[nfb-talk] Paperless Boarding Passes

Michael D. Barber m.barber at mchsi.com
Sun Jan 25 20:48:55 UTC 2009


I don't think totally paperless boarding passes will be a reality for quite 
some time.  That would almost require everyone to own a cell phone which is 
unrealistic.
Having said that, I do believe the NFB should be actively pursuing an 
accessible solution to this while it's still in its infant stages.

Michael Barber
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tanna S." <tshoyo at neb.rr.com>
To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Paperless Boarding Passes


>I flew to Baltimore, MD to visit a friend and I flew on Northwest.  All I 
>had for a ticket was a piece of paper that they scanned before I got on the 
>plane.  I will be interesting to see what they plan to do with the 
>paperless system.
>
> Tanna Shoyo
> Lincoln, NE
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michael Hingson" <info at michaelhingson.com>
> To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 11:13 AM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Paperless Boarding Passes
>
>
>> All,
>>
>> No policy has yet been put in place.  Paper boarding passes have not been
>> discontinued.  Paperless is still in the EARLY testing phases.  No 
>> policies
>> are yet an issue.  Now is the time to help the airline industry insure 
>> that
>> we are not left out.
>>
>>
>> Michael Hingson,
>> NSA
>> President,
>> The Michael Hingson Group
>> 84 Bahama Reef
>> Novato, CA 94949
>> Phone Direct number (415) 827-4084
>> Fax number (415) 883-6220
>> Mobile/Pager (888) 965-9191
>> Email
>> info at michaelhingson.com
>> <
>> mailto:
>> info at michaelhingson.com>
>> For information on Michael's speaking topics, his availability, and his
>> consulting services on Diversity and Access Technology for blind persons
>> please
>> visit <
>> http://www.michaelhingson.com>
>> For information on Guide Dogs for the Blind please visit <
>> http://www.guidedogs.com>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of dmgina
>> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 7:56 AM
>> To: william.ritchhart at sbcglobal.net; NFB Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Paperless Boarding Passes
>>
>> what happens for us then if we are not able to do this.
>> How much would the cost of the paper pass be.
>>
>> --Dar
>> www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/5779
>> Every saint has a past
>> every sinner has a future
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Wm. Ritchhart" <william.ritchhart at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-indiana at yahoogroups.com>;
>> <indiana-l at acb.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 8:05 AM
>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Paperless Boarding Passes
>>
>>
>>>I just finished reading an article on coming changes in the airline
>>>industry in 2009.  Here is a quote from the article that should concern
>>>all of us.
>>>
>>> "
>>> Five Big Changes Coming to Air Travel in 2009 By Jessica Labrencis,
>>> SmarterTravel.com Staff "
>>>
>>> .
>>>
>>> "
>>> Paperless Boarding Passes
>>> Paperless boarding passes are the wave of the future, and will become
>>> more widespread this year. You'll soon be able to download a boarding
>>> pass to your PDA or cell phone, and scan the barcode at an airport
>>> security checkpoint scanner, eliminating the need for a physical
>>> printout.
>>> Continental was the first U.S. airline to test paperless boarding
>>> passes in late 2007, and has since expanded its Mobile Boarding Pass
>>> option for departures from Austin, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, New
>>> York's LaGuardia airport, Newark, San Antonio, and both Reagan and
>>> National airports in Washington, D.C.
>>> Other carriers, including Air Canada, Alaska, American, Delta, and
>>> Northwest, are also beginning to introduce paperless boarding options
>>> for travelers.
>>> "
>>>
>>> The problem with the airlines providing the paperless boarding pass
>>> option develops when what starts as an option becomes a requirement.
>>> I have been pricing cell phones and the mobile Speaks software lately.
>>> My Talks card for my Nokia 6620 died nearly two years ago.  So the
>>> phone is useless to me for all it's features other than telephoning.
>>> Think about this paperless option.  When it becomes required, as it
>>> surely will over time.  You will be charged extra for using a paper
>> boarding pass.
>>>
>>> At the same time you are expected to use your cell phone not just to
>>> board a plane, you will be expected to also use it to complete
>>> transactions in every other imaginable and yet unimagined area of your
>>> life.  The cell phone is already being used like a credit card and/or
>>> bank debit card in Japan.  It is just a matter of time before this
>>> convenient way of doing things takes hold here in the United States.
>>>
>>> My next question for us all to contemplate is how many blind folks do
>>> you know who have the $300.00 to $600.00 to purchase a cell phone and
>>> software to make it translate the text into speech.  The carrier that
>>> I work for cuts you a discount on the software.  But none of there
>>> phones cost less than $149.00 with a two year contract.  Any sighted
>>> person has numerous phones to choose from that are free with a 2-year
>>> contract and less than $100.00 with no contract.
>>>
>>> Clearly one of our top priorities as a group of concerned activist of
>>> and for the blind should be to get the Telecom act passed with a
>>> provision that all cell phones that are offered for sale by the
>>> carriers be useable by whomever buys them, be they sighted, blind or
>> disabled.
>>>
>>>
>>> THANKS, WILLIAM
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfb-talk mailing list
>>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>
>>
>>
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