Resolved Using iPhone for Airplane Boarding Pass

[BigMcGuire]

I spent the last few weeks traveling to several places around the world for work and had the opportunity to use my iPhone as a boarding pass many times. Pretty cool! Only question I have is --- is there any way to make it stay on the screen longer?

This was a very common scenario I saw with other passengers as well. We'd line up to board the plane and people would pull up the boarding pass on their phones, walk up to the counter and by the time they'd get up to the counter - their phone had gone to sleep. This happened to me as well - even though I have a 5 minute screen timeout, the Apple Wallet boarding pass screen seems to times out within 30? seconds.

Is there a way to change this?

The only way to get around this, from what I can tell, is to turn on the phone, press/hold the American Airlines (or United) app or swipe it from the lock screen - brings up your boarding pass almost instantly - but you have to time it just right or it will turn off by the time you get to the gate or you'll be pissing off people behind you as you fumble to open it up when it is your turn.

 

[44267547]

The iPhone timing out perhaps is over ridden by Apple Wallet. Especially being you has selected five minutes. I'm not sure if there is a workaround for this. This is a good question. But that's awesome you were able to use your iPhone for a digital boarding pass. Technology is awesome and convenient.

 

[BigMcGuire]

The iPhone timing out perhaps is over ridden by Apple Wallet. Especially being you has selected five minutes. I'm not sure if there is a workaround for this. This is a good question. But that's awesome you were able to use your iPhone for a digital boarding pass. Technology is awesome and convenient.

Agreed - flying still sucks horribly (wait times to get onto the plane, seats are way too small for my 5'11 220+ pound frame, and flight delays), but being able to use my phone at the TSA and at the gate was one less piece of paper I had to worry about - and it worked really well. You just set your phone down on the scanner, it beeps (with a green light) and you're good to go - far faster than them comparing your ID to your paper ticket. I loved it. Quite a few other people were using their phones too.

 

[Shirasaki]

I saw this at somewhere long time ago saying that Apple did limit the screen timeout to a very short period (even shorter than 30s) to save battery.

 

[bufffilm]

Can't you take a screenshot of the boarding pass (from the app) and just have Photos open to that shot as you approach the counter?

Am I missing something here?

 

[Phil in ocala]

I spent the last few weeks traveling to several places around the world for work and had the opportunity to use my iPhone as a boarding pass many times. Pretty cool! Only question I have is --- is there any way to make it stay on the screen longer?

This was a very common scenario I saw with other passengers as well. We'd line up to board the plane and people would pull up the boarding pass on their phones, walk up to the counter and by the time they'd get up to the counter - their phone had gone to sleep. This happened to me as well - even though I have a 5 minute screen timeout, the Apple Wallet boarding pass screen seems to times out within 30? seconds.

Is there a way to change this?

The only way to get around this, from what I can tell, is to turn on the phone, press/hold the American Airlines (or United) app or swipe it from the lock screen - brings up your boarding pass almost instantly - but you have to time it just right or it will turn off by the time you get to the gate or you'll be pissing off people behind you as you fumble to open it up when it is your turn.

***************************************************
I tried that leaving France in 2014...they would NOT accept it

 

[bufffilm]

***************************************************
I tried that leaving France in 2014...they would NOT accept it

And your point is what?

Some things can change in 3 years...sometimes it's called progress.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Can't you take a screenshot of the boarding pass (from the app) and just have Photos open to that shot as you approach the counter?

Am I missing something here?

How interesting. Haha. I should have tried that considering I took screenshots of the tickets to send to the wife so she could follow the flights.

My next business trip is August - I'll try then.

 

[harlenmm77]

Can't you take a screenshot of the boarding pass (from the app) and just have Photos open to that shot as you approach the counter?

Am I missing something here?

How interesting. Haha. I should have tried that considering I took screenshots of the tickets to send to the wife so she could follow the flights.

My next business trip is August - I'll try then.

It definitely works and it's how I do it with jet blue. Much quicker to go through multiple boarding passes, plus you can send a pass to someone that is flying with you in case you get separated.

 

[eyoungren]

And here I thought being able to print out my boarding pass 24 hours before my flight and then just walk past the ticket counter was cool.

I guess 2008 is so nine years ago!

 

[ET iPhone Home]

Agreed - flying still sucks horribly (wait times to get onto the plane, seats are way too small for my 5'11 220+ pound frame, and flight delays), but being able to use my phone at the TSA and at the gate was one less piece of paper I had to worry about - and it worked really well. You just set your phone down on the scanner, it beeps (with a green light) and you're good to go - far faster than them comparing your ID to your paper ticket. I loved it. Quite a few other people were using their phones too.

This technology with using smartphones as boarding passes has been in existent for years now.

 

[I7guy]

There are obviously a lot of people using their phones to show their boarding passes at airports. I've never noticed a slowdown because of it. But I stopped doing it, after I saw somebody drop their phone while showing the boarding screen. The screen didn't crack, but it got me thinking and after that it was paper all the way.

Now if I had a digital drivers license and didn't have to take it from my wallet...

 

[BigMcGuire]

This technology with using smartphones as boarding passes has been in existent for years now.

Yeah it's really cool - first time flying for a few years .

There are obviously a lot of people using their phones to show their boarding passes at airports. I've never noticed a slowdown because of it. But I stopped doing it, after I saw somebody drop their phone while showing the boarding screen. The screen didn't crack, but it got me thinking and after that it was paper all the way.

Now if I had a digital drivers license and didn't have to take it from my wallet...

What bothers me the most is if the TSA rep / Airline Gate employee wants to take my phone from me and place it on the scanner. Let's just add a ton of germs to my phone and share with everyone else's phone you've touched. Also, funny enough, I was surprised at the number of people who started their flight with 0 battery life. The number of people trying to charge their 1%-5% phones minutes before boarding was ironic.

What really got me was... I was able to bypass at least 3 lines where I would have had to wait 30-40 minutes because I had a mobile boarding pass and I had checked in on my iPhone. That immediately got me hooked.

And yeah, you're right - the slowdown wasn't major at all - very minor. But it was very apparent if someone had an iPhone because the Apple Wallet very quickly shut off the screen - I was one of those people once - managed to open it at the right time during the other boarding sessions.

As seen by this thread, obviously I was missing something (just use the screenshot). I figured it had to phone home like Apple Pay. lol.

 

[silverblack]

A couple years ago in some small airport in the US. I checked in online, and walked right to the security screening. But airport security insisted that I have paper boarding passes. It was probably because they were marking some codes on the boarding passes.

Had to line up to checkin counter and get them to print one. Since then, I always have papers as a backup.

 

[bufffilm]

I haven't flown since 2012.

I always print the boarding pass and have a screenshot as a backup because i never leave anything to chance (some airports like to see the ticket also as you navigate thru security), but I can see why others may elect to go paperless.

It's one less thing to worry about, but look out if your phone gets stolen, or has no charge, or goes on the fritz. then you got multiple things to worry about and you're not getting on the plane to boot.

Not a good way to start a vacation or a business trip.

 

[BigMcGuire]

After reading the above - yeah, I may just get the paper too as a backup. Thanks for the help/info all.

 

[I7guy]

Yeah it's really cool - first time flying for a few years .



What bothers me the most is if the TSA rep / Airline Gate employee wants to take my phone from me and place it on the scanner. Let's just add a ton of germs to my phone and share with everyone else's phone you've touched. Also, funny enough, I was surprised at the number of people who started their flight with 0 battery life. The number of people trying to charge their 1%-5% phones minutes before boarding was ironic.

What really got me was... I was able to bypass at least 3 lines where I would have had to wait 30-40 minutes because I had a mobile boarding pass and I had checked in on my iPhone. That immediately got me hooked.

And yeah, you're right - the slowdown wasn't major at all - very minor. But it was very apparent if someone had an iPhone because the Apple Wallet very quickly shut off the screen - I was one of those people once - managed to open it at the right time during the other boarding sessions.

As seen by this thread, obviously I was missing something (just use the screenshot). I figured it had to phone home like Apple Pay. lol.

The bolded. And in the off-chance they drop your phone...oops you're on the hook for it. That is why, in addition to I don't want to drop it, why I would rather use paper.

 

[mi7chy]

Unless there's a reward incentive, paper boarding pass is still quicker, more reliable and without the risk of dropping a $900 phone while juggling the usual carry-on and laptop bag. I only use e-pass as a backup.

 

[swarlos]

I use my  Watch!! Even better and you don't have to worry about dropping your phone or having those TSA agents touch your phone!

 

[HDFan]

I find it much simpler just to have a paper copy and put it in my visa (since most of my travel is international). That way I don't have to hand over both my visa and my phone - I just hand over the visa with the paper ticket in it. And I always know that I've got all my paperwork as I can see the pass in the visa in my pocket. It just isn't worth the hassle of getting the phone out, bringing up the app, and then finding out if the scanner will actually read the image from the phone, which it sometimes doesn't.

 

[arkitect]

I find it much simpler just to have a paper copy and put it in my visa (since most of my travel is international). That way I don't have to hand over both my visa and my phone - I just hand over the visa with the paper ticket in it. And I always know that I've got all my paperwork as I can see the pass in the visa in my pocket. It just isn't worth the hassle of getting the phone out, bringing up the app, and then finding out if the scanner will actually read the image from the phone, which it sometimes doesn't.

I am with you.
I love the convenience the iPhone and its Android cousins bring in many ways, but this scenario is where I am happy to stick to paper.

 

[macduke]

I spent the last few weeks traveling to several places around the world for work and had the opportunity to use my iPhone as a boarding pass many times. Pretty cool! Only question I have is --- is there any way to make it stay on the screen longer?

But that's awesome you were able to use your iPhone for a digital boarding pass. Technology is awesome and convenient.

The first time I used a digital boarding pass was in 2007 when I flew from MCI to MCO to see my grandparents in the Melbourne, FL area. I used a barcode in an email or on their website on my first generation iPhone and it worked like a charm. So this tech isn't new. However, I haven't flown since 2014 from STL to JFK and I don't think that airline had the passbook/wallet integration at that time. But that sounds like a pain. Why not use the email/website barcode, or is that no longer allowed for some reason? Can't see how it would be different than the printed version.

 

[iphone1027]

The bolded. And in the off-chance they drop your phone...oops you're on the hook for it. That is why, in addition to I don't want to drop it, why I would rather use paper.

This. I can only imagine how many nasty, germ riddled phones touch the glass to scan phones. I love technology, but I will still use the old paper method for now. I don't enjoy having everyone else's germs on my phone, including the TSA person spreading all the germs they have on their gloves.

 

[harlenmm77]

This. I can only imagine how many nasty, germ riddled phones touch the glass to scan phones. I love technology, but I will still use the old paper method for now. I don't enjoy having everyone else's germs on my phone, including the TSA person spreading all the germs they have on their gloves.

You don't hand the TSA guy your phone. You place it face down over the scanner yourself.

And it doesn't touch the screen, it will scan from several inches above it.

 

[Steve686]

Yeah it's really cool - first time flying for a few years .



What bothers me the most is if the TSA rep / Airline Gate employee wants to take my phone from me and place it on the scanner. Let's just add a ton of germs to my phone and share with everyone else's phone you've touched. Also, funny enough, I was surprised at the number of people who started their flight with 0 battery life. The number of people trying to charge their 1%-5% phones minutes before boarding was ironic.

What really got me was... I was able to bypass at least 3 lines where I would have had to wait 30-40 minutes because I had a mobile boarding pass and I had checked in on my iPhone. That immediately got me hooked.

And yeah, you're right - the slowdown wasn't major at all - very minor. But it was very apparent if someone had an iPhone because the Apple Wallet very quickly shut off the screen - I was one of those people once - managed to open it at the right time during the other boarding sessions.

As seen by this thread, obviously I was missing something (just use the screenshot). I figured it had to phone home like Apple Pay. lol.

You do know that the TSA agent also handles paper boarding passes and your identification while spreading those heebee jeebee germs, right?