FORT WORTH, Texas, June 30, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

American Airlines customers departing from London Heathrow (LHR), Colorado Springs (COS), San Jose (SJC) and Washington Reagan (DCA) can now save time and paper by choosing to receive boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or smartphones.

Mobile boarding passes, which use a two-dimensional (2-D) barcode, were rolled out in partnership with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2008 and are currently available to travelers departing on American Airlines and American Eagle flights from 42 airports.

"We know our customers are mobile by definition, which is why the option to use personal devices to expedite travel has been so popular with our customers over the past two years," said Andrew Watson, American's Vice President - Customer Technology. "Eligible passengers departing from London Heathrow or one of the 41 U.S. cities that currently offer the program now have the option to avoid printing a paper boarding pass and choose instead to have their boarding pass displayed on their mobile device, thereby speeding the process at the airport, and helping the environment by saving paper."

The mobile boarding pass process is simple. When customers check in for their flight using AA.com and opt to receive their boarding pass on their cell phones or smartphones, they will receive an e-mail with an Internet link to the boarding pass. Customers must have an active e-mail address where their boarding pass can be sent and an Internet-enabled mobile device where the 2-D barcode can be received. The mobile boarding pass contains a 2-D barcode that can be scanned at security checkpoints and at American Airlines gates. At the airport, customers simply scan their cell phone or smartphone screen when going through Security (proper identification must be presented) and when boarding, just as they would a traditional paper boarding pass. Customers who wish to check bags can also use the electronic option by scanning the boarding pass on their cell phone or smartphone screen at American Airlines self-service machines, ticket counters, or curbside check-in facilities.

At this time, customers who opt to use the electronic boarding pass may list only one person in their reservation. They must be traveling on American or American Eagle to a U.S. destination from one of the 42 participating airports on a nonstop or same-plane direct flight or connecting flight through a participating mobile-boarding airport. Domestic destinations include those within the United States, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. London Heathrow is the first international location to offer the program, and American Airlines is one of the first carriers to roll out the mobile boarding pass technology in the U.K.

Customers who check in online and wish to print a paper boarding pass are still able to do so. At the end of the online check-in process on AA.com, customers can choose how they would like to receive their boarding pass by selecting either "Print" (customers can print the pass at that time, or use a self-service check-in machine to print at the airport), "E-mail for Print" (boarding pass is e-mailed and customers can print at their convenience), or "E-mail for use on Cell Phone or Other Device" (customers receive an electronic boarding pass via e-mail on their cell phone or mobile device, which would then be presented at the airport).

American Airlines is a founding member of the global oneworld(R) Alliance. For more information on mobile boarding passes, including instructions on how to use the system, visit www.aa.com/mobileboarding.

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection(R) serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com(R), provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

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SOURCE American Airlines