United planning smartphone check-in and mobile boarding pass for Australia
By David Flynn, March 23 2011
United is hoping to add Australia to the list of countries where it offers mobile check-in and digital 'paperless boarding passes'.
Mobile check-in enables passengers to check in for their flight through a mobile version of the united.com website on their smartphone from 24 hours before the time of departure.
The mobile boarding pass option displays a two-dimensional bar code along with customer and flight information on the phone's screen, which is scanned and validated at the airport's security checkpoint and boarding gate.
Both services are already available to United customers departing from airports in London Heathrow, Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels and Geneva.
Zurich, Moscow and Osaka already have mobile check-in but not mobile boarding passes. Frankfurt, Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong airport are also slated for the mobile upgrade in the coming months.
A United Airlines spokesperson told Australian Business Traveller that "due to Australian border agency requirements we are unable to offer mobile check-in and paperless boarding in this market at present", but added "we are currently in discussions with airport authorities and will make an announcement when these new services become available in this market in the future."
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
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