Airlines Get More Mobile

Over the past few years, a lot of airlines have really started to take advantage of mobile technology, and in the past couple of weeks we've seen a few interesting developments.

First, Alaska, Alaska-subsidiary Horizon, American, and United have all rolled out mobile boarding passes. Continental has had mobile boarding passes for awhile now, but the airline just expanded the program to London's Heathrow airport, making them the first airline to have mobile boarding passes available for flights from the United Kingdom to the United States.

So why does this matter? Well, I just think of a boarding pass as yet another thing to lose. And I've found that, especially with boarding passes printed online, I just shove my boarding pass into a pocket where it just becomes a crumpled mess. Plus, the mobile boarding pass if you're not near a printer when it's time to check-in. Also, it's really convenient to be able to walk straight to security without printing anything out, and even if checked bags are necessary, having a boarding pass in hand will save time.

Another interesting development is the release of a mobile application for Blackberry, iPhone and Windows Mobile by Alaska last week. Plenty of airlines have websites that are optimized for mobile devices, but I think an app is better because one doesn't have to fiddle with a mobile browser, and instead have an app installed on their phone that has links to all the important functions.

Anyway, you should definitely take a look at some of these handy tools. Also, mobile boarding passes are only available in some areas, so it's good to check the airline's website as you get ready to head off on your trip.