What's the difference between a boarding pass and an e-ticket?

An electronic ticket (e-ticket) is the digital purchase record confirming a flight booking exists in the airline's system. A boarding pass is a separate document issued at check-in, authorizing entry to the secure area and the aircraft. You can hold an e-ticket for days before the boarding pass becomes available, typically 24 hours before departure.

What information is encoded in a boarding pass barcode?

The barcode contains the passenger's name, flight details, seat assignment, and the Passenger Name Record (PNR), a six-character alphanumeric identifier tied to the full reservation. The data follows IATA's Bar Coded Boarding Pass (BCBP) standard and is not encrypted, meaning any standard barcode reader app can decode it and return the booking reference in plaintext.

How early can you get a boarding pass?

Most airlines open check-in and boarding pass issuance 24 hours before departure for domestic and international flights, though windows vary by carrier and route. Checking in as soon as the window opens gives business travelers the best chance of selecting preferred seats before desirable options are taken.

Can I use my phone as a boarding pass?

Yes. A mobile boarding pass is accepted at most airports worldwide and works identically to a paper pass. Complete online check-in through the airline's app or website, then save the pass to your mobile wallet. Business travelers using Navan can access trip documentation and itinerary details from a single app view.

What does "SSSS" mean on a boarding pass?

SSSS stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection, indicating that a passenger has been flagged for additional screening at the TSA security checkpoint. It can appear for various reasons, including travel patterns, ticket purchase timing, or random selection. Travelers who see SSSS on their boarding pass should allow extra time at the airport.

What should I do if I lose my boarding pass?

If you lose a paper boarding pass, visit the airline check-in counter or a self-service kiosk to request a reprint using your booking reference. For a mobile boarding pass, you can regenerate it through the airline's app or website at any time. A reprinted pass will reflect any gate or time changes since original check-in.

How does Navan manage boarding passes for business travelers?

Navan's travel app centralizes booking confirmations, itinerary details, and trip documentation so business travelers can access flight information without switching between tools. When a flight is booked through the platform, trip details appear in a single view, reducing the chance of missing key information on departure day.

Navan - Business Travel Solutions & Expense Management

Boarding Pass

A boarding pass is an official document issued by an airline at check-in, authorizing a traveler to enter the airport's secure area and board a specific flight. It displays the passenger's name, flight number, seat assignment, gate, and departure time, along with a barcode or QR code scanned at security and the gate.

Victoria Landsmann

•June 11, 2026•

5 minute read

Key Takeaways

A boarding pass is a document issued during the check-in process that grants a passenger permission to enter the secure area of an airport and board a specific flight. It carries essential flight details and a barcode or QR code, and is available as a paper printout or a digital pass on a mobile device.

Every boarding pass includes the passenger's name, flight number, departure time, gate, and seat, encoded in a barcode governed by IATA's BCBP standard [1].
Boarding passes become available through online check-in, airport kiosks, or counter service, typically 24 hours before departure.
The barcode encodes the Passenger Name Record (PNR), providing access to the full reservation. Travelers should shred paper boarding passes after use.
Navan consolidates itinerary details and boarding pass access in the app's trip view, so business travelers have all flight documentation in one place.
Multi-leg itineraries require a separate boarding pass for each flight segment, even when connecting on the same aircraft.

What is a Boarding Pass?

A boarding pass is an official document issued by an airline at check-in, authorizing a traveler to pass through airport security checkpoints and board a specific flight. It serves as the final confirmation that a passenger's seat is assigned and their identity verified against the reservation.

The terms "boarding pass" and "boarding card" are used interchangeably depending on the airline and region. Either way, the document is the last verified credential a traveler presents before stepping onto the plane.

For connecting flights, a separate boarding pass is required for each flight segment. This applies even when a technical stop doesn't involve a change of aircraft: if the leg carries a different flight number, a new boarding pass is required.

What Information Does a Boarding Pass Contain?

A boarding pass carries specific passenger and flight data for airport staff, security checkpoints, and gate scanners. Standard fields include:

Passenger name: Your name as it appears on your travel ID.
Flight number: The carrier code and numeric identifier for the route.
Departure and arrival airports: Using three-letter IATA airport codes (e.g., JFK for New York, LHR for London).
Date and departure time: The scheduled departure, not the boarding time (which is typically earlier).
Gate number: Subject to change; verify on the day of departure.
Seat assignment: Row and column confirmed at check-in. Seat assignment rules vary by airline and fare class.
Boarding group or zone: Your boarding sequence relative to other passengers.
Fare class code: A single letter indicating ticket type, flexibility, and mileage accrual rules (e.g., "Y" typically denotes full-fare economy; "J" full-fare business class, though codes vary by carrier).

Encoded within the barcode or QR code is the Passenger Name Record (PNR), a six-character alphanumeric identifier linking the boarding pass to the full reservation in the airline's system. The PNR connects to itinerary data, contact details, meal preferences, and special service requests.

Some passes also display lounge access eligibility, elite status indicators, or the flag "SSSS" (Secondary Security Screening Selection), indicating that the passenger has been selected for additional screening at the TSA checkpoint.

How to Get a Boarding Pass

Travelers obtain a boarding pass through one of four channels:

Online check-in: Most airlines open check-in 24 hours before departure through their website or app. Completing it early increases the chance of securing preferred seats before options narrow.

Airport kiosks: Self-service kiosks print a boarding pass when you enter a booking reference or scan a passport. They work well for travelers without checked bags who want to skip counter lines.

Check-in counter: Agent-assisted check-in handles baggage, special assistance needs, and booking issues. Counter agents can also reissue a boarding pass if the original is lost.

Automated check-in: Some airlines and corporate travel platforms trigger check-in on the traveler's behalf, delivering the boarding pass to their phone without manual action. This is particularly useful for frequent business travelers managing multiple consecutive trips.

Once issued, a boarding pass is non-transferable. It is tied to the named passenger and the specific flight.

A boarding pass is straightforward on the surface but carries more information than most travelers realize. Understanding what each field communicates, and how the barcode data works, helps business travelers stay in control of their airport experience when the unexpected happens.

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Paper vs. Digital Boarding Passes

Paper and mobile boarding passes serve the same function at the gate but differ in convenience and data security profile.

Paper passes work at every airport worldwide and don't depend on phone battery or connectivity. Their limitation is physical: the unencrypted barcode contains the full PNR, so anyone who finds a discarded boarding pass can scan the barcode with any smartphone and access the booking reference.

Digital passes, stored in a mobile wallet or airline app, update automatically when flight details change. Most airports and carriers worldwide accept them. For corporate travel programs, digital passes can feed trip data into expense systems and duty-of-care platforms more readily than paper counterparts.

Neither format is universally superior. The practical choice depends on the airport, the airline, and the traveler's ability to keep a charged phone accessible through multiple security checkpoints.

Why Boarding Pass Data Security Matters for Business Travelers

The barcode on a boarding pass is optimized for fast airport scanning, not for protecting personal data. IATA's Bar Coded Boarding Pass standard (Resolution 792) specifies a data format readable by any standard barcode scanner app, and the PNR embedded in that barcode is not encrypted [1]. A six-character alphanumeric code that unlocks a full reservation record is exposed in plaintext on a document most travelers discard at the gate.

For business travelers, this has two direct implications. A discarded paper boarding pass exposes booking details to anyone who picks it up. Photographing a boarding pass and sharing the image publicly or over unsecured channels has the same effect. With PNR access, someone could retrieve reservation details, modify seat preferences, or access personal contact information stored in the booking record.

Travel security experts recommend two straightforward mitigations [2]: switch to digital boarding passes stored in an encrypted mobile wallet, and shred paper passes after travel rather than discarding them whole. For companies with duty-of-care obligations, consistent boarding pass handling is part of a broader data hygiene practice for employees who travel frequently.

Business travelers complete significantly more flight segments per year than leisure travelers. A company travel policy that standardizes mobile boarding pass usage across the program addresses this risk at scale.

Electronic ticket: The digital purchase record for a flight, distinct from the boarding pass. An e-ticket confirms the booking exists; the boarding pass authorizes boarding.
Priority boarding: A benefit that allows eligible travelers to board before the general queue, often indicated directly on the boarding pass.
Itinerary: The full record of a trip's flights and activities, from which boarding passes are generated for each segment.
Departure gate: The airport location from which a specific flight boards, shown on the boarding pass and subject to change on departure day.

Sources

[1] International Air Transport Association (IATA), "Resolution 792 Bar Coded Boarding Pass (BCBP)," IATA Common Use Standards, https://www.iata.org/en/programs/passenger/common-use/

[2] AZCentral / USA Today Network, "Why you should never throw away your boarding pass," June 3, 2026, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/2026/06/03/dont-throw-away-your-boarding-pass/90389748007/

Frequently Asked Questions About Boarding Passes

An electronic ticket (e-ticket) is the digital purchase record confirming a flight booking exists in the airline's system. A boarding pass is a separate document issued at check-in, authorizing entry to the secure area and the aircraft. You can hold an e-ticket for days before the boarding pass becomes available, typically 24 hours before departure.
The barcode contains the passenger's name, flight details, seat assignment, and the Passenger Name Record (PNR), a six-character alphanumeric identifier tied to the full reservation. The data follows IATA's Bar Coded Boarding Pass (BCBP) standard and is not encrypted, meaning any standard barcode reader app can decode it and return the booking reference in plaintext.
Most airlines open check-in and boarding pass issuance 24 hours before departure for domestic and international flights, though windows vary by carrier and route. Checking in as soon as the window opens gives business travelers the best chance of selecting preferred seats before desirable options are taken.
Yes. A mobile boarding pass is accepted at most airports worldwide and works identically to a paper pass. Complete online check-in through the airline's app or website, then save the pass to your mobile wallet. Business travelers using Navan can access trip documentation and itinerary details from a single app view.
SSSS stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection, indicating that a passenger has been flagged for additional screening at the TSA security checkpoint. It can appear for various reasons, including travel patterns, ticket purchase timing, or random selection. Travelers who see SSSS on their boarding pass should allow extra time at the airport.
If you lose a paper boarding pass, visit the airline check-in counter or a self-service kiosk to request a reprint using your booking reference. For a mobile boarding pass, you can regenerate it through the airline's app or website at any time. A reprinted pass will reflect any gate or time changes since original check-in.
Navan's travel app centralizes booking confirmations, itinerary details, and trip documentation so business travelers can access flight information without switching between tools. When a flight is booked through the platform, trip details appear in a single view, reducing the chance of missing key information on departure day.