Depending on the requirements of airport authorities, you will need to present a mobile boarding pass, a paper boarding pass printed out by you or a paper boarding pass picked up from the check-in desk.
Beginning May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, state-issued enhanced driver's license, or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States.
At that point, US travelers 18 and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, identification card, state-issued enhanced driver's license (EDL), or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States. REAL IDs also will be needed to access certain federal facilities.
In the event you arrive at the airport without proper ID, because it is lost or at home, you may still be allowed to fly. By providing additional information, TSA has other ways to confirm your identity, like using publicly available databases, so you can reach your flight.
You shouldn't need to but it is wise to do so in case you have a problem with your phone at the airport. When you do save your boarding card to your phone, always ensure you have offline access to it on your home screen. Not only will you have immediate access but it may save you incurring data roaming charges.
There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding which type of boarding pass is right for you — both work just fine. But when it comes to air travel, we like to play it safe, which is why we recommend printing out your boarding pass, too.
Can I use my mobile boarding pass to go through the security checkpoint and board my flight? 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.
Not technically. Your boarding pass is your “ticket” to board the plane, but technically your ticket is generated as an “e-ticket,” or an electronic ticket, when you book your flight. Your boarding pass will be generated upon check-in, either online or at the check-in counter.
If no self-service station is available, the regular check-in desk personnel will reprint it for you. Some airlines in some locations allow using mobile boarding pass through their smartphone app, if this is the case for your airline and airport - then you don't even need to reprint anything at all.
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.
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.
In the event you arrive at the airport without proper ID, because it is lost or at home, you may still be allowed to fly. By providing additional information, TSA has other ways to confirm your identity, like using publicly available databases, so you can reach your flight.
If you only have an expired passport, you can still bring it along for domestic travel within the United States, but you must convince TSA officers that you are who you say you are. However, if you're traveling internationally, you must have a valid passport.
In the United States, you need a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID or a passport from your country of origin to travel through security. You must show that the name on your boarding pass matches the legal name on your unexpired government-issued ID.
Online check-in allows you to print your boarding pass at the airport. You can print it at a kiosk or the desk. If you can't print your boarding card at the airport, the airline should replace it. Don't worry if you lose or can't print your boarding pass.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires commercial aircraft in the US to have four pieces of paperwork onboard before it can fly. These are the airworthiness certificate, registration certificate, operating manual, and weight & balance. The regulatory authorities use the acronym AROW for this requirement.
You have all of the required essentials with you: Logbook with signed endorsement from your instructor, third class medical certificate, student pilot certificate, and one government issued photo ID. You're legal to fly. As a private pilot, you'll be flying farther than the pattern for a few touch and go-s.