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BCBP standard update
11 October 2007
11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Is the updated BCBP standard, approved this week, already published?
No. The conference approved the amendment to the BCBP standard. The amended text will be published in
June 08. In the meantime this document serves to answer questions.
2. What is the scope of the BCBP standard exactly?
The BCBP standard covers the data and symbologies for paper or mobile devices to be used as boarding
passes. It does not cover the distribution methods (how to send the bar codes to the devices) or other
aspects of the implementation.
Mobile BCBP is not about issuing a paper BCBP using a wireless computer and printer.
3. Is the standard new or different from the BCBP standard?
The text of the BCBP standard - known as Resolution 792 in the PSC Manual – was originally published in
2005 and covering only paper boarding passes. It has been amended and validated during the PSC this
week. The BCBP standard now covers not only paper, but also mobile boarding passes.
4. Are the data different on paper and on mobile?
No. The data are the same and defined in the standard. The representation of the data in a bar code is
different though: on paper, the bar code used is PDF417, on mobile phones, the codes used are either
Aztec, Datamatrix or QR.
5. Are the new 2D codes only for mobile phones?
Yes and no.
Yes because they are not to be used on paper boarding passes. Only PDF417 should be used on paper.
No because they can be used on any mobile device, including smart phones and PDAs.
6. Are mobile phones already used for boarding?
Yes, airlines in Japan, Canada, Spain or Germany are already using mobile phones for boarding. Scanners
are available on the market and in some airports, which can support 2D bar codes read both from paper and
mobile devices.
7. Why was an industry standard necessary?
Proprietary solutions were already in use, but all for domestic markets (flights and passengers).
The industry standard helps aligning all stakeholders on a single solution and guarantees that the mobile
boarding passes will used and read on a worldwide basis.
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8. What are the benefits of mobile BCBP for a passenger or an airline?
For a passenger, it brings benefits similar to web check-in, adding the convenience of paperless, i.e. no
printer is necessary and no piece of paper to be lost.
For an airline, there are cost savings compared to doing check-in at a desk, or even at a kiosk.
9. Where can airlines and airports find more guidance?
IATA will work in the next months with airlines to produce guidance material. The documents will be available
on IATA’s web site. Workshops sponsored by IATA will take place in 2008, using the same format as in
2006-2007 and adding a session on mobile phones.
10. What is the next step for airlines?
For airlines already offering mobile boarding passes and willing to expand the service to international
travellers, to migrate to the IATA standard.
For airlines already offering web or phone check-in, to add the new service enabled by the mobile BCBP
standard
11. What are the next steps for IATA?
To promote the standard, to gather airlines in a Working Group and to facilitate the development of
standardized processes (e.g. the acceptance of mobile boarding passes at airports worldwide) and
guidelines (e.g. the distribution of bar codes to mobile handsets worldwide).
For more information, visit the BCBP page at: http://www.iata.org/stbsupportportal/bcbp
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