Delta Mobile Boarding Pass

It’s been at least four years since I first heard an airline talk about developing mobile check-in. Despite all the time and energy I spend thinking about mobile commerce and using my phone, until today I had never successfully completed the entire airport check-in and flight boarding process using only my cell phone as a boarding pass.

When Delta first announced mobile boarding passes, I missed the “at selected airports” caveat. This created some interesting travel humor in San Juan, Puerto Rico when I tried to get through security with only my phone. Hijinx ensued in Philadelphia the next day. I promptly gave up.

So, today when I tried it, I made sure I had my paper boarding pass in my pocket – just in case. I didn’t need it though. I went through the Expert Traveler line in Atlanta’s new North Terminal security lanes. There were only a few other travelers in front of me. When it was my turn the TSA agent took me back about 15 feet in the line to the special reader which wasn’t turned on. It took me a few tries to get it right, but it worked fine. Next time I’ll likely get it right in one tap.

I started getting concerned while unpacking and undressing in the security lanes. Today was probably the first time in five years that I’ve gone through the metal detector without showing my paper boarding pass. As I put my things on the belt I noticed that no one was showing their paper ticket.

Have I been showing my boarding pass unnecessarily all these years? I’m pretty sure I recall more than one surly TSA agent telling people to keep their boarding pass out. I’m wondering if they’ve removed that requirement to facilitate mobile. It never made a lot of sense to me anyway. Paper is so easy to forge, and it’s already been checked at that point in the process.

Lastly, when I got to the boarding door, the gate agent happily scanned the image on my phone. It took him a few tries too. I knocked over my suitcase and briefcase trying to hand him my phone and hold a cup of coffee and keep track of my bags. With the coffee, paper would have been easier honestly. But this was for science!

So, all in all, I’m pleasantly surprised at how well the process worked. I’m sure there are more bumps in the road as they add more airports, but the system works. Getting TSA approval and adapting their processes must have been a big task, but it works. I’m sure the process is repeatable around the country.

Personally, my biggest complaint about the process is the web interface. I constantly had to open Safari on my iPhone and refresh the page to get the image to appear. Or if I lost my page, I had to dig through my email to find the message and click the link again and wait for it to load. I imagine an airline application could make this process much more user friendly. More advanced web interfaces could probably solve the usability issues as well. But that’s for 2.0.

Strategy Analytics forecasts that smartphone shipments will reach 77 million this year.

Location aware applications are a no-brainer for the travel industry. Unfortunately, too many applications still require you to enter too much information into too many small fields. I’ve almost walked into light poles and triped on the sidewalk and ignored plenty of conversations trying to get travel information out of a mobile app. A few of these near misses are the reason I wrote FlightShaker. Travel applications can know where you are, so you shouldn’t have to enter that information.

Mobile web applications generally don’t have access to hardware like GPS and most commercial travel applications (from airlines,etc.) are still mobile web based. It’s subjective, but I think we’ve passed the inflection point where platform independence outweighs functionality. Too much innovation (and ultimately revenue) can come from using hardware like, GPS, Cameras and compasses.

Some innovation will come from the boutique application developer shops, but the big travel companies (and other Fortune 500 companies) are in a great position to revolutionize how we buy travel. Given the upheaval in the economy and the declining revenue in the industry, there’s no time to lose.

The Mobile banking era is SO over.

I don’t mean that mobile banking isn’t going to happen. Mobile banking is happening and is expanding. What I do mean is that we have already passed through a cycle that lasted around five years for online banking. I assert that we are now in the Post-Mobile Banking era.

Many mobile banking vendors have popped up sold their software, implemented (or claimed to), and exhausted their useful lives. Core vendors have snapped up the remains of these mobile vendors. In fact in some cases, the core vendors have entered into puppetmaster partnerships with ailing mobile banking companies that allow the core vendors to control the mobile product offerings without even having to make an investment. Mobile banking is rapidly consolidating. Soon there will be just a few offerings from the folks that offer your banking cores and/or online banking systems.

At the end of the day, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, what we’re learning is what we already knew. Mobile banking is another banking channel. It’s a way to reach new customers, hang on to old customers and reduce costs in the process. Mobile banking is more than just picking a product from a vendor and turning it on. Mobile banking touches the entire bank and its relationship with its customers. Adding mobile affects operations throughout the bank. Banks must prepare for both benefits and challenges throughout their organization when they add a new channel.

So I’ve finally broken out…

I’ve spent most of the last two years literally talking to thousands of bankers about mobile technology. In fact, I suspect there are very few people, if any, that have discussed mobile banking with more bank and credit union folk than I have. Like Johnny Cash sang, “I’ve been everywhere, man.” From the Southern US to the Mountain West, from New York to Texas and Mexico. And most especially to Canada and Puerto Rico, where I think mobile banking surprises could happen at any time.

The bottom line is that everyone is going to do mobile. Mobile is here to stay. I’m betting everything I have on it.

I’m officially hanging up my shingle and starting my own company: Mobile Strategy Partners (http://www.mobilestrategypartners.com). I’m free now to share my insight after speaking to so many banks and credit unions. I have started my own business because I see so much interest and potential in mobile technology, yet I’ve seen so many disappointments due to vaporware, implementation issues and strategic mistakes.

Not only do I have unique and extensive experience in mobile banking, but I have a very uncommon combination of experience in both business and technology. My career spans technical writing, years of Java development and large scale design, Product Management, and Sales. I’ve even written my own iPhone application (http://www.flightshaker.com). Of course I’ve worked with banks and credit unions, but I’ve also done extensive work with brokerages, travel, wireless, retail and logistics among other verticals.

The point of Mobile Strategy Partners is to leverage my experience to help organizations successfully make the leap from ecommerce to mobile commerce. We have only begun to see the impact of the mobile revolution.

I’m focusing particularly on working with financial services, travel, and ecommerce companies as they figure out their mobile strategy. Every company and its customers are unique. Every organization needs to figure out how mobile fits into their business to help them become more profitable and more competitive.

If you’ve read this far, odds are that you’re in the industry and odds are that you know me. I’m here to help you.

I’ll be calling.