American Airlines has expanded its bar code-enabled mobile boarding passes to 19 additional airports to provide consumers a simpler traveling process.

Consumers can show the bar code on their mobile phone without having to print and present a paper boarding pass. The airline has 27 airports that have paperless boarding passes.

?At American Airlines, we are constantly looking for ways to make life easier for our customers ? and our employees too,? said Stacey F. Frantz, director of corporate communications at American Airlines, Fort Worth, TX ?Anything we can do to leverage robust mobile technology that is available today into the travel experience is sure to make it a smoother, simpler process.

 ?Mobile boarding allows our passengers to load their boarding pass on their mobile device ? eliminating the need to carry a paper boarding pass to the airport and through security,? she said. ?Our passengers love mobile boarding as well as other mobile technologies.?

Mobile passes
Consumers can use the mobile boarding passes, which has a two-dimensional 2D bar code. The company claims that traveling is now easy and convenient for consumers.

Travelers can go straight to the security checkpoint where they can scan the bar code and then go on the plane.

Consumers must have an active email address where their boarding pass may be sent and an Internet-enabled mobile device where the 2D bar code can be received.

Currently, consumers can list only one person in their reservation.

The 19 additional airports include Denver International, Cleveland Hopkins International, New York La Guardia, San Francisco International, Albuquerque International, Charlotte Douglas International, El Paso International, Houston George Bush Intercontinental, Jacksonville International, Little Rock Adams Field, Memphis International, Oklahoma Will Rogers World, Orlando International, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Salt Lake City International, San Antonio International, San Diego International, Tulsa International and Washington Dulles International.

?However big mobility is today, it?s only growing exponentially in its popularity and importance,? Ms. Frantz said. ?As a result, we are constantly evaluating new ways to deploy mobile technology to make the travel experience simpler for our customers.?

?Take Remember Me for example ? with Remember Me, passengers that call the airline are automatically greeted by name and instantly provided information about the most relevant information we can determine for that passenger,? she said.

?Remember Me has created a groundswell of loyalty among our passengers ? and it?s that type of proactive, easy-to-use technology applications that we?re looking to continue in the future.
 
Paperless route
Travelers who are getting ready to fly with the airline have the option to receive their boarding passes on their handsets or PDAs.

Consumers will then receive an email with a link to the boarding pass.

Additionally, customers who check-in online and want to print a paper boarding pass are still able to do so.

At the end of the online check-in process, consumers can print the pass at the time or use a self-service check-in machine to print at the airport or receive an electronic boarding pass via email on their handset which can be presented at the airport.

?Our customers are mobile by definition,? Ms. Frantz said. ?They are traveling on business, for pleasure, whatever the reason, they are on the move and they want to leverage the tools they use every day to make them productive as they move about the country, around the world.?