Criterion A Continental Airlines is using technology to produce paperless boarding passes which aims to attract passengers to fly its airlines, which is in its own business interests. Donna Goodison in her article for the Boston Herald says that Continental Airlines is making good use of technology as the subheading of her article states “Continental Customers can board via scanner” (Goodison, 2008). Continental Airlines sends electronic boarding passes to its customers, which their crew scans after which the passengers are allowed to board the plane.
An electronic boarding pass will be sent to the passengers’ cell phones or PDAs. Though due to technolgical limitations such a digital boarding pass can be sent only to phones or PDAs which provide email services. Technology is being availed to full advantage. Currently people are able to board a plane using this system at Logan Inernatinal Airport, George Bush International Airport, Reagan National Airport and Newark (N.J) Liberty International Airport. Therefore, it is very limited mainly because this system of boarding planes was introduced in December 2007 at Houston’s George Bush International Airport. It has not been very long since these paperless boarding passes were introduced.
The introduction of the paperless boarding pass is a step towards increasing ticket sales for Continental Airlines, enhancing their business. On the contrary, security questions arise with the introduction of these paperless boarding passes. How authentic are these electronic boarding passes? In the world we live in today, there is a major concern over security in airports, whether it is effective or not? Security has increased over the years in the world’s airporrts. Will the electronic boarding passes harm this security in anyway? Will travelling be made less safe because of the introduction of these boarding passes?
The development of technology has helped introduce these paperless boarding passes. The electronic passes will contain a barcode image. The IATA (International Air Transport Association) has approved a global digital barcode standard which Continental Airlines uses in its passes. Continental Airlines will send the boarding pass with barcodes to its passengers who have PDAs and mobile phones. “Actually, the digital boarding passes will use something that us Yankees aren’t too familiar with - the QR code.” (Will, 2007) The QR code on the paperless pass needs to be shown to the person who is scanning the passes. The QR code is a two dimensional bar code. The QR code can contain more information compared to the one dimensional barcode. The barcode image on the paperless boarding pass needs to be scanned to confirm ID. The pass will be scanned off the mobile phone or the PDA the same way it would have been done off the paper boarding pass. This scanning will take place on security check points and on the boarding gates.
It is possible that other airlines adopt the system of paperless passes too. Moreover, this system will extend to other airports too. According to the New York Times “Other foreign carriers that use some type of digital boarding pass system include Japan Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Spanair.” (Stellin, 2008) Stellin also mentioned Air Canada as an airline using this system. There are some American carriers too who have started the process of check in using cell phones but the passengers still require carrying pieces of paper till they board the plane, giving Continental Airlines a clear advantage over the other carriers. In the future, mobile phones are being considered to repurchase tickets after a connecting flight is missed. They will also be used for changing seats and upgrading. Moreover, Continental Airlines aims to improve the electronic passes so that it can help more than one passenger to board its plane as right now it only allows a single person to do so. Stellin also quoted in her article “ ‘Our research shows that about 47 percent of frequent travelers are interested in using their phones for flight check in, and about 42 percent said they’d be interested in using their mobile phones as a boarding pass,’ Mr. Harteveldt said.” (Stellin, 2008)
With the introduction of the paperless passes, we can say that the main stake holders are Continental Airlines as well as other airlines and also the passengers. Continental Airlines launched the electronic passes so that passengers are attracted towards flying its airlines and therefore its business flourishes. But has its business really expanded after these passes were introduced? According to Stellin “ ‘Our research shows that about 47 percent of frequent travelers are interested in using their phones for flight check in, and about 42 percent said they’d be interested in using their mobile phones as a boarding pass,’ Mr. Harteveldt said.” (Stellin, 2008) However, recently concerns have been raised over airport security which has been tightened up. In a world where we live in today lack of security especially at airports can make people upset because of the fact that 9/11 has left a wound on people’s minds. The reliability of the passes is questioned. Can they be relied upon because is it possible for anyone to build up fake information which he can use to board a plane with? The authenticity is another ethical issue which is questioned. How is it confirmed that the information sent to the passengers is sent by Continental Airlines alone and not any other suspect? How is it confirmed that the right person received the pass? What if the pass is never received by a passenger? There are so many problems that can occur with the usage of paperless passes. It is possible that many people will not know how to use the paperless passes. These passes can also be accidently deleted off the phone and therefore the person who has accidentally deleted his pass can have problems boarding his plane. There are chances that people forget to bring their cell phones and PDAs to the airport and because of this will have problems getting on to the aircraft. If the cell phone or PDA is not charged and the battery dies before the digital pass is scanned the passenger will then again undergo a problem. The total world’s population is around 6.6 billion and according to the following site there are only 2.7 billion mobile users. (http://cameronmoll.com/archives/2007/01/3_billion_mobile_users_in_context/ Moll, 2007) That means that out of the approximate 6.6 billion people in the world only 2.7 billion people can board a plane using a cell phone. But the number doesn’t stop here; it falls further as only cell phones with email services can be used as an electronic boarding pass. This means that less than 2.7 billion out of the 6.6 billion population can board a plane using a mobile.
4 comments:
Criterion A
Continental Airlines is using technology to produce paperless boarding passes which aims to attract passengers to fly its airlines, which is in its own business interests. Donna Goodison in her article for the Boston Herald says that Continental Airlines is making good use of technology as the subheading of her article states “Continental Customers can board via scanner” (Goodison, 2008). Continental Airlines sends electronic boarding passes to its customers, which their crew scans after which the passengers are allowed to board the plane.
An electronic boarding pass will be sent to the passengers’ cell phones or PDAs. Though due to technolgical limitations such a digital boarding pass can be sent only to phones or PDAs which provide email services. Technology is being availed to full advantage. Currently people are able to board a plane using this system at Logan Inernatinal Airport, George Bush International Airport, Reagan National Airport and Newark (N.J) Liberty International Airport. Therefore, it is very limited mainly because this system of boarding planes was introduced in December 2007 at Houston’s George Bush International Airport. It has not been very long since these paperless boarding passes were introduced.
The introduction of the paperless boarding pass is a step towards increasing ticket sales for Continental Airlines, enhancing their business. On the contrary, security questions arise with the introduction of these paperless boarding passes. How authentic are these electronic boarding passes? In the world we live in today, there is a major concern over security in airports, whether it is effective or not? Security has increased over the years in the world’s airporrts. Will the electronic boarding passes harm this security in anyway? Will travelling be made less safe because of the introduction of these boarding passes?
Good so far.
Criterion B
The development of technology has helped introduce these paperless boarding passes. The electronic passes will contain a barcode image. The IATA (International Air Transport Association) has approved a global digital barcode standard which Continental Airlines uses in its passes. Continental Airlines will send the boarding pass with barcodes to its passengers who have PDAs and mobile phones. “Actually, the digital boarding passes will use something that us Yankees aren’t too familiar with - the QR code.” (Will, 2007) The QR code on the paperless pass needs to be shown to the person who is scanning the passes. The QR code is a two dimensional bar code. The QR code can contain more information compared to the one dimensional barcode. The barcode image on the paperless boarding pass needs to be scanned to confirm ID. The pass will be scanned off the mobile phone or the PDA the same way it would have been done off the paper boarding pass. This scanning will take place on security check points and on the boarding gates.
It is possible that other airlines adopt the system of paperless passes too. Moreover, this system will extend to other airports too. According to the New York Times “Other foreign carriers that use some type of digital boarding pass system include Japan Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Spanair.” (Stellin, 2008) Stellin also mentioned Air Canada as an airline using this system. There are some American carriers too who have started the process of check in using cell phones but the passengers still require carrying pieces of paper till they board the plane, giving Continental Airlines a clear advantage over the other carriers. In the future, mobile phones are being considered to repurchase tickets after a connecting flight is missed. They will also be used for changing seats and upgrading. Moreover, Continental Airlines aims to improve the electronic passes so that it can help more than one passenger to board its plane as right now it only allows a single person to do so. Stellin also quoted in her article “ ‘Our research shows that about 47 percent of frequent travelers are interested in using their phones for flight check in, and about 42 percent said they’d be interested in using their mobile phones as a boarding pass,’ Mr. Harteveldt said.” (Stellin, 2008)
Criterion C
With the introduction of the paperless passes, we can say that the main stake holders are Continental Airlines as well as other airlines and also the passengers. Continental Airlines launched the electronic passes so that passengers are attracted towards flying its airlines and therefore its business flourishes. But has its business really expanded after these passes were introduced? According to Stellin “ ‘Our research shows that about 47 percent of frequent travelers are interested in using their phones for flight check in, and about 42 percent said they’d be interested in using their mobile phones as a boarding pass,’ Mr. Harteveldt said.” (Stellin, 2008) However, recently concerns have been raised over airport security which has been tightened up. In a world where we live in today lack of security especially at airports can make people upset because of the fact that 9/11 has left a wound on people’s minds. The reliability of the passes is questioned. Can they be relied upon because is it possible for anyone to build up fake information which he can use to board a plane with? The authenticity is another ethical issue which is questioned. How is it confirmed that the information sent to the passengers is sent by Continental Airlines alone and not any other suspect? How is it confirmed that the right person received the pass? What if the pass is never received by a passenger? There are so many problems that can occur with the usage of paperless passes. It is possible that many people will not know how to use the paperless passes. These passes can also be accidently deleted off the phone and therefore the person who has accidentally deleted his pass can have problems boarding his plane. There are chances that people forget to bring their cell phones and PDAs to the airport and because of this will have problems getting on to the aircraft. If the cell phone or PDA is not charged and the battery dies before the digital pass is scanned the passenger will then again undergo a problem. The total world’s population is around 6.6 billion and according to the following site there are only 2.7 billion mobile users. (http://cameronmoll.com/archives/2007/01/3_billion_mobile_users_in_context/ Moll, 2007)
That means that out of the approximate 6.6 billion people in the world only 2.7 billion people can board a plane using a cell phone. But the number doesn’t stop here; it falls further as only cell phones with email services can be used as an electronic boarding pass. This means that less than 2.7 billion out of the 6.6 billion population can board a plane using a mobile.
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