What is a boarding pass?

A boarding pass is a document that authorizes a passenger to board an aircraft after purchasing an airline ticket. Passengers can print boarding passes at home, receive them at airport check-in desks and self-service kiosks, and download them onto mobile devices.

Airport-printed boarding passes are still available but are more expensive for airports to produce because of staff and space costs. Airlines therefore encourage passengers to check in online and print boarding passes at home, saving them time and giving them more flexibility. Many airlines now allow people to download bar codes onto their mobile devices to be scanned as boarding passes.