Encryption in a boarding-pass bar code would make forgeries easy to spot, White said. Technology for encrypted bar codes is being used commercially, TSA acting technology chief Robin Kane said.

Continental is testing a new system that allows passengers to have a boarding pass sent directly to their cell phone, eliminating the need for a printed version.

Boarding passes may just seem like a piece of paper, but it turns out your tickets have more information about you than you realize.

Ian Eagle playfully teases Bill Raftery for sticking to the old-school habit of printing his boarding pass.

Portland International Airport officials said the change is unrelated to the renovations underway at the airport, and that the decision to do away with boarding pass printing was made by Alaska.