

[Tooner]

Can't wait for mobile phone BP's in the future. Based on a recent survey I filled in, QF is considering them again and I bet DJ probably is too.

Oh please please pleas birng them back! Saves trees an'all!

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Perhaps the nice cardboard BPs mean more to the infrequent traveller than to some of us more jaded characters that prefer not to be in planes, and instead and prefer to be in/out as quickly as possible, in the maximum amount of comfort as possible

I remember some of my first trips as a kid, and having a BP and the toys handed out on the aircraft and other various bits-n-pieces were memorabilia of an exciting voyage. It would be a shame to lose those. Surely barcodes can be printed on cardboard stock?