Boarding Passes May Get Serious Upgrade

Printed boarding passes are the worst, right? They're cumbersome and confusing; it's always hard to discern where exactly your gate is and what time the flight boards. A designer named Pete Smart has offered up his suggestions for a better boarding pass — one that lists the most pertinent information on the top, in a clearer manner, and is shaped to better fit into a passport. The better-designed pass allows room for weather conditions at the destination, as well as the time difference between the two airports.

"It's astounded me the way it captured people's attention," Smart told NPR. "People identify with the problem. [And] they appreciate the solution. People want to see their travel experience improved. They want their experience, from end to end, to be simpler and less stressful. Any small innovation along the way, people are crying out for."

While many people have transitioned to digital boarding passes on their mobile devices, sometimes we don't have time to download them or we end up having a ticket agent print them out for us if we check luggage. Hopefully, Smart's design, which is getting good marks from airlines, will end the frustration that often comes with discerning the whens and wheres of getting to your flight before it leaves you behind.