American Airlines on Thursday announced it will soon introduce digital Mobile Boarding Passes to make the process of getting on their flights less of a hassle and eliminating the need of printing out their passes, saving paper and time. The system uses QR codes accessed from fliers' mobile phones or PDA devices and took effect on Thursday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. On Monday, November 17th, the system will be offered as an option to customers on domestic flights from Los Angeles International and Santa Ana John Wayne/Orange County airports as well.

Versions are formatted for common phones that support downloads as well as iPhones, which can display the code in Safari.

Users will be able to receive the Mobile Boarding Passes by logging onto American Airlines' website and entering in their email address before clicking a link in an e-mail reply from AA before saving the boarding pass. At the airport, fliers are urged to ensure the QR code is entirely visible on the screen of their phones or PDAs, and set their screens to the brightest setting to help the airport readers verify the codes. Users will have the option to print out conventional boarding passes at the airport in case the system has any problems. [via MobilitySite]