Etihad Launches Mobile Boarding Passes

Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways has introduced mobile boarding passes on select routes for those using its mobile online check-in facility.

The new mobile boarding passes will contain the same information as traditional passes including the traveller’s name, seat number, flight number, gate number and a barcode, which will be scanned by an electronic reader at the departure gate.

Passengers can receive mobile boarding passes directly on their smartphone, allowing more flexibility, Etihad said in a statement.

The new programme offers “increased check-in options, reduces paper wastage, eliminates the risk of boarding pass loss, and enables the storage of multiple boarding passes on one mobile device,” the company said.

Currently the new feature is available for those travelling from Abu Dhabi (excluding flights to the US), London Heathrow, Manchester, Doha, Colombo, Dammam, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Istanbul, Minsk, Munich, and Tokyo Narita.

Peter Baumgartner, COO, Etihad, said: “Our aim is to simplify and streamline the departure and boarding experience. The elimination of paper boarding passes will be more convenient for our guests and reduce our environmental footprint, which is good for the guest, the business and for the environment.”

The number of airport gateways equipped with the mobile boarding pass readers will “steadily increase”, Etihad said.

The airline, which recorded a 48 per cent jump in 2013 net profits to $62 million, carried 11.5 million passengers last year. It flies to over 100 (existing or annoucned) destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.

The carrier announced plans to buy 49 per cent of Alitalia earlier this week and currently holds equity investments in airberlin, Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia, Aer Lingus, Air Serbia and Jet Airways.