767ER From Australia, joined Apr 2001, 1092 posts, RR: 4 Posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 1293 times:
Following on from the thread about printing of luggage tags.....i was wondering about Boarding Passes. I recall when they either had a sticker placed on the BP from a seat chart that was kept in a prominent position behind the check in counters. The other was the check in would type in your ticket details and wite your seat number and gate with a marker pen.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21448 posts, RR: 24 Reply 1, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 1276 times:
I would guess around the mid 1970s or thereabouts. In the USA, even much later than that, many airlines didn't even use boarding passes. When all tickets were on paper, most US airlines I can recall just inserted the flight coupon into a slot in a paper ticket envelope and the coupon was lifted as you boarded. They usually hand-wrote the gate number and seat number on the front of the ticket envelope and stapled any baggage claim tags to it.
Skymiler From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 469 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 1155 times:
And coated one's hands and the insides of our suit jacket pockets with the red copy material!!
Apodino From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 3634 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 1140 times:
Southwest didn't even start printing boarding passes until after 9-11. I believe it was either 2002 or 2003 when they started. Prior to that, you may recall they used the colored plastic boarding passes for most of their history, the ones made from recycled soda bottles. That had to be the most unique boarding process ever. At least it made sure peopel got to the gate early and didn't lollygag.
ADent From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 1173 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 991 times:
I am thinking early 80's for UA.
It took about 15 years for everything to come together. The BP's were printed on card stock with a mag stripe so they could use the ticket readers at the gate doorway. Took awhile for those machines to get installed.
Now I see UA is printing some BPs on flimsy paper (a lot cheaper) with the bar codes that the gate machines have to support since fliers can print BPs at home on inkjet and laser printers.
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