Some time ago, I wrote about a list of 20 Japanese smartphone features and 'mobile check-in at airports' was 3rd on this list. Nowadays, such service is starting to be available worldwide.

According to the IHT, the trade association representing international airlines announced a global standard that could speed the adoption of cellphone check-in services using bar codes, and eliminate paper tickets. 

"Airlines have been slow to adopt a system based on mobile technology because of competing regional formats. The formats permit a passenger to register a phone during booking to receive a text message containing a bar code that becomes a boarding pass. The bar code can then be read directly from the phone's screen."

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) standard will enable new scanning equipment to read several regional code formats, including Aztec and Datamatrix, which are available now in Europe and North America, and QR in Japan. The group aims to shift entirely to bar code boarding passes by 2010. Among the few airlines that now offer mobile check-in services are Air Canada, Air Berlin and Spanair. The association, which represents more than 240 airlines, estimates that it can realize annual savings of more than $500 million from the change.

I'm really looking forward to trying this service, but one of the things that concerns me is the security - cellphone can be stolen, barcode can be copied/changed etc. I'm very pleased with barcodes, they'll be accepted globally and will be used everyday in many parts of the world.