World airlines organization sets standard for mobile phone check-ins

The International Air Transport Association, a trade organization representing most of the world’s airlines, said last week it has developed a “global standard” that could permit flight check-ins worldwide by mobile phones or other wireless devices. The airline would send an electronic “boarding pass” to the customer with a bar code, which could be scanned at the airport, eliminating the need for a paper boarding pass. “Historically, airline global applications for mobile phone technology have been restricted due to different regional formats,” the organization said. IATA has set 2010 as the deadline for member carriers to use bar codes on all boarding passes, a change that it said will save airlines $500 million annually. Passengers who use Internet check-in already use bar-coded boarding passes that they print themselves.