Phone as airline boarding pass coming to American Airlines

The US airline industry, with airlines still using decades-old planes and FAA air-control computers running less processing power than the smartphone that’s being used to write this post, isn’t exactly quick to adopt new technologies. But, they’re slowly starting to catch on.

In their search to attract more customers and streamline operations, American Airlines has announced that they’re shunning paper-based boarding passes and e-tickets in favor of using electronic boarding passes. The cellphone-as-boarding-pass program is now available to American Airlines travelers departing from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

American is offering eco-travelers looking to save a few trees and techie-flyers alike the option to use their mobile phone as an electronic boarding pass. Upon checking-in via AA.com (which now has a mobile version), American will email electronic boarding passes to customers with email-capable cellphones. These e-boarding passes contain barcodes that can be scanned by TSA security personnel and American Airlines gate-crews at O’Hare.

The move follows similar programs rolled out by Continental Airlines and Delta Airlines at select airports across the US. Continental launched their own electronic boarding pass program last year, followed by Delta’s own phone-based paperless boarding pass program earlier this year.

American says it will expand the program to American Airlines travelers departing from Los Angeles International and John Wayne Orange County airports starting November 17.

Now, with US airlines starting to finally embrace technologies like in-flight internet access and mobile phone-based boarding passes, we’re sure to see the FAA start to upgrade their antiquated air-control system. Right?