Why You Should Keep Your Boarding Pass After a Flight

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The thought of keeping your boarding pass after you fly might seem a bit unnecessary, though you might be surprised. There are several reasons why you should keep your boarding pass after a flight. Some reasons are for your protection, others are for extra perks you might be entitled to. Therefore, WeExpats thought we would list some of the reasons you should keep your boarding pass after a flight.

Keeping Your Boarding Pass After a Flight for Security Reasons:

Every day millions of people fly around the world and the vast majority of them throw away their boarding passes after they have been used. However, there are several security reasons why you should hang on to your boarding pass. In this section, WeExpats will cover the reasons why you should keep your boarding pass after a flight.

– Information Printed on the Boarding Pass –

First of all, there is sensitive information that is printed on the boarding pass plain for anyone to read. It has your full name, but many boarding passes also have a booking reservation number. In other cases, boarding passes will have a ticket number printed on the document. This can alone can let someone into some airline’s “manage booking” pages. Inside the “manage booking” pages, you can sometimes access all manner of information, including the banking and credit card numbers that were used to purchase the flight.

Furthermore, if you are a member of a frequent flyer program, then your frequent flyer number is often be printed on the ticket itself. Many times, it is the last six digits of your frequent flyer number, though sometimes your whole number can be posted. With this information, you can also sometimes access sensitive information, including credit or debit card information.

– Information Encoded into the Bar Code of Your Boarding Pass –

Even if the ticket itself does not list sensitive information, often times the information can be encoded in a bar code or a QR code. If your booking number is not fully typed up on the ticket, then it will be included in the information on the bar code or QR code. The code can carry in it your email address, your full name, your home address, your phone number, even sometimes it can carry sensitive financial information. You can scan it QR codes by downloading a simple application on your phone. Therefore, it’s a bad idea to let boarding passes out of your sight. One option is to download your boarding pass on your phone, but if you lose your phone, then you’re still in the same predicament.

That said, before you destroy them, it’s still best to keep your boarding pass after a flight.

– Keeping Your Boarding Pass After a Flight Can Save You Cash –

Though you might be tempted to destroy your boarding passes after you fly, you might be interested to know that you can save money if you keep your boarding pass after a flight. Many airlines offer promotional deals, so-called perks for flying with a certain airline—and the proof of your flight is your boarding pass.

In 2018, several airlines posted discounted prices upon presenting your boarding pass. Among them were:

• Korean Airlines which offers discounts on drinks and food, as well as the Daemyung Vivaldi park and the Korean Folk Village among other attractions. Click here to learn more.
• Singapore Airlines customers get 25% off tickets to the National Gallery, and discounts at casinos and shops in Australia. Click here to learn more.
• Asiana Airlines offers discounts on drinks, a tour at a brewery, and a discounted price at the COEX Aquarium. Click here to learn more.
• Alaska Airlines offers a chance at skiing for free and wine tasting for free. Click here to learn more.
• Turkish Airlines offers a 15%-off discounted price for the entrance to see the city of Petra. Click here to learn more.
• AirItalia offers a discounted entrance to seasonal attractions in Rome like museums and theatrical features. Click here to learn more.  

*To learn about more discounts presentable with your boarding pass, click here and click here. Also, contact whichever airline you choose to fly with and ask them if they offer any promotional discounts. Their answers may surprise you!

– Keeping Your Boarding Pass After a Flight As Collateral –

There is another good reason to keep your boarding pass after a flight instead of destroying it or throwing it away. If there is any issue with your airline—like if your airline fails to give you the proper miles—then your boarding pass will serve as proof of your flight.

You can also use your boarding pass to list it off as a tax deduction—especially if you are self-employed. This also counts if you download your boarding pass as an image on an app on your phone.

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