Do you "smartphone"tickets?

[gcgang]

Just returned from a Vegas trip. I'm starting to have confidence/be comfortable relying on my phone for tickets instead of printing them or getting them at the counter.

It's kind of cool to be able to just have them scan a pattern on my phone to get on the plane.

In addition, while there, I was watching the Az-Oregon basketball game on TV, and heard announcer Bill Walton talk about Ringo Starr and his All Star band also playing in Vegas the next night. I got on my phone, bought tickets, and again, never went to a box office, just used the thing on the phone to get in.

Do you use this technology?

Btw, my 14 year old daughter went to the concert with us. Ringo's band included the keyboard guy from Santana's original band, and guitar players from Toto and Mister Mister, not huge favs of mine, but it was great to hear their hits. He also had one of my all time favs, Todd Rundgren. When asked how she liked the concert, my daughter said, now I know how you feel when she makes me listen to her music. Lol.




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[Alan]

We flew a LOT last year, mostly in Australia but also some in the US and Canada and never printed a single ticket or boarding pass. I didn't have a smartphone at the time, but did have an iPad so would do the online check-in and get the boarding pass electronically onto my iPad. Since we always had bags to check the person at the desk where we dropped our bags would always print out boarding passes for us.

We have iPhones now and I would definitely feel comfortable using the boarding pass with scan code.

 

[explanade]

United Airlines is inconsistent about its mobile boarding passes. On some routes, it doesn't offer them, sometimes because the airport doesn't support it.

The way I figure it, I have to check bags anyways so I'm going to the kiosk or the counter and might as well have them print it.

On occasion, I've had to show them my boarding passes to get credit for miles flown so I keep them too.

I use vouchers for some tours that I book and more and more, Viator is allowing electronic vouchers but a lot of tour operators don't even check any more because they get your name and they know you've paid.

It would be nice if more stores took coupons that you don't have to print out. Some businesses are slow to do that. One pizza place here didn't like that I printed out a coupon from a web site because they could have unlimited number of coupons that way.

But slowly they're catching up.

 

[pb4uski]

I did that some in the year before I retired. It was very convenient.

 

[Ronstar]

I've used the phone for Southwest Airlines boarding passes for the past several flights. Very convenient.


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[akck]

I used my phone for the first time last year. I've always liked having the paper boarding pass in hand, but one time when I checked available seats, it wouldn't let me change it until I checked in. So, I checked in and found the whole process to be much easier. Now, I have to convince DW to follow suit.

 

[kaudrey]

I did it for a business trip two weeks ago. No problem! I like not having paper.

 

[Cat-tirement]

I've used the phone for Southwest Airlines boarding passes for the past several flights. Very convenient.

Two or three years ago I did a bunch of flying with Southwest and was always disappointed that they didn't support this, and their phone app was generally lagging the others in other ways. Nice that they have caught up in this respect.

 

[ERhoosier]

Two or three years ago I did a bunch of flying with Southwest and was always disappointed that they didn't support this, and their phone app was generally lagging the others in other ways. Nice that they have caught up in this respect.

Sometimes it ain't just one airline. If the scanning hardware at the gate is down, its quicker to have that paper as a back up

 

[rodi]

I just used the phone scan ticket thing for the first time in February. I was a little worried about how it would work at the TSA check - since you used to have to show your boarding passes... but I just held up my phone with that scannable blob - and they let me through. LOL.

In addition, while there, I was watching the Az-Oregon basketball game on TV, and heard announcer Bill Walton talk about Ringo Starr and his All Star band also playing in Vegas the next night.

I saw Bill Walton IRL just the other week. Where I park my car to pick up the kids after school is less than a block from his house/estate. He walked right by my car.

 

[48Fire]

Just returned from a Vegas trip. I'm starting to have confidence/be comfortable relying on my phone for tickets instead of printing them or getting them at the counter.

Do you use this technology?

He also had one of my all time favs, Todd Rundgren.


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Yes, loved it! A little worried it was not going to work, but absolutely no problems. Used it for a flight last month, and Billy Joel concert New Years Eve.

BTW, saw Todd Rundgren a few times in the late 70's. Very underrated in my opinion.

 

[48Fire]

I saw Bill Walton IRL just the other week. Where I park my car to pick up the kids after school is less than a block from his house/estate. He walked right by my car.

Always been a big Bill Walton fan. Heard him as guest DJ on E Street Radio recently. He is very passionate about life, sometimes a little over the top, but better to err on that side. One of the greatest college players of all time.

 

[Meadbh]

Electronic boarding passes have been my preference for at least 5 years. Limitations have included no availability for some international flights and the need to keep the phone charged. In addition, when I was w*rking, I would usually have to book and pay for my own travel expenses and apply for reimbursement afterwards. Documentation of boarding was required even when it was obvious that I had been at the event and must have gotten there by plane! So I would print the electronic boarding pass to a PDF.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I bought my 73 year old dad flights for he and mom to go visit my sister in Vermont last year and he asked me if he needed to go up to the airport and pick up his tickets.
LOL, no dad, just...no.

But I definitely had to give him paper boarding passes, even though he has a "smart" phone. Old school to the max!

I love having mobile boarding passes on the phone. It was so easy to check DH in for his flights to and from Chile last month and just message them to him to use.

 

[Nikita]

I volunteer at LAX and I see how risky it is to completely depend on your handheld device without a paper backup. Its not that hard with most airlines to print it out at a kiosk or before you leave your home or office and may save you from missing your flight.

 

[samclem]

Paper only. In my shirt pocket. More convenient and more reliable than using my smartphone.

 

[braumeister]

I have attended some medium size events (several hundred people attending) in the last year or so where the only way to get admission was through an app on my phone that displayed a scannable QR code.

Simple and I heard of no issues with it.

 

[Which Roger]

I have attended some medium size events (several hundred people attending) in the last year or so where the only way to get admission was through an app on my phone that displayed a scannable QR code.

Simple and I heard of no issues with it.

So people who don't own a smart phone can't get in to these events?

 

[braumeister]

That was the case at these. Brave new world, I guess.

 

[someguy]

e-ticket all the way. Always have charger in carry on.

I don't see what the big risk is. Worst case, you have a device die right before security and have to go to a kiosk or agent to get a paper ticket.

 

[Tractor guy]

I generally prefer to print boarding passes or tickets for events but am slowly creeping to using my smart phone. If I'm at home, I have easy access to a printer. The same can't be said for when I'm traveling. The smart phone app lets me avoid the will call window and the line in front of it.

A smart phone boarding pass with Southwest saved me from having to overnight in Philadelphia last year. I was giving a deposition for an a**sh**le lawyer who started late and, despite repeated reminders of my schedule, persisted in running the deposition late. I jumped in the cab 45 minutes before my flight was scheduled to leave and 30 minutes travel time from the airport. Checked the flight in transit, found it was delayed & decided to try to catch it. Checked in (in the cab as I rolled up to the airport). steamed my way through security and walked on the plane just before the shut the doors. If I had stopped at a kiosk, I wouldn't have made it. This was the last flight of the day.

 

[robertf57]

Don't like to be dependent on the phone. Have had more than one phone run out of battery at the end of the day. I always print the boarding passes.

 

[nash031]

Yes. iPhone 6 battery lasts entire days very easily even when surfing quite a bit. I've used it for baseball games, a beer fest, and airline tickets. I can't remember the last time I printed a boarding pass for a flight... maybe two years ago?

 

[Chuckanut]

I have been delayed several times by phone passes that did not seem to work for some reason. I always print a boarding pass for that reason. If they started [-]charging for a printed boarding pass[/-]. Never mind, I don't want to give the airlines any ideas.

 

[braumeister]

Yes. iPhone 6 battery lasts entire days

And the nice thing is that even when an iPhone starts showing its age and battery life begins to diminish, all you have to do is put it in a Mophie case and you can double its battery capacity.