bmi makes paper tickets a thing of the past

18 February 2008

Traditional boarding passes and paper ticketing are a thing of the past for UK airline bmi with the help of 3M's document scanning technology, beginning a revolution in airline check-in.

bmi passengers are bypassing paper tickets and boarding passes by using a combination of Internet and mobile phone technology following a successful field trial at Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh and Heathrow Airports.

All passengers who check-in online can opt to receive their boarding passes by text or picture messaging to their mobile phone or PDA as m-tickets. The mobile phone thus becomes the token for identifying the passenger around the airport.

Alternatively, passengers may check in via hi-tech self-service kiosks equipped with 3M RTE8000 document scanners, which are capable of reading m-tickets. This makes it possible to make last minute amendments to an m-ticket on arrival at the airport.

Customers opting to check in online can proceed straight to security or to bmi's fast bag-drop stations if they have luggage to check in.

Here, too, the 3M RTE8000 is the ideal choice. Its ability to read barcodes, including those selected by bmi for its new m-tickets, with speed and accuracy means it is no longer necessary to install a separate 2D barcode scanner. The mobile phone is simply placed face down on the reader. For non-domestic flights, the same 3M RTE8000 can also check passport expiry dates, visa details and various security functions as desired.

The airline, which is now using the paperless system on all domestic routes including London to Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast City and Dublin, aims to minimise the time spent at airports and assist bmi in maintaining its position as one of the UK's most punctual carriers.

bmi's managing director, Peter Spencer, comments: "bmi's new paperless boarding system is a significant step forward and will offer customers the opportunity to bypass check-in processes at the airport, while supporting green air travel."

bmi, renowned for industry innovations, is planning to roll out the new system to more destinations as increased demand from passengers is seeing more self-service kiosks used for international flights – requiring easy-to-use but highly accurate passport scanners.

The 3M RTE8000 satisfies that need by combining tried and tested OCR read technology with a full-page, lay-on passport scanner designed for use in self-service kiosks and automated border control systems.

The passenger simply places their travel document on the 3M RTE8000 scanner glass, holds it still for a second and then removes it when prompted by a beep or spoken instruction. Documents may be laid on the glass in any orientation making it easy to use and encouraging passenger confidence. Poorly issued visas which are skewed or stuck upside down on the passport page are not an issue.

Another key advantage is its ability to scan a range of document types, not just passports. The technology supports all barcode formats as well as OCR, UV, Visible Image, IR and RF chip, making it suitable for identity cards, visas, driver licenses and any other document up to passport size. The use of a multi-purpose scanner, therefore, maximises the limited space available at airports.