Some smaller companies in the States have been offering their customers discount coupons and promotional leaflets in the mobile format….well, in the form of QR Codes, that is. For instance, Borders have been sending their customers these little QR bar codes so that their customers can get discounts with it. All they have to do is to bring their mobile phones with them (which is already a prerequisite, anyway) and scan it during checkout and viola!...they get a discounted price off their purchases.

Well, although Borders isn't exactly a small company, smaller ones….tiny ones, one-man-shows have already been using QR Codes to attract customers and retain their loyal ones because QR code usage is literally free as it is. What other forms of advertising that you can think of that is as free or affordable?

That is why, it would be unimaginable for us to not adopt this very simple yet comprehensive-by-nature system to make life a whole easier for us all. I took note of the new implementation by the Texas airlines – that they've started putting some kiosk here and there that gives their airline passengers the option of boarding their flights via scanning of QR Codes saved into their mobile phones. I think Continental, by far, is one of the braver ones in the list of operators who have started using this.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Delta, Continental and American have already started using this curiously new system (to us, anyway) for flight boarding purposes. It's all still an experiment because Americans, unlike the all-techie Japanese, are still new to this whole QR Code thing.

Once this is implemented throughout, you can imagine the kind of paperless it will all be. Bring phone and ID…that's it.

The QR Codes contained within the phone will be scanned by the U.S. Transportation Security Admin people when passengers are trying to board. Along with the codes, a positive ID is imperative. After all, a phone is all but just a phone…anyone can produce a phone, so, a positive ID will complete the whole paperless process.