Should you share your boarding pass?

Of course, travel apps can be hacked too, so digital boarding passes aren't entirely safe either. If you do opt for a printed boarding pass, it wouldn't hurt to shred or tear it up before you throw it out. Sharing your boarding pass details could have consequences beyond travel-related theft and scams, too.



You should never share a photo of your boarding pass on social media, even if you blur out your name. In 2026, cybercriminals use sophisticated barcode and QR code scanners to extract sensitive data hidden in the matrix, including your Passenger Name Record (PNR) and frequent flyer number. With this "booking key," an attacker can log into the airline's "Manage Booking" portal to see your phone number, email, and even passport details. They could maliciously change your seat, cancel your return flight, or steal your accumulated miles. Beyond identity theft, posting a pass announces that you are away from home, which can tip off burglars to your empty residence. If you want to share your travel excitement, wait until you return, or take a photo of your passport cover and a coffee cup instead. Always shred your physical boarding pass after your flight rather than tossing it into a public trash bin.

People Also Ask

Hackers may be able to use the information on a boarding pass – such as your rewards account and confirmation numbers – to access your account. Third parties can also remove information via the bar codes on a boarding pass, Tarighat said.

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Yes. There are some exceptions, including international reservations or any reservation over eight passengers. All members of the party will have access to all eligible boarding passes under that reservation.

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Previously, each person had to each carry their own smartphone to show their mobile boarding pass to go through security or board a flight. But now up to eight individual mobile boarding passes can be viewed on one phone, providing everyone travelling together is on the same booking reference number.

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In the past, printing was a requirement for mobile boarding passes when there were more than one person on an itinerary. Today you can get all of those passes together digitally when you check-in.

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Online check-in lets you check in from your home or office and print your own boarding pass. You can also choose to have a link to your boarding pass emailed to your mobile device.

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The boarding pass and the QR or 2D bar code printed on it contain sensitive information about the passenger and their journey that could be exploited by data thieves. The codes on the boarding pass contain all flight-related data, such as booking code, passenger name, date, flight number, class of travel and more.

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Save valuable time with your mobile boarding pass: if you are travelling with carry-on baggage only, you can go straight to security and then proceed to your gate.

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How do I send a boarding pass to my husband? The easiest way is to open up the airline's app on their device and save their ticket to Google Wallet on their account.

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Save money! Some airlines now charge you for the privilege of checking-in at the airport, due to staffing and printing costs. If you check-in online and obtain your mobile boarding pass before getting to the airport, then you cut out this cost, thus saving money!

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In a survey of more than 4,200 people conducted by CAA, travelers most frequently cited being split from their party while traveling on Ryanair, but the airline insists that it doesn't employ a family-splitting algorithm.

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Getty. An SSSS code on a boarding pass stands for “Secondary Security Screening Selection.” While somewhat of an annoyance, this code only means you have been flagged to undergo additional security screening procedures.

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TSA rules say the name on the boarding pass must exactly match the passenger's government-issued ID presented at the security checkpoint. When booking, “use the form of your name that is on the photo ID that you will show at the airport,” the Department of Transportation advises.

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