I'm a big fan of Southwest Airlines in general, because they always seem to be so far ahead of the other airlines in pleasing their customers.  When five of the six so-called major airlines announced they'd start charging for checking a second bag I grimaced.  One of the more painful elements for a while, however, was their boarding process.  To encourage people to show up early, they handed out your boarding number in a first come, first served.  People would queue up for 2 hours before the flight to try and get a low number that they could use to ensure they got a good seat.  Many complaints.

Southwest read their customers' minds (okay, probably did some focus groups and studies and the like) and changed it to have A, B, and C boarding.  Still encouraged to get there early, but now you were just aiming to make a particular group.  Still a problem -- now you had to wait in line for hours in the A, B, or C line so that you didn't get towards the back of your group and get crappy seats.

Southwest changed the model again, still determined to make open seating work.  Now you have a group AND a number, but you don't have to wait in line in your group.  More mind reading!  But... they still have a problem.  You can check in online and print your boarding pass, instead of going up to the counter.  Which means... every time I talk to my dad before he flies out to visit, he becomes obsessed with getting on the computer precisely 24 hours before flight time so he can print out a boarding pass and get a good number.  He has to be near a computer, or has to have someone he knows near a computer that can enter in the check-in info and print his pass so he doesn't get stuck in a bad seat with my mom.  I used to think he was alone in this obsession... until I flew Southwest, printed my boarding pass an hour after I was eligible, and found myself in the middle of the "B" group, in 45th place.  In fact, many other airlines have a similar 24 hour window which, although it doesn't dictate your seat choice, can frustrate people who may not be able to get to a computer.  That's certainly my problem when I'm on the other side of a trip coming back... I don't always have easy access to a printer and an Internet connection.

It looks like Continental is taking this to the next logical step, with a new app that they've deployed.  As far as I'm concerned, they just read my mind!  Continental apparently has a pretty good history of providing more innovative customer service via self-service and this is the latest example -- 24 hours before your departure you get a phone call that allows you to check in over the phone.  No scramble to get to a computer and a printer -- you can have your boarding pass emailed, faxed, or available for quick pickup at the kiosk.  I honestly can say that this makes me more likely to want to choose Continental, all things being equal, when I'm considering my next business or personal flight.  And isn't that the whole reason for a company to provide better customer service than its competitors?  There are lots of ways to drive people away from your airline business.  This is one of the few that can bring people in.