Once you arrive at the airport and pick up your boarding pass (or you print it out at home before you ever leave), the first thing you look at is the gate number and seat assignment. For most people, that’s about it. But you’re missing a lot of information that is helpful, and sometimes crucial, to know. If you’ve never really paid attention to your boarding pass, here are a few things you may want to pay attention to.
1. TSA PreCheck Status
TSA PreCheck allows you to go through security lines faster, making your airport visit much easier. However, you need to become a member in order to use it. It can be a great time saver if you travel frequently. However, you’re not guaranteed PreCheck for every flight, since it’s not available in every airport. Look for the PreCheck symbol on your boarding pass to see if you’re eligible for the PreCheck service on your flight.
2. In-Flight Wifi
A boarding pass from British Airways, for a flight from Vancouver to London Heathrow. The green sticker allows use of “fast pass” security clearance and the brown pencil mark on the stub shows that the passenger has cleared security. The large portion is meant to be retained by the airline but in this case it wasn’t. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Almost all of American planes have built-in wifi for travelers. Sometimes it’s free, sometimes it’s paid. Your boarding pass will let you know you if your plane has wifi access and whether it’s free or paid. Once you get the all clear from the flight deck, fire up your laptop or tablet, and visit a few of your favorite sites. Like our Facebook page, for example. . .
3. Flight Time
This may seem obvious, since you already know your flight time. But you need to know that flight times constantly change and may be different than the time you originally scheduled. This is also true of your gate.
Note: Depending on when you printed out your boarding pass, the information may have changed. The /Arrival screens are going to have the most up-to-date information, but if you printed out your boarding pass at the airport, that’s a close second.
4. Bar Code
Your boarding pass now has a bar code instead instead of a magnetic strip. This change allowed you to print your boarding pass from home, saving you time at the airport.
5. Flight Number
You may actually be flying on an airline with a codeshare, even though you booked on a different airline. For example, if you booked a United flight to go to Europe, you may find you’re on a Lufthansa flight, which is United’s codeshare partner. Check your ticket for the flight number for codeshare information. If you have a higher-than-expected flight number, that usually means two airlines are sharing the same flight.
6. Seat Number and Status
The more perks you have with your chosen airline, the closer you are to the front of the plane. Being a preferred member of the loyalty club, upgrading your seat, and having priority check-in can all move you toward the front of the plane, which means you get to board early and be one of the first to depart. Anyone who’s ever been last on, last off knows how annoying it can be.
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