Rushing to locate that seemingly hard to find check-in counter at a large airport may just be part of history as smartphones may now be used to contain boarding pass information in its growing list of uses.

Nine airlines are introducing smartphone boarding passes including Cathay Pacific, United Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Delta and Air France this month. The new system provides passengers the choice between printable boarding passes sent via email or embedded as QR codes sent to their smartphones via SMS.

This brings a smooth efficiency, especially to those traveling without check-in baggage who only need to show the QR codes on areas where boarding passes are routinely checked. This procedure leaves the airline counters exclusively for passengers with check-in baggage and for those whose airlines do not support this new feature yet.

Although this new feature helps reduce queueing time at check-in counters, smartphone users should be aware of a few possible issues. For instance, their phones must not have functionality issues and have sufficient power to display the required code. In cases when codes are not recognized, I have yet to find out what protocols are in place to a) ensure efficient operation b) reduce waiting time for verification and c) enable the authorities to immediately detect a possible security breach.

Mr Rocky Kwok, assistant general manager of terminal operations at Chek Lap Kok airport, downplayed such concerns of machine malfunctions. He said a person at the immigration or security post would just call the airline to check passenger details. The solution is straightforward and simple but I hope it’s not just a false promise.

US-based Continental Airlines started this feature back in 2007 but glitches such as faulty scanners unable to recognize QR codes prompted passengers to retreat to check-in counters and ask for printed copies of their boarding passes. Whether it’s the scanners that need upgrading or the whole QR code generation needs to be revamped, we all want to identify the problem and what might make it more efficient. After all, our main reason to switch to this new method is not to flaunt to others our ‘high-tech lifestyles’ but to cut time between arriving at the airport and arriving at our designated seat in the aircraft.

Hong Kong is a good place to promote this mobile boarding pass mechanism owing to its high smartphone penetration rate and huge passenger volume flying out of the Hong Kong International Airport.