Text message boarding passes from bmi

Paper boarding passes could become a thing of the past after bmi became the first UK carrier to trial a new text-message boarding card system.

Customers who check-in online will be sent SMS messages to their mobile phone displaying a unique barcode that will then be scanned by airport officials at security and during boarding.

The initial trial will take place over the next three months on flights from London Heathrow to Edinburgh and flights to Belfast City from Manchester International Airport.

If the pilot proves successful, bmi has suggested the system could be introduced on other routes in a bid to limit the amount of time passengers have to spend at airports prior to departure.

Airlines in other countries are already making use of similar technology. Lufthansa rolled out text message boarding passes on flights from Hamburg to Munich and Air France has announced that all tickets will become electronic in the future.

The airline will follow recommendations from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and phase out traditional paper tickets making way for text messages with boarding information, starting in June.

© 2008 Adfero Ltd. All rights reserved. Any views and opinions expressed in news articles are not those of Skyscanner. News supplied by Adfero DirectNews.