Mobile Boarding Pass
Key Takeaways
A mobile boarding pass is a digital travel document that replaces a printed paper ticket for airline boarding. Stored on a smartphone or tablet, it displays a scannable QR code or 2D barcode alongside flight details, enabling travelers to move through airport security and board without printing anything.
- Mobile boarding passes display a QR code or 2D barcode that airport security and gate agents scan to verify a passenger's flight authorization.
- Travelers retrieve a mobile boarding pass by completing online check-in through their airline's app or website, typically 24–48 hours before departure.
- TSA accepts mobile boarding passes at security checkpoints across 250+ U.S. airports alongside a REAL ID-compliant form of identification [1].
- For business travelers, mobile boarding passes reduce airport friction and eliminate reliance on printed documents that can be lost, forgotten, or damaged.
- Navan surfaces boarding pass access and real-time flight updates within its travel app, so employees can confirm gate, seat, and departure details from the same platform they used to book.
- According to IATA's 2025 Global Passenger Survey, 78% of passengers want a smartphone that combines a digital wallet, digital passport, and loyalty programs for end-to-end airport navigation [2].
What is a Mobile Boarding Pass?
Unlike a paper boarding pass, a mobile boarding pass can update in real time. If a gate changes or a flight is rescheduled, the digital version reflects that update automatically, without requiring a trip to the check-in counter.
The barcode format varies by airline and airport infrastructure. Most carriers now issue QR codes, though some systems still use 1D barcodes in PDF417 format. Either format is scanned by handheld readers or fixed scanners at security lanes and boarding gates.
What a Mobile Boarding Pass Displays
A standard mobile boarding pass contains the same information as its paper equivalent, formatted for a small screen. Key fields include:
- Passenger name: The name as it appears on the identification document used for travel
- Flight number and operating carrier: The airline and route identifier
- Departure date and scheduled departure time
- Departure and arrival airports: Three-letter IATA codes (e.g., SFO, JFK, LHR)
- Gate: The assigned departure gate, which may update before the flight
- Seat assignment: Row and seat letter, or "not assigned" for open-seating flights
- Boarding sequence: The passenger's place in the boarding order: zone, group, or priority number
- Security status: TSA PreCheck or CLEAR eligibility indicator, if applicable
- QR code or barcode: The scannable element that encodes the Passenger Name Record (PNR) and flight authorization data
Some airlines also embed a frequent flyer number and a link back to the full itinerary on the pass itself.
How to Get a Mobile Boarding Pass
The process starts with online check-in. Most travelers receive an airline email prompting check-in 24–48 hours before departure. Completing check-in via the airline's website or app generates the boarding pass and allows seat selection.
From there, travelers have three storage options:
- Mobile wallet: Apple Wallet and Google Wallet integrate with most major carriers, keeping the pass accessible from the device lock screen without opening an app.
- Airline app: Opening the app displays the current boarding pass directly.
- Email file: Some airlines send the pass as a PDF attachment or as a retrievable link in the confirmation email.
A practical note for frequent business travelers: loading the boarding pass into a mobile wallet before leaving for the airport is the most reliable approach. Poor cellular coverage in some airport terminals can make loading an email attachment or refreshing an app unreliable at the moment it's needed most.
Mobile Boarding Passes for Business Travelers
For employees who travel regularly, a mobile boarding pass isn't a novelty — it's the baseline expectation. Most corporate booking tools and airline apps deliver boarding passes automatically after check-in completes, removing manual steps from the booking-to-boarding sequence.
The operational value for companies extends beyond convenience. When a mobile boarding pass is part of a connected travel experience, changes to the flight surface directly to the employee's device. This supports a company's duty of care obligations by maintaining real-time visibility into where each traveler is in the airport process.
Navan's travel app consolidates trip details — boarding pass access, gate assignments, and flight status — into a single itinerary view, reducing the number of apps an employee needs to navigate during transit.
Business travel policy may also specify whether employees should forward boarding passes to a travel coordinator, particularly when traveling to destinations where confirming flight boarding is part of the duty of care protocol.
Transform Your T&E Management with Navan
Make business travel work for everyone.Digital IDs, Biometrics, and the Future of Mobile Boarding
The mobile boarding pass handles flight authorization. Identity verification at TSA checkpoints is a separate process, and that system is evolving rapidly alongside digital boarding technology.
As of May 7, 2025, TSA requires REAL ID-compliant identification at all U.S. airport checkpoints. This doesn't change how mobile boarding passes work, but it means travelers must pair their digital boarding pass with a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, passport, or an accepted digital ID [1].
TSA now accepts digital IDs at more than 250 U.S. airports through Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and select state-issued apps. CAT-2 scanners at these checkpoints use facial comparison technology to verify identity and can confirm ticket status directly, meaning the boarding pass itself becomes optional at equipped checkpoints when a digital ID is in use [3].
IATA's 2025 Global Passenger Survey found that 74% of passengers would share biometric data if it allowed them to skip presenting a passport or boarding pass at checkpoints [2]. The industry trajectory points toward a single mobile credential combining check-in, boarding, identity, and loyalty, at which point the boarding pass and the digital ID converge into one.
For now, business travelers should treat the mobile boarding pass as one part of a document kit. Carry a REAL ID-compliant physical ID alongside any digital wallet boarding pass until biometric verification reaches the airports you use most regularly.
When to Use a Paper Boarding Pass Instead
Mobile boarding passes work reliably at most modern airports, but several situations call for a paper backup:
- International destinations with older infrastructure: Some airports lack compatible scanner infrastructure at remote gates or bus-to-plane boarding areas.
- Low battery or unreliable connectivity: A phone that dies before reaching the gate can't display the barcode. Mobile wallet storage reduces this risk considerably; printing remains the safest fallback on long travel days.
- Damaged or dim screens: Cracked screens can cause scan failures. Most airlines will reprint at the gate, but it adds time to a tight connection.
- Group travel: Managing multiple digital passes across multiple phones during peak-hour security creates friction. Printed passes are often more practical for groups traveling together.
- Airline-specific routes: A small number of intra-regional international routes still require paper at the gate. Confirm with your airline before departure.
If a paper copy is needed, airline kiosks and staffed check-in desks reprint at no charge using a booking reference or PNR.
Related Terms
- Boarding pass: The physical or digital document authorizing entry to an airport security checkpoint and an aircraft, containing flight details, seat assignment, and a scannable barcode.
- Travel itinerary: A complete record of a trip's bookings — flights, hotels, and ground transport — serving as the reference document travelers consult alongside their boarding pass.
- Automated check-in: A feature that completes the flight check-in process automatically at the earliest available window, without requiring the traveler to initiate it manually.
- Electronic ticket (e-ticket): The digital booking record confirming a passenger purchased a seat, distinct from the boarding pass, which is the authorization document generated after check-in.
Sources
[1] Transportation Security Administration, "Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint," 2025, https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification
[2] International Air Transport Association, "IATA's 2025 Global Passenger Survey Reveals Mobile and Digital ID as the Future of Travel," November 2025, https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-11-05-02/
[3] Transportation Security Administration, "Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology," 2025, https://www.tsa.gov/digital-id
Frequently Asked Questions About Mobile Boarding Passes