Since the inception of commercial flying there has been a multitude of technological innovations making it easier for airline passengers to get through the airport, on the plane and on their way to their destination. Kiosk check-in, for example, has made it simple for those with only a carry-on to simply swipe their credit card or passport and receive their boarding passes right away.

Over the last few years American Airlines has begun instituting, at over twenty airports, mobile bardcode boarding passes that allow their passengers to simply show security and airline employees a scanable barcode stored on their cell phones. After testing this at a few airports, American started to roll out mobile boarding passes to more airports in hopes of expediting the check-in and security process, making flying less of a hassle for their passengers.

As with most innovative technology, there will most likely be glitches and apprehension in regard to the security, but as cell phones become more and more integrated into our daily lives through smart phone technology, the prevalence of these types of applications will increase. More airlines, including United, Continental, Delta and Alaska have already begun accepting mobile boarding passes as well.

The TSA (Transportation Security Adminitration) seems to be on board too, stating in their blog that “paperless boarding pass[es] will … prevent fraudulent paper boarding passes that could be created and printed from home”.

See the complete list of airports where American is currently accepting mobile boarding passes here. Interested in trying out a mobile boarding pass? Book a flight and let us know how it goes. And remember, Student Advantage Cardholders get 10% OFF flights worldwide with American Airlines!