From online check-ins to choosing a casino to play Blackjack in Britain, technology allows you to do everything from the comfort of your home. Mobile boarding passes allow you to keep all your information in one place. Once you have the app, all you have to do is check-in and download your mobile boarding pass. With the convenience that mobile boarding passes offer, the idea of printing and carrying a boarding pass may seem a little absurd. Here are some reasons why you should never travel with just a mobile boarding pass.
Relying on Your Smartphone Can Be a Bad Idea
Relying on your smartphone to check-in at the airport isn’t always a good idea. While almost every airline will send the boarding pass on your phone, you will need mobile data or Wi-Fi to access it. Chances are that the Wi-Fi at the airport terminal might not work. In such conditions, you will have to leave your queue to print the boarding pass. The airline app can also ask you to update it while showing a mobile boarding pass.
A paper boarding pass will be useful at those airports that want to scan your boarding pass as you approach security. Check-in at those airports will be a difficult task if you’ve already packed your phone into your luggage or placed it inside your pocket with other things. Scanning will become much easier with a printed copy of your boarding pass.
A printed boarding pass is also handy so that you’re not the person trying to wangle your hand-bag while also scanning your smartphone. Also, the more you use your mobile phone at the airport, the more likely you are to end up dropping it or even losing it. The QR code won’t work if you crack the screen of your phone.
Paper Passes Might Be Mandatory
Some airports don’t allow to check in with a mobile boarding pass. EasyJet doesn’t allow mobile passes at 15 airports including Oslo and La Rochelle. It might surprise you that Lufthansa has 40 airports in its network that doesn’t take mobile boarding passes. In some cases, you won’t be allowed to use boarding passes on your return journey even if they were permitted at the start. It’s always good to think about where you’d print a copy at the destination so that you won’t have to find an internet connection at the last moment.
Following Up Afterwards Needs a Paper Trail
In some instances, having a printed boarding pass will make the journey a lot easier for you. If your luggage or suitcase goes missing, a printed copy of the boarding pass will help the airline staff to find it again.
It’s also useful if you’re travelling to various countries, especially if you’re changing airlines. At many airports, you should be able to prove that you’re not travelling illegally. It best to be able to hand over a printed boarding pass to the security officers for the verification process.
