Is it time for better airline boarding passes?

[thewinchester]

Caught this while on twitter this morning:

BOARDING PASS/FAIL

Hello there.

Thanks for flying Delta. I am sure you are no doubt trying to figure out what the cough* to do with the piece of paper you have in your hand right now. You're confused, and you just want to get on your flight, it's cool, we don't really care, and we sure as hell don't want to make this process easy and enjoyable for you.

Instead, we hired a small, blind, parakeet to lay out your boarding pass, you know, just to keep you guessing. Have fun.

While we're all professional flyers here, and should know the information printed on our BP's anyway (looks around, checks screen for gate number), what do you think? Is this just a designer who's got his knickers in a twist, or is there a real case for some airlines to have a long hard think about their boarding pass design?

 

[mannej]

Looks like someone with too much spare time.

I could find all the info I needed on the original, however I do agree it is not aesthetically pleasing. It is not part of the job description of a boarding pass to look pretty though...

 

[drewbles]

Looks like a whinger for whinging's sake.

Looks fine to me, especially when you compare them to some BP's out there of BA and AA.

It's logical, neat, clear and as for spacing? It looks ok to me. Has all the necessary information for the date/flight/destination/seat/gate etc.

I think it's time for this guy to stop whinging and just enjoy the flight

If he really wants to complain about a boarding pass, try the AA one below:

 

[dede]

I had no problem reading all the info on the original Delta boarding pass. Designers are a strange lot!

 

[docjames]

It'll all be electronic soon enough - why bother redesigning a piece of paper?


edit: has he considered how much more ink his design will use compared to the original?

 

[thewinchester]

Looks like a whinger for whinging's sake.

If he really wants to complain about a boarding pass, try the AA one below:

Christ, that AA BP is insane. Basically they've taken what you used to get in the days of paper tickets and made that the BP.

edit: has he considered how much more ink his design will use compared to the original?

Agreed, the designs are very ink intensive particularly that white text on black background - which will have to be printed in full. Alan Joyce won't be happy with spending a extra cent per boarding pass issued

 

[drewbles]

Agreed, the designs are very ink intensive particularly that white text on black background - which will have to be printed in full. Alan Joyce won't be happy with spending a extra cent per boarding pass issued

His designs, whilst some were 'pretty' are exactly just that. Designs.

Boarding passes are not meant to be pretty. They're meant to be functional and provide information for both the passenger, and the gate agent boarding the aircraft. Less clutter is better (hence why I feel the DL one is perfectly serviceable for both parties).

Designers are like Architects. They do some very pretty things, but when it comes down to it, a lot of it is wildly unfeasible (I used to work in the building industry doing quotes from plans - When a customer bought in a small architectural firm's plans, you knew nothing would be a 'standard' size and everything had to be made to order, often bumping the price 4 or 5 fold over a standard size).

We need the architects and designers to dream, and the engineers (non aviation variety ) to keep our feet on the ground

If you read all the post, it makes mention that someone said 'BP's are usually thermal' and then they did some B&W designs, which were probably worse than the DL ones. prettiness != functionality in all cases

 

[samh004]

If he really wants to complain about a boarding pass, try the AA one below:

That is the ugliest boarding pass I’ve ever seen

I had no problem reading all the info on the original Delta boarding pass. Designers are a strange lot!

Likewise, sure it wasn’t particularly appealing, but it was all there.

It'll all be electronic soon enough - why bother redesigning a piece of paper?

Soon it’ll just be a receipt that you get when you scan your FF card.

edit: has he considered how much more ink his design will use compared to the original?

I thought that too, all the colour he added, etc, seems he didn’t think of how much more that would cost when you’re printing millions of boarding passes a year!

 

[RrabbitohOne]

AA boarding passes are notoriously hideous! They are even worse when they put a giant "PRIORITY ACCESS" line across the front of the card.

When are they going to get around to just giving you a boarding pass on your IPhone? It would make life much easier.

 

[serfty]

Christ, that AA BP is insane. Basically they've taken what you used to get in the days of paper tickets and made that the BP.
...

It's actually thin cardboard, not dissimilar to the Qantas ones with the magnetic strip.

They actually used the same stock for computer printed paper tickets; for the 20 segment DONE4 I puchased in 2005, the actual paper tickets booklet was initially around 12mm thick.

 

[drewbles]

It's actually thin cardboard, not dissimilar to the Qantas ones with the magnetic strip.

They actually used the same stock for computer printed paper tickets; for the 20 segment DONE4 I puchased in 2005, the actual paper tickets booklet was initially around 12mm thick.

And BA did that as well. BP/Ticket was the same stock. And it's hideous yes But as long as that PRIORITY AACCESS does it's job, I don't mind

 

[davidj-bell]

Looks like someone with too much spare time.

I could find all the info I needed on the original, however I do agree it is not aesthetically pleasing. It is not part of the job description of a boarding pass to look pretty though...

I think his biggest beeef is that the boarding gate is not clear. But then this doesn't allow any last minute gate changes.

Perhaps he has bad eyesight, as his other whinge is to have the information in big bold letters.

 

[samh004]

When are they going to get around to just giving you a boarding pass on your IPhone? It would make life much easier.

Not everyone has an iPhone. Then again, not everyone is a FF. In terms of cost cutting and saving the environment it’ll come down to presenting all the information on the cheapest piece of paper, a receipt

 

[Dave Noble]

Not everyone has an iPhone. Then again, not everyone is a FF. In terms of cost cutting and saving the environment it’ll come down to presenting all the information on the cheapest piece of paper, a receipt

That's all that is needed. just a small piece of paper that has name, seat number and flight details. No need for the huge boarding passes currently , except maybe places where there is no electronic recording of passengers boarded


Dave

 

[davidj-bell]

That's all that is needed. just a small piece of paper that has name, seat number and flight details. No need for the huge boarding passes currently , except maybe places where there is no electronic recording of passengers boarded


Dave

The boarding passes from the self-check-in at Perth were on paper similar to that paper from the credit card machines when you purchase goods, but had colours on it and looked like a normal boarding pass, the Jetstar ones are simply print outs stapled together. It works.

 

[thewinchester]

That's all that is needed. just a small piece of paper that has name, seat number and flight details. No need for the huge boarding passes currently , except maybe places where there is no electronic recording of passengers boarded

You're suggesting something similar to Air NZ's proximity sticker which has been discussed previously on the forums, or ANA's Skip service (detailed workflow graphic)

For ANA, you can use either your membership card, your electronically issued boarding pass with a 2D barcode, your mobile phone if its received the 2D barcode as well, or a compatible linked mobile w/built-in proximity loop. It gives you a small checkout-style receipt with all the information you need.

I've considered using the downloaded OLCI PDF file to my big screened smartphone, and loading that up to check-in assuming my seat assignments haven't changed. However, I don't know how well it will scan plus likely to receive very confused looks gate staff and FA's will be when I hold up a mobile with my details, barcode and seat assignment.

 

[notzac]

I've considered using the downloaded OLCI PDF file to my big screened smartphone, and loading that up to check-in assuming my seat assignments haven't changed. However, I don't know how well it will scan plus likely to receive very confused looks gate staff and FA's will be when I hold up a mobile with my details, barcode and seat assignment.

Did this for s..ts and giggles about 6 months ago on a flight - GA was more than happy to give it a go; didn't scan on first attempt, but worked fine on the second. Thought that was cool. The FA at the door didn't want a bar of it however; I wasn't getting on the plane until I presented the printed version.

I'll stick to BPs printed at the airport for now

 

[Mal]

That's all that is needed. just a small piece of paper that has name, seat number and flight details.

Yep, I don't care about the artistic merit, or even the readability merit of a boarding pass. It's something that I use to get on a very large bus. I might keep it, but as long as it has the information above it's practical.

 

[david870mdg]

Well, considering that airlines still print manifests with dot matrix printers....
Whinging about BPs is hardly news.

O/T how is QFs rollout of the WP / SG "chip" cards for seemless boarding?

 

[drewbles]

Well, considering that airlines still print manifests with dot matrix printers....
Whinging about BPs is hardly news.

O/T how is QFs rollout of the WP / SG "chip" cards for seemless boarding?

QF Announced it would be rolled out in PER from later this year, progressing to the rest of AU in 2011. Still a bit off