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Beginning today: Boarding pass advertisements
Six of the legacy carriers carriers announced today that they're participating in a new program to implement advertisements into their boarding passes. So now when you try to save time by checking in online you'll be bombarded with a Carnivial Cruise ad that you have to print out and carry around with you while you're at the airport.Anything to make money, right? I'm kind of surprised that we don't have ad space on the inside of aircraft -- on the ceiling, walls and seat backs -- US Airways already tried putting advertisements on the air sickness bags.
Today, Delta will be the first carrier to test drive the service, called Sojern, on its routes into Vegas, but the ads will quickly multiply around that route. Bacteria reproducing in a host body is a good way to think about that.
What I'm most curious about is whether the 3rd party ads will be custom tailored to the specific passenger. Will I, a young male be getting ads for Lane Bryant? Or will Sojern work with the airline to study my travel behavior, look at my past trips and send me a coupon for happy hour in New York?
Either way, you can kiss your old print-at-home boarding passes goodbye. Which is fine with me, as long as they don't raise ticket prices.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Josh Goldman Jul 15th 2008 1:03PM
Hi Grant,
"Bacteria reproducing in a host body" is a colorful metaphor, but a bit over-the-top don't you think?
Thanks for the writeup, as an investor in Sojern we're excited by the opportunity, but to clarify one point in your writeup, consumers do NOT have to take or print the ads. Prominent in the checkout process are buttons to print the standard (no ad) boarding pass or the pass with the ads and additional content. We think most customers will like the additional content and will print it, but we never want to force anyone to take it. If you like your passes just fine the way they are, then you can keep then that way.
And we agree with your final premise... that if this helps keep ticket prices low, then it's a win for all. Our big hope is that consumers will also like it better, and the experience will be a positive one.
--josh goldman
Norwest Venture Partners
beatofhawaii Jul 15th 2008 1:52PM
We watched your demo video yesterday before we did a piece on Sojern on our site. We saw nothing about an ability to skip the ads.
Further there is a lack of sincerity apparent in the demo that might be corrected. We tongue-in-cheeked back.
Here's our take on it: http://beatofhawaii.com/ads-come-to-your-boarding-pass/
travel.buddy Jul 16th 2008 12:00PM
i must say, i hate the idea. whatever next. ads all over the place :(
filli.grana Jul 16th 2008 12:17PM
i absolutely detest the idea. thank you, but no thank you.
Josh Goldman writes:
"Prominent in the checkout process are buttons to print the standard (no ad) boarding pass or the pass with the ads and additional content. We think most customers will like the additional content and will print it, but we never want to force anyone to take it."
I would rather say that 'prominent' applies to 'print page', not to 'print boarding pass only', and knowing how people behave online, most will click on the big orange button, not a text link and not because they want to.
but hey, when you do not pay attention, that's your own fault. however, what i really, really do not like about it, is an execution. this page does not look like an advertisement, more like tourist guide from your local (ad free (!)) tourist office. so congratulations on visually non-offensive page, but imho ‘slightly’ misleading.
And taking under consideration that ads now are absolutely everywhere in one form or another, i have to agree; it is a disease and spreads fast, too fast.