Effortless boarding

travel tip: Get your boarding pass on your phone.

Just last night I dreamt about missing a flight to Europe because I misplaced my passport and my boarding pass. I consider that a nightmare because that’s one of my biggest travel fears. It’s bad enough I have to haul around luggage and two carry-on’s through the airport, but keeping up with my boarding pass and ID is a headache in itself. Let’s face it. Traveling is fun but it doesn’t come without its share of stresses.

Before: Friends Alexandra and Katie express their frustration of air travel during a stressful flight.

As soon as the 24-hour window before my flight opens up, I’m always quick to get online and check-in. (This tactic  learned after the many times I forgot check in before getting to the airport and being forced to stand in long check-in lines just to be told I no longer have a seat on my flight due to my tardiness.) As I was checking in online for a recent flight to Birmingham (dreading the long commute and wondering what obstacles I would be faced with this time), I was given an option to either print my boarding pass or have it sent to my phone. On further inspection of this newfound option, I realized that the airline I was flying was trying to make my life easier. Finally!

Many major airlines are giving passengers the option of selecting an electronic boarding pass that will put your boarding pass on your phone and put you through security and on the plane with more ease. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the airlines scan an encrypted two-dimensional bar code on your phone that has your travel information. No more crinkled, torn or lost boarding passes! Although the program is still in the testing stages, only a few airlines, including Continental, American and Delta, and several airports accept e-boarding passes on your phone. Get the full rundown of the program by visiting TSA.

After: We're all smiles after learning about e-boarding passes!