Just in time for the start of the busy spring break travel season, United Airlines has introduced mobile check-in and mobile boarding passes.

The mobile service powered by Kony Solutions enables customers on the go to check in using a mobile phone or Web-enabled mobile device and proceed through security and boarding without presenting a paper boarding pass. Customers flying on any United or United Express-operated flight within the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands may check in at http://mobile.united.com beginning 24 hours before departure.

?From a strategy perspective, this is all about trying to improve the day of travel experience and provide choice, control and convenience for United consumers,? said Ken Bostock, managing director of airport strategy and continuous improvement, United Airlines, Chicago. ?We wanted to get this out in time for busy spring break period.

?We?re partnering with the TSA and other airlines on the mobile boarding pass element, making sure TSA employees are trained on how to use the technology and making sure the mobile bar codes can be used across airlines,? he said.

?If you?re heading to the airport, this will give you peace of mind, because you can check yourself in, and if it?s a Web-enabled phone, you can download a boarding pass without going to a kiosk or counter, and you?re good to go.?

United Airlines, a subsidiary of UAL Corp., operates approximately 3,300 flights a day on United and United Express to more than 230 U.S. domestic and international destinations. 

Mobile bar codes take off
After checking in at http://mobile.united.com, customers can receive an email link to access a mobile boarding pass that includes a two-dimensional bar code.

The bar code can be scanned at airport security checkpoints and at the gate during boarding.

A refresh of the mobile boarding pass will reflect any changes to seat assignments, gate changes and upgrade confirmations.

Mobile check-in is especially helpful to customers in hotels or in business meetings who want to check in before arriving at the airport.

United?s additional mobile boarding pass feature is available to customers departing from the airline?s five hubs?Chicago O?Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.

In addition, the mobile boarding pass feature is available for United departures from airports in Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, New York LaGuardia, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, OR, and Seattle.

United plans to introduce mobile boarding passes at additional airports, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Salt Lake City and Orange County-Santa Ana, CA, in the coming weeks.

In addition to using the more environmentally friendly paperless boarding pass option, customers may also access http://mobile.united.com to check flight status, flight availability, itineraries and Mileage Plus accounts.

Customers can also sign up for notification of any changes to flight status via email, phone or text message.

With the My Itineraries function, customers can view their itineraries and, in the event of missed connections, see the flights on which they have been automatically rebooked, rather than waiting in line at the airport for agent assistance.

While not currently enabled, United eventually plans to let consumers search for flights and buy tickets via its mobile Web site.

Kony Kony Kony
Kony Solutions? mobile application platform has enabled United to deliver a mobile experience to all of its travel customers in a short period of time.

United is providing mobile check-in and boarding passes to new devices and operating systems as they are released.

United tapped Kony with the goals of eliminating the common delay in supporting new mobile technology and future-proofing the airline?s choice in technology.

"United had the vision to see how mobility could improve service to their mobile users, offer customers a more personalized, engaging experience while quickly connecting them with the airline?s most relevant and timely information,? said Jim Lambert, vice president of marketing for Kony Solutions, San Mateo, CA.

"Our mobile applications platform is uniquely able to provide United Airlines all its current and future mobility channel requirements simultaneously through on-device mobile applications, mobile Web and SMS, Web gadgets and desktop applications all from a single application definition,? he said.

?No other vendor can do all this faster or at a lower total cost of ownership.?