I love online check-in because it means that I don't have to faff around at the airport, I can choose my own seat, it reduces queueing and, because I usually only travel with hand luggage, keeps everything running quickly.

What I don't like is having to print off a boarding pass. I'm either nowhere near a printer or I find myself losing the pass in amongst all the other bits of paper I carry. Then, when I get to the airport, the pass is scanned and thrown away! What a waste!

Lufthansa now offer a really good solution to the problem. As part of online check in, you can given them your phone number. They then send you a text like this...

Clicking on the link takes you to a 2D barcode and your flight information. Like this.

I've just used the pass to get through security without any problems (I'm blogging from the airport) and I'll update if they let me on the flight :-)

This is such a smart solution. Imagine all the millions of tickets that get lost every day. I'm much less likely to lose track of my phone - and if I do, I can always get a paper ticket reissued. True, my battery could run out - but it's no more of a risk than spilling a drink over my paper pass.

Hopefully other airlines will start taking this up.

Oh, don't forget to visit Lufthansa's mobile site; they have loads of information and a selection of free ringtones and wallpapers.

You can try Lufthansa's Mobile Boarding Pass with their demo page.