Boarding pass

Last updated

Modern boarding pass for Air Canada. A variety of information relevant to the flight is printed on the pass, including the departure and arrival airports, the passenger's travel class, the flight number and the departure time. Air Canada Boarding Pass 20170911.jpg
Modern boarding pass for Air Canada. A variety of information relevant to the flight is printed on the pass, including the departure and arrival airports, the passenger's travel class, the flight number and the departure time.
An older, non-computerized Air Transat boarding pass from 2000. TS boarding pass April 2000.jpg
An older, non-computerized Air Transat boarding pass from 2000.

A boarding pass or boarding card is a document provided by an airline during airport check-in, giving a passenger permission to enter the restricted area of an airport (also known as the airside portion of the airport) and to board the airplane for a particular flight. At a minimum, it identifies the passenger, the flight number, the date, and scheduled time for departure. A boarding pass may also indicate details of the perks a passenger is entitled to (e.g., lounge access, priority boarding) and is thus presented at the entrance of such facilities to show eligibility.

Contents

In some cases, flyers can check in online and print the boarding passes themselves. There are also codes that can be saved to an electronic device or from the airline's app that are scanned during boarding. A boarding pass may be required for a passenger to enter a secure area of an airport.

Generally, a passenger with an electronic ticket will only need a boarding pass. If a passenger has a paper airline ticket, that ticket (or flight coupon) may be required to be attached to the boarding pass for the passenger to board the aircraft. For "connecting flights", a boarding pass is required for each new leg (distinguished by a different flight number), regardless of whether a different aircraft is boarded or not. [1]

The paper boarding pass (and ticket, if any), or portions thereof, are sometimes collected and counted for cross-check of passenger counts by gate agents, but more frequently are scanned (via barcode or magnetic strip) and returned to the passengers in their entirety. The standards for bar codes and magnetic stripes on boarding passes are published by the IATA. The bar code standard (Bar Coded Boarding Pass) defines the 2D bar code printed on paper boarding passes or sent to mobile phones for electronic boarding passes. The magnetic stripe standard (ATB2) expired in 2010.[ citation needed ]

Most airports and airlines have automatic readers that will verify the validity of the boarding pass at the jetway door or boarding gate. This also automatically updates the airline's database to show the passenger has boarded and the seat is used, and that the checked baggage for that passenger may stay aboard. This speeds up the paperwork process at the gate.

During security screenings, the personnel will also scan the boarding pass to authenticate the passenger.

Once an airline has scanned all boarding passes presented at the gate for a particular flight and knows which passengers actually boarded the aircraft, its database system can compile the passenger manifest for that flight.

Bar-codes

Bar code on a boarding pass.
Here shown in red, normally it is black for optimum readability. Boarding card - text as paths and red barcode.svg
Bar code on a boarding pass.
Here shown in red, normally it is black for optimum readability.

BCBP (bar-coded boarding pass) is the name of the standard used by more than 200 airlines. [2] BCBP defines the 2-dimensional (2D) bar code printed on a boarding pass or sent to a mobile phone for electronic boarding passes.

BCBP was part of the IATA Simplifying the Business program, which issued an industry mandate for all boarding passes to be barcoded. This was achieved in 2010.

Airlines and third parties use a barcode reader to read the bar codes and capture the data. Reading the bar code usually takes place in the boarding process but can also happen when entering the airport security checkpoints, while paying for items at the check-out tills of airport stores or trying to access airline lounges.

The standard was originally published in 2005 by IATA and updated in 2008 to include symbologies for mobile phones and in 2009 to include a field for a digital signature in the mobile bar codes. Future developments of the standard will include a near field communication format.

Security concerns

A U.S. Airways boarding pass, featuring the initials SSSS, indicating that the passenger holding the pass has been selected for a Secondary Security Screening Selection check. BoardingPass SSSS.jpg
A U.S. Airways boarding pass, featuring the initials SSSS, indicating that the passenger holding the pass has been selected for a Secondary Security Screening Selection check.

In recent years concerns have been raised both to the security of the boarding pass bar-codes, the data they contain and the PNR (Passenger Name Record) data that they link to. [3] Some airline barcodes can be scanned by mobile phone applications to reveal names, dates of birth, source and destination airports and the PNR locator code, [3] a 6-digit alphanumeric code also sometimes referred to as a booking reference number. [3] This code plus the surname of the traveller can be used to log in to the airline's website, and access information on the traveller. In 2020, a photograph of a boarding pass posted by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Instagram provided sufficient information to log in to Qantas's website. While not in and of itself problematic as the flight had happened in the past, the website (through its source code) unintentionally leaked private data not intended to be displayed directly, such as Abbott's passport number and Qantas's internal PNR remarks. [4] [5]

Paper boarding passes

A handwritten Air Canada boarding pass from 1979 Air Canada boarding pass 1979.jpg
A handwritten Air Canada boarding pass from 1979

Paper boarding passes are issued either by agents at a check-in counter, self-service kiosks, or by the airline's web check-in site. BCBP can be printed at the airport by an ATB (Automated Ticket & Boarding Pass) printer or a direct thermal printer, or by a personal inkjet or laser printer. The symbology for paper boarding passes is PDF417. IATA's Board of Governors' mandate stated that all the IATA member airlines would be capable of issuing BCBP by the end of 2008, and all boarding passes would contain the 2D bar code by the end of 2010. The BCBP standard was published in 2005. It has been progressively adopted by airlines: By the end of 2005, 9 airlines were BCBP capable; 32 by the end of 2006; 101 by the end of 2007; and 200 by the end of 2008 [ citation needed ].

Mobile boarding passes

Electronic boarding passes were 'the industry's next major technological innovation after e-ticketing'. [6] According to SITA's Airline IT Trend Survey 2009, [7] mobile BCBP accounted for 2.1% of use (vs. paper boarding passes), forecast rising to 11.6% in 2012.[ needs update ]

Overview

A mobile boarding pass and a paper boarding pass printed after online check-in. Mobile boarding pass KLM.JPG
A mobile boarding pass and a paper boarding pass printed after online check-in.

Many airlines have moved to issuing electronic boarding passes, whereby the passenger checks in either online or via a mobile device, and the boarding pass is then sent to the mobile device as an SMS or e-mail. [8] Upon completing an online reservation, the passenger can tick a box offering a mobile boarding pass. Most carriers offer two ways to get it: have one sent to mobile device (via e-mail or text message) when checking in online, or use an airline app to check in, and the boarding pass will appear within the application. [9] [10] In many cases, a passenger with a smartphone can add their boarding pass to their primary digital wallet app, such as Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, or Apple Wallet. This way the passenger does not need to open the airline's dedicated app and shortly before the flight, the boarding pass appears on their device's home screen. Furthermore, a mobile boarding cards can be loaded into smart watches through the phones they are paired with.

The mobile pass is equipped with the same bar code as a standard paper boarding pass, and it is completely machine readable. The gate attendant simply scans the code displayed on the phone. [11] IATA's BCBP standard defines the three symbologies accepted for mobile phones: [12] Aztec code, Datamatrix and QR code. The United Nations International Telecommunication Union expected mobile phone subscribers to hit the 4 billion mark by the end of 2008. [13]

Airlines using mobile boarding passes

In September 2006, All Nippon Airways first began mobile boarding passes in Japan. Today, most major carriers offer mobile boarding passes at many airports. [11] Airlines that issue electronic boarding passes include:

In Europe, Lufthansa was one of the first airlines to launch Mobile BCBP in April 2008. [15] In the US, the Transportation Security Administration runs a pilot program of a Boarding Pass Scanning System, using the IATA BCBP standard. [16]

Electronic boarding pass of an Air China flight shown on iPhone 7 Electronic boarding pass of Air China flight on iPhone 7.jpg
Electronic boarding pass of an Air China flight shown on iPhone 7

Benefits

Drawbacks

A print-at-home boarding pass is a document that a traveller can print at home, at their office, or anywhere with an Internet connection and printer, giving them permission to board an airplane for a particular flight.

British Airways CitiExpress, the first to pioneer this self-service initiative, piloted it on its London City Airport routes to minimize queues at check-in desks, in 1999. The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) approved the introduction of the 3D boarding pass in February 2000. Early adoption with passengers was slow, except for Business Travellers. However, the advent of low-cost carriers that charged for not using print-at-home boarding passes was the catalyst to shift consumers away from traditional at-airport check-in functions. This paved the way for British Airways to become the first global airline to deploy self-service boarding passes using this now ubiquitous technology. [33]

Many airlines encourage travellers to check in online up to a month before their flight and obtain their boarding pass before arriving at the airport. Some carriers offer incentives for doing so (e.g., in 2015, US Airways offered 1000 bonus miles to anyone checking in online [34] ), while others charge fees for checking in or printing one's boarding pass at the airport. [35]

Benefits

Problems

In a bid to boost ancillary revenue from other sources of in-flight advertising, many airlines have turned to targeted advertising technologies aimed at passengers from their departure city to their destination. [41]

Print-at-home boarding passes display adverts chosen specifically for given travellers based on their anonymised passenger information, which does not contain any personally identifiable data. Advertisers are able to target specific demographic information (age range, gender, nationality) and route information (origin and destination of flight). The same technology can also be used to serve advertising on airline booking confirmation emails, itinerary emails, and pre-departure reminders. [42]

Advantages of print-at-home boarding pass advertising

Concerns of print-at-home boarding pass advertising

See also

Related Research Articles

After the September 11 attacks, there was an immediate call to action regarding the state of aviation security measures as the hijackers involved in 9/11 were able to successfully pass through security and take command of the plane. The existing security measures flagged more than half of the 19 hijackers in 9/11; however, they were cleared to board the plane because their bags were not found to contain any explosives. In the months and years following September 11, 2001, security at many airports worldwide were reformed to deter similar terrorist plots.

The Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS) is a counter-terrorism system in place in the United States air travel industry that matches passenger information with other data sources. The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) maintains a watchlist, pursuant to 49 USC § 114 (h)(2), of "individuals known to pose, or suspected of posing, a risk of air piracy or terrorism or a threat to airline or passenger safety." The list is used to pre-emptively identify terrorists attempting to buy airline tickets or board aircraft traveling in the United States, and to mitigate perceived threats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quad Cities International Airport</span> Airport in Moline, Illinois, United States

Quad Cities International Airport is a public airport in Rock Island County, Illinois, three miles (5 km) south of Moline, partly in Blackhawk Township and partly in Coal Valley Township. In 2012 it was named "Illinois Primary Airport of the Year". It serves the Quad Cities Metropolitan area, including Davenport and Bettendorf in Scott County, Iowa as well as Moline in Rock Island County, Illinois.

Security theater is the practice of implementing security measures that are considered to provide the feeling of improved security while doing little or nothing to achieve it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic ticket</span> Digital ticket

An electronic ticket is a method of ticket entry, processing, and marketing for companies in the airline, railways and other transport and entertainment industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SITA (business services company)</span> Swiss multinational information technology company

SITA is a multinational information technology company providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry. The company provides its services to around 400 members and 2,500 customers worldwide, which it claims is about 90% of the world's airline business. Around the world, nearly every passenger flight relies on SITA technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand luggage</span> Luggage small enough to be carried in the passenger compartment of a vehicle

The term hand luggage or cabin baggage refers to the type of luggage that passengers are allowed to carry along in the passenger compartment of a vehicle instead of a separate cargo compartment. Passengers are allowed to carry a limited number of smaller bags with them in the vehicle, which typically contain valuables and items needed during the journey. There is normally storage space provided for hand luggage, either under seating, or in overhead lockers. Trains usually have luggage racks above the seats and may also have luggage space between the backs of seats facing opposite directions, or in extra luggage racks, for example, at the ends of the carriage near the doors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha's Vineyard Airport</span> Civilian airport in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States

Martha's Vineyard Airport is a public airport located in the middle of the island of Martha's Vineyard, three miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Vineyard Haven, in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. This airport is owned by Dukes County and lies on the border between the towns of West Tisbury and Edgartown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bag tag</span> Ticket attached to luggage for identification

Bag tags, also known as baggage tags, baggage checks or luggage tickets, have traditionally been used by bus, train, and airline carriers to route checked luggage to its final destination. The passenger stub is typically handed to the passenger or attached to the ticket envelope:

  1. to aid the passenger in identifying their bag among similar bags at the destination baggage carousel;
  2. as proof—still requested at a few airports—that the passenger is not removing someone else's bag from the baggage reclaim hall; and
  3. as a means for the passenger and carrier to identify and trace a specific bag that has gone astray and was not delivered at the destination. The carriers' liability is restricted to published tariffs and international agreements.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Check-in</span> Announcement of an arrival

Check-in is the process whereby people announce their arrival at an office, hotel, airport, hospital, seaport or event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flight information display system</span> Computer system used in airports to display flight information

A flight information display system (FIDS) is a computer system used in airports to display flight information to passengers, in which a computer system controls mechanical or electronic display boards or monitors in order to display arriving and departing flight information in real-time. The displays are located inside or around an airport terminal. A virtual version of a FIDS can also be found on most airport websites and teletext systems. In large airports, there are different sets of FIDS for each terminal or even each major airline. FIDS are used to inform passengers of boarding gates, departure/arrival times, destinations, notifications of flight delays/flight cancellations, and partner airlines, et al.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Keys Marathon Airport</span> Airport in Marathon, Florida

The Florida Keys Marathon International Airport is a public airport located along the Overseas Highway (US1) in Marathon, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The airport covers 197 acres (80 ha) and has one runway.

Boarding is the entry of passengers onto a vehicle, usually in public transportation. Boarding starts with entering the vehicle and ends with the seating of each passenger and closing the doors. The term is used in road, rail, water and air transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airport check-in</span> Process of being approved to board an airplane

Airport check-in is the process whereby an airline approves airplane passengers to board an airplane for a flight. Airlines typically use service counters found at airports for this process, and the check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline. Passengers usually hand over any baggage that they do not wish or are not allowed to carry in the aircraft's cabin and receive a boarding pass before they can proceed to board their aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airline ticket</span> Entrance ticket used for air travel

An airline ticket is a document or electronic record, issued by an airline or a travel agency, that confirms that an individual is entitled to a seat on a flight on an aircraft. The airline ticket may be one of two types: a paper ticket, which comprises coupons or vouchers; and an electronic ticket.

Airline reservation systems (ARS) are systems that allow an airline to sell their inventory (seats). It contains information on schedules and fares and contains a database of reservations and of tickets issued. ARSs are part of passenger service systems (PSS), which are applications supporting the direct contact with the passenger.

In-flight advertising is advertising that targets potential consumers aboard an airplane. It includes commercials during in-flight entertainment programming, advertisements in in-flight magazines or on Boarding Passes, ads on seatback tray tables and overhead storage bins, and sales pitches by flight attendants. Ads can be tailored to the traveler's destination, or several of the airlines destinations, promoting local restaurants, hotels, businesses and shopping.

Vaccination requirements for international travel are the aspect of vaccination policy that concerns the movement of people across borders. Countries around the world require travellers departing to other countries, or arriving from other countries, to be vaccinated against certain infectious diseases in order to prevent epidemics. At border checks, these travellers are required to show proof of vaccination against specific diseases; the most widely used vaccination record is the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Some countries require information about a passenger's vaccination status in a passenger locator form.

In tourism, reconfirmation is a contractual requirement that the traveller must explicitly re-notify to the seller that they still intend to use their reservation. If the traveller fails to reconfirm, their reservation might be cancelled. The term is mostly used in commercial aviation.

References

  1. "Check in for second leg ?". community.southwest.com. August 18, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  2. "IATA BCBP Reference Materials". Archived from the original on April 8, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "Passenger Name Record (PNR)". Archived from the original on February 3, 2018.
  4. An Aussie Hacker Used Tony Abbott's Post to Reveal His Passport Details and Phone Number
  5. When you browse Instagram and find former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's passport number
  6. "Just the Flight's Travel Blog". www.justtheflight.co.uk.
  7. "Airline IT Trends Survey 2014 | SITA | SITA". SITA. create success together. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  8. Stellin, Susan (March 18, 2008). "Paper Is Out, Cellphones Are In". The New York Times.
  9. Stellin, Susan (March 18, 2008). "Paper Is Out, Cellphones Are In". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Airlines Offer Mobile Boarding Passes". April 19, 2011. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 Stellin, Susan (November 2, 2011). "Testing E-Boarding Passes". New York Times . Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  12. "IATA BCBP standard" (PDF).
  13. "Number of cell phone subscribers to hit 4 billion this year, UN says". UN News. September 25, 2008.
  14. "Cebu Pacific Air". www.cebupacificair.com.
  15. Lufthansa launches mobile boarding pass [ dead link ]
  16. "TSA and Continental Airlines Expand Paperless Boarding Pass Program". Archived from the original on September 18, 2008.
  17. "Paperless Boarding Pass Pilot". Archived from the original on September 17, 2008.
  18. "TSA to expand paperless boarding pass program - USATODAY.com". usatoday30.usatoday.com.
  19. TSA and Continental Airlines Expand Paperless Boarding Pass Program to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Archived May 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  20. "Alaska Airlines testing electronic boarding passes". Archived from the original on June 13, 2011.
  21. "All your flight information in your pocket!". Archived from the original on November 6, 2008.
  22. have a bar-coded boarding pass sent to a mobile phone Archived May 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  23. "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  24. "Online Flight Booking | Airfare | Hong Kong SAR". Cathay Pacific.
  25. "Austrian Airlines adopts paperless boarding passes". Archived from the original on July 15, 2011.
  26. "Business Travel News: Business Travel News". www.businesstravelnews.com.
  27. "Air China launches SMS check-in". Breaking Travel News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  28. Mobile boarding pass with SWISS
  29. Finnair launches mobile boarding passes in Manchester
  30. "Paperless boarding takes off at United". CNN . Archived from the original on July 3, 2011.
  31. Christian, Kayti (August 7, 2018). "How Does an Electronic Boarding Pass Work?". Travel Tips - USA Today. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  32. Steedman, Neil (June 11, 2012). "New Emirates Mobile Boarding Pass Available on Dublin Route". Ireland’s Travel Trade Network. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  33. Airways, British. "MOBILE BOARDING PASSES IS FIVE YEARS OLD". mediacentre.britishairways.com.
  34. "The Ups and Downs of Online Check-In" . Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  35. "EasyJet to close its check-in desks". Telegraph. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  36. "Boarding Pass Evolution". Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  37. "Print the boarding passes for all flights before you leave home". Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  38. "General Terms & Conditions of Carriage" . Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  39. "Passengers' fury after Ryanair charges them £110 for two boarding passes". The Independent. August 15, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  40. Ltd, Jacobs Media Group. "Government confirms plans to tackle 'drip pricing'". Travel Weekly. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  41. "Boarding Pass Evolution". July 15, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  42. "Airline Travel Document Advertising". Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  43. "Global Passenger Survey reveals passengers interact with their boarding pass across 12 touch points". Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  44. "Ads on Boarding Passes: Awesome or Annoying?". Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2015.

Bibliography