Is it time for better airline boarding passes?

[anat0l]

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

That is hideous!

If Mr Thompson thinks that Delta's BP is a ****ing joke, he needs to see the AA one!

Not sure why Delta needed to offset the Destination field marker from the other field markers on the second line. And time written as "510P"? Ridiculous - how uneducated are they? Not even a computer could recognise that as a time - write it properly!

His designs are infeasible especially if they are required at a ridiculous pace (until good colour thermal printers become available and affordable, and even then); as has been shown in some of the comments and admissions they also break design and readability principles anyway.

Prefab BPs are pretty normal. A good example is LH BPs from German airports, which are nice coloured board with a LH FA in the background (as a faded backdrop). Unfortunately, that's all that looks nice about the BP. There are no field markers on the main part of the BP, only on the counterfoil part. And what is it with the Star Alliance (or at least some of them) and needing to print the fare basis/class on it, e.g. a big "M" or "Y"? M wasn't even the fare code I was travelling on, and it looked really ugly being printed in all asterisks. BA print their BPs completely from blank stock.

QF BPs aren't actually that bad, but none of the detail except for the seat number actually stands out. And I think QF could improve their BPs by adding emphasis in other places. I'm glad QF BPs don't have a field about smoking any more, because I think it goes without saying now that you can't smoke at all on any IATA member airline. And in the US it is on lighted signs, on placards and smoke detectors are in toilets, so there's no chance of being sued by idiot pax who claim ignorance.

From his designs, the main points seem to be:

• Departure Gate. Moot in AU domestic, it is rarely printed on the BP! US people flying domestically might just gripe about that! Let's not forget last minute gate changes (not sure how often that happens in the US), but all of the sudden your huge "29" might just lead you to the wrong gate, especially if there is nothing to say "Please check the flight information boards for the most up-to-date status of your flight, including possible gate changes".
• Departure Time. Fair enough. QF don't make this a big deal on their BPs; NZ does.
• Seat. Du'h.
• Boarding Zone, which is not something which happens in AU. If it really needed to be accommodated, I suppose they could add it in the comments/service information (which isn't optimal)

 

[Dave Noble]

Not sure why Delta needed to offset the Destination field marker from the other field markers on the second line. And time written as "510P"? Ridiculous - how uneducated are they? Not even a computer could recognise that as a time - write it properly!

A computer doesn't need to read it; Using timeformat of am/pm is pretty comming in timetables in the USA; that it may be different does not imply uneducated.

Dave

 

[notzac]

And in the US it is on lighted signs, on placards and smoke detectors are in toilets

You forgot the crewmember instructions about seatbelts and smoking

He also overlooked FF number and status.. clearly not much of a flyer himself!

 

[harvyk]

I personally have no problem with the current design of boarding passes. I don't like the QF thin paper one (the ones that come out of the self checkin machines) but I don't mind the cardboard \ plastic ones given out by the checking staff \ QP staff.

I just find that the paper ones can get a bit damaged, especially as quite a few places from CBR require a stop over in either SYD or MEL (or take the one flight of the day to other destinations, which are not always at the most convenient times, plus don't forget that a SYD \ MEL stopover from CBR oftan adds no additional cost, but it's an automatic minimum 10sc's \ 1000ff points) and the other times the paper ones are not much good is when you check both the flight to the destination and the return. At the end of a day that paper boarding pass which usually sits in my laptop bag or in my top pocket is no longer looking as good as the cardboard \ plastic variety.

 

[auriga]

I like nice coloured boarding passes rather than plain white ones like BA!

 

[drewbles]

I like nice coloured boarding passes rather than plain white ones like BA!

I like any card (boarding or otherwise) that enables me to walk up to a door and be told 'Please turn left Mr drewbles. Your seated in seated in 1A today' or 'Welcome to the First lounge Mr drewbles'

 

[Dave Noble]

I like any card (boarding or otherwise) that enables me to walk up to a door and be told 'Please turn left Mr drewbles. Your seated in seated in 1A today' or 'Welcome to the First lounge Mr drewbles'

Indeed. Functionality is what I want from a boarding pass ; if it says 1A for a flight on an EK A380 on a plain boarding pass or 68B on a QF flight on a delightfully looking BP, I know which one I want..... Once onboard the BP becomes redundant

Dave

 

[anat0l]

A computer doesn't need to read it; Using timeformat of am/pm is pretty comming in timetables in the USA; that it may be different does not imply uneducated.

I guess I used the phrase "not even a computer could read it" to imply that computers are dumb (read: only as smart as the humans that designed it desired it to be). I also have no problem with using AM/PM rather than 24-hour time (despite the latter being more economical, concise and much less prone to error).

But would you write the time as 510P? How many people would? Ridiculous. Write it properly as 05:10 PM or 5:10PM or whatever - put the separation marker in there. I'm willing to bet that every style guide around the world will tell you that when writing a 12-hour format time, you need a separator, and most common in the US is a colon. For 24-hour time (of which I've learnt is much, much less understood in the US than what I'm lead to believe ), writing the time without a separator is perfectly fine and is most preferred; you cannot leave out the separator for a 12-hour time.

Indeed. Functionality is what I want from a boarding pass ; if it says 1A for a flight on an EK A380 on a plain boarding pass or 68B on a QF flight on a delightfully looking BP, I know which one I want..... Once onboard the BP becomes redundant

Some people may need their BP after a flight for different purposes, e.g. proof of carriage for baggage or other claims, entry into arrivals or onwards lounges, souvenir, retrospective claiming of FFP credit or immigration purposes. The collective cases within the list I've mentioned is probably small, but large enough to not write off the BP straight away.

This is why I don't like BPs going to all thermal paper and I especially dislike the JQ and DJ BPs which look like a supermarket docket. We should get that blogger to take a slice at those kinds of BPs.

As drewbles has suggested, having differently designed BPs can also help in quickly revealing other information such as class of service. Having a nicely done up BP also adds in a minor way to exclusivity; yes the functionality hasn't changed. As a parallel, you might wonder why it is necessary to have a bunch of flowers in the Business and First class bathrooms? The flowers are fake, they don't have a smell, and they do not add to the functionality of the bathroom. So get rid of them?

(Unfortunately, QF are seeking to make all BPs uniform design, e.g. when I went on my recent trip to Europe and I travelled BNE-SYD-BKK-LHR-FRA, I got proper F stock BPs in BNE but when I got to the SYD F Lounge they reissued me new BPs with the new uniform BP stock with space for barcodes. This is the new standard and I would have needed such a BP anyway because LHR also run on the same kind of system. QF aren't the only ones doing this kind of uniform BP system, but at least some airlines around the world are holding out.)

 

[dot]

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.

When checking in for CX flights on the web, they will optionally send a 3D barcode to your phone which can be used when boarding the plane. The PushWAP message also includes boarding details such as gate, time etc.

 

[davidj-bell]

I'm glad QF BPs don't have a field about smoking any more, because I think it goes without saying now that you can't smoke at all on any IATA member airline. And in the US it is on lighted signs, on placards and smoke detectors are in toilets, so there's no chance of being sued by idiot pax who claim ignorance.

OT - AA's MD80s still have a sign down in the galley telling FAs not to smoke while preparing food.