Taking ticketless travel a step further Tuesday, American and United introduced systems that will allow airline passengers to use a one-stop electronic panel instead of lining up in front of gate agents with a boarding pass.
Automated boarding will be available for customers with paid reservations and no bags to check.The venture marks the first real move toward ticketless travel for American Airlines, which until now had only been testing the system on employees. It will start offering the new service at 21 airports in September.
Passengers can insert their American Airline mileage card or credit card into the electronic system and get authorization to board the plane along with confirmation of a seat assignment. Passengers may then go to their seat without stopping at the gate.
United Airlines introduced its original ticketless approach nationwide last September. The boarding pass machines announced Tuesday are only available at San Francisco and Los Angeles, but United plans to install more later this year.
The airline said it also will use roving check-ins for ticketless customers standing in lines at Chicago, Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C. With a swipe of their credit card, those customers will be allowed to proceed to their gates.
The trend toward paperless travel has become increasingly popular for domestic flights. Airlines say the service is quicker for the passenger and saves them money. The ticketless systems cannot be used on international flights since they involve customs, passports and other security details.