“The way to avoid that problem is to take a photo of the mobile boarding pass with your smart phone.”
For me (using primarily United and American), I put it in my Passbook, which means i in essence have it in two places - the UA or AA app, and the passbook. But I still do like a paper boarding pass because phones DO run out of charge and airports are very poor at having charging stations.
I travel a fair amount and am also one of those that prefers to print a boarding pass whenever possible. If I’m in the cab and on the phone with my travel agent changing to an earlier flight which I have to rush to the gate for, then I’ll go with the mobile pass. But for whatever reason I just find it easier to hand a piece of paper to TSA and the boarding agent than to mess with my phone. Maybe because by then my phone is already in airplane mode and stashed in my backpack.
Exactly. I like the second row after the wing, window side. Because of my phone kerfuffle, I had to take a middle seat. 
“Exactly. I like the second row after the wing, window side. Because of my phone kerfuffle, I had to take a middle seat.”
Aggravating!! Instead of the best seat, you got the worst one. I hope it was a short flight.
My last flight, I was in line position A2, so was hopeful to get my favorite seat. The guy behind me just about leaped into the row in front of my targeted seat, to cut me off and attempt to stick his stuff under the seat before I could get it. But I quickly tossed my bag onto the seat before he could-Bingo! Then he pretended like he was actually going for the exit row seat in front of it (which is the worst seat on the plane, less space and can’t recline), realized what a bad deal it was, and departed (with dirty looks at me). Ah, the simple victories in life.
I’ve never lost a paper copy of a ticket on the way to board a flight, but I’ve definitely had cell phone issues. Deleted boarding pass, lack of connection, running low on power, someone calling me, where did the electronic boarding pass go? All fairly trivial if one has an assigned seat, but on SW, uh oh. Always going to get a paper ticket, whether at the airport or at home.
H lost his paper boarding pass after the first leg of the flight before connecting. I can speak with experience that it wasn’t hard to get another copy.
My H is the absent minded professor type.
Deb, sounds like your husband might be well served by a paper, electronic, and a Passbook copy of it!
I used to print out a copy of my husband’s itinerary, and write down all pertinent info about his trip on that piece of paper, it was a pretty important document. And I swear, every trip it was the one thing he left at home or lost enroute. I finally wised up, realized it was a lost cause, and now I email it to him. And then sometimes he deletes it! But I can find it 
My brother insists the best seat is the ‘middle’ seat in the exit row, next to the seat they have removed. He likes having the ‘lean’ room to empty seat and the extra tray table for the missing seat.
I don’t even recall seeing this much much-vaunted seat you’re all talking about. Probably because I’m always A40 or greater…
I like the printed boarding pass, because I’m usually checking a bag and like to tuck a copy in an outside pocket. Just in case the bag goes astray, it makes it easy for the ground crew to figure out where it was supposed to go.
I guess he hasn’t realized that it doesn’t recline. And seems to have less legroom than a normal seat, wonder if they crammed an extra row in there. My opinion, that row and the ones next to the mega leg room seat are the worst on the airplane. But I’m glad he likes it!
I hope he doesn’t think the space under the chair in front of the mega leg room chair is his, too, some people seem to think they can take it. That’s why I put my stuff under there right away.
Whipping out your phone pass may be cool, but I’ve never had a paper boarding pass fail to boot up on me, lose its battery charge, have the writing and image mysteriously disappear on me, refuse to open to the correct page, or otherwise fail to cooperate in some way. Whenever the boarding line suddenly comes to halt, it’s almost always some guy up there at the head of the line struggling with his phone. .
Paper - dependable proven technology for over 2000 years.
l’ve had paper boarding passes that didn’t scan properly. They were ones I printed at home. The best is to get an official printed boarding pass from the agent if you’re checking a bag.
If you don’t have precheck, get to the airport way earlier than usual. Bradley has added a ton of early morning flights and the security line now fills the entire area - to the point that D3 missed her flight despite arriving an hour and a half early. Precheck line still moves pretty quickly. Safe travels!
Busdriver, he’s not a small guy at 6’4" and many many pounds. I don’t think he cares about reclining (and I hate people who recline, so when they do I usually start coughing like I’m a TB ward escapee and that gets them to unrecline pretty quickly) That’s the seat he likes. No one climbs over him. He doesn’t usually have a lot of carryon as he has timers for his job and TSA doesn’t like timers, so he usually checks everything.
twoinanddone, that is a great tip! Thanks! I will make sure to bring a pack of ground pepper to induce violent sneezing whenever a large recliner plops into my face.
Thumper, one thing we learned while flying out of BDL last week was that there is a second, smaller security check down the hall (towards the Sheraton). TSA staff pointed us there as we waited in a huge line for the main check (also for a 6:05am flight). There were only about 3 people waitinn at that other checkpoint. I never even knew it was there!!!
The last time I attempted to fly Southwest, the plane didn’t show up.
Relatively speaking, limitations in the methods available to create boarding passes are a minor issue.
@busdriver11 - do you mind sharing what seat this is you are talking about?
Sometimes I spring for the extra $$$ to upgrade my SW boarding position, but then I get indecisive and confused about my seating strategy. So basically I stick toward the front of the plane on the aisle.
I’m in the camp of printing my pass and saving it to my phone.
It is the window seat 1/2 way back on the exit row- on the right side of the plane . There are only 2 seats in the row ahead of it and that gives you tons of extra leg room.
if you fly on a private jet , all these issues become irrelevant!
look into a few of these options to improve your southwest flying experience.
https://www.southwest.com/businessselect/