Boarding passes are always required to board a flight. Often, airlines accept either paper or electronic boarding passes (on phone or tablet).
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Electronic ticketing paves the way for online check-inIn 2008, IATA announced 100% of ticketing was electronic, which meant that airlines no longer needed to produce physical tickets. Starting in the late 1990s, passengers could check themselves in online and print out a boarding pass at home.
After purchasing your ticket online, download the file and print your ticket. Passengers can find their e-ticket files in the email sent to them. For domestic flights, passengers do not have to show their e-tickets at the security checkpoints.
You might show the ticket for your flight if the check-in agent can't find the booking record simply with your ID document. But you'll need to show a boarding pass on your phone to pass security and get on to a plane.
Can I use my air travel e-ticket from my phone without printing a hard copy? Sure, you can! Just make sure you have your ticket information on hand, usually stored in an app or on a phone. It makes the check-in process a lot easier, and you won't be fumbling around with paper tickets.
The e-ticket receipt often looks similar to an old-style paper ticket but doesn't need to be presented at the check-in counter on the day of your flight (although we suggest you have it with you, just in case as it serves as proof that your ticket was issued).
The difference between an electronic ticket and a boarding pass. Simply put, the difference between an electronic ticket and a boarding pass is that the electronic ticket is a confirmation that you have completed your purchase, and boarding pass is a document that allows you to board on the plane.
Although not every airline worldwide is subject to IATA's rules, the vast majority are, and paper tickets are now virtually obsolete. The airline industry estimates that it will reduce costs by three billion U.S. dollars worldwide by eliminating paper tickets.
Since 2008, it has been mandatory for all IATA member airlines to issue e-tickets (although some continued to offer paper tickets, usually for a fee). At the time, IATA estimated that the move to fully electronic ticketing could save the industry over $3 billion each year.
Have your boarding pass on your mobile device? It's important to remember that the TSA officer cannot accept a printed version of a mobile boarding pass because the technology doesn't recognize it. A mobile boarding pass must be on the phone.
Yes, simply show your mobile boarding pass on a mobile phone, iPad, or Apple Watch and a valid form of identification to the TSA Agent at security to proceed. To board your flight, scan your mobile boarding pass by holding one of the devices listed above with your pass facing the scanner.
At the gate, e-ticket passengers need only show a valid photo identification card such as a driver's license to claim their spot on the aircraft. Once the airline confirms the traveler's information, it issues a boarding pass that the traveler uses to board the plane.
If you haven't gone through security yet, return to your airline's check-in counter and reprint a boarding pass from the kiosk or ask an agent at the check-in desk if there are no kiosks. If you have already gone through security, go to your departure gate and ask the gate agent to reprint your boarding pass.
For most airports, you must be checked in at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time (airports requiring additional time are listed below, Go to footer note). Additionally, you're required to be at the gate and ready to board 15 minutes before scheduled departure.
A boarding pass will get you through the security lines, to the gate area, and onto your plane. An e-ticket won't, and is little more than a receipt. In many cases you don't even need the e-ticket to get checked-in and govt-issued ID will suffice.
Flying domestically, all that is needed to board the plane is a valid boarding pass. Some countries may have different rules, but for the most part that's all you need. When flying internationally you will be required to produce both a passport and the boarding pass.
No one wants to be the person holding up the boarding process because of technical difficulties. We especially recommend printing boarding passes if you're taking connecting flights, as the longer you're in transit, the more likely your phone battery will run low or die completely.