No actual figures or percentage of users are also available for passengers flying out of Guam yet since its launching in March this year, but MARQ, the PR firm for Continental Airlines in a recent email, told the Variety that the airline’s corporate information technology office is looking into it.
“The IT Department is currently researching the usage of the Mobile Boarding pass on Guam and Saipan,” Mary P. Torre, MARQ president said.
Continental Airlines is the first airline carrier that launched the paperless or mobile boarding pass on Saipan on July 23, 2010. It is also the first carrier to offer paperless boarding passes in the United States in a pilot program with the TSA in December 2007.
Some passengers who refused to be named said the mobile boarding pass is good for those individuals or businesspersons who are always “on the go” and who make flying a regular part of their lives.
“It can help them reduce the hassles of having their boarding passes printed and hastens the checking in process, but for us ordinary individuals who only travel occasionally, we will still go for the traditional printed boarding passes,” a passenger said.
One passenger said the mobile boarding pass is only for the “tech-savvy.”
“Majority of the people in the CNMI don’t have cellphones yet, although it is becoming a common gadget but you have to have cell phones or PDAs to be able to avail of paperless or mobile boarding pass,” another passenger said.
During the launching on Saipan last July, Continental Airlines-Guam Passenger Service Manager Sylvia Crafton said they hope to eventually increase the number of mobile boarding pass users as they increase the number of airports with paperless boarding pass access.
As of July this year, Continental Airlines had provided paperless or mobile boarding to 48 airports across the nation.
Passengers who use the paperless or mobile boarding passes can check-in online, through mobile or voice applications to retrieve their mobile boarding pass. Upon entering the gate, they will just have to present their identification cards to the Transportation Security Administration personnel and scan the mobile boarding pass barcode at checkpoint scanner.
For a list of airports with mobile boarding passes, or for more information visit http://www.continental.com/web/en-us/content/travel/wireless/default.aspx.
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