Hey, you know that piece of paper they give you at the airport?
It gets scanned, and then you toss it in the trash.
Yeah, boring passes, oops I mean, boarding passes!
There are plenty of reasons why you might wanna hang onto that thing for your next trip…
#1.
It’s more vulnerable than you think…
Most of us tend to cling to that pass up to the boarding gate.
Once we get seated, it might get put in the side pockets of your carry-on, that seat pocket
in front of you, or even used as a bookmark for the in-flight magazine.
That’s when your personal information can get exposed, like your…
#2.
Full name Before anything else, who wants complete strangers
knowing their name?
Your name can be tagged to carry out all kinds of deeds without you knowing it.
Or they might just look you up on social media and find your pictures and details there.
Shouldn’t your name be the most secured piece of personal information?
Certainly no transaction, fraudulent or not, can be completed without putting a name to
it.
Similarly, there’s your…
#3.
Passenger Name Record Once you present your e-ticket, which includes
that 6-digit Passenger Name Record (or PNR), that’s all it takes to print the boarding
pass.
Unfortunately, only 2% of travelers opt for the mobile boarding pass.
That means the remaining 98% are potentially exposed with those printed out ones.
Which group are you in?
#4.
Ticket number To do anything involving your confirmed flight
booking, all it takes is to know your full name combined with the Passenger Name Record
or your ticket number.
Hey, someone can use those details to cancel your booking!
#5.
Your flight carrier and number You might think there’s nothing to keep
confidential with the airline you’re flying through.
But a scammer also needs to know the airline when they try to cancel your flight!
And what can that lead to?...
#6.
An open door for scammers Your trip has come to an end, and you’re
flying back home the next day.
When you attempt to do an online check-in, you get a message saying that your flight
reservation has been canceled!
And in a snap, a scammer contacts you offering help.
By now, you’re aware that your airline login has been compromised, and it’s too late!
#7.
Travel itinerary You may not be a celebrity or a billionaire
CEO jetting across the world.
But what if someone is tracking your movements for some sinister reason?
They might be planning to burglarize your home?
Or, even worse, they may want to pry into your private life!
#8.
Barcode The boarding pass barcode is normally at the
bottom right side.
Posting it, along with all the other personal details there, on social media is all it takes
for your private information to be exposed.
Even if you’re super excited about this trip, never post any pictures of a boarding
pass online!
#9.
Your contact details This will really give you the heebie-jeebies.
Your home address, email, contact phone number – it’s all in that barcode!
Now your physical safety could be at risk!
Need more convincing that your boarding pass is FULL of incredibly personal information?
Well, how about your…
#10.
Financial details Ever heard of someone paying cash for a plane
ticket?
Yeah, most people nowadays use a credit or debit card.
Sorry, but all your payment information is in that barcode too!
Whoever has your debit or credit card information can even make new purchases using these details.
Nope, they don’t necessarily need your physical card!
#11.
Identity theft At this point, your identity is now at risk.
That means someone can carry out a whole slew of transactions or purchases using your name
and other personal information.
And the risk only goes up because identity theft isn’t merely borrowing someone else’s
name because it sounds cooler than yours.
It can translate to major financial theft and ruin!
#12.
The downside of the web In case you’re thinking, “I wouldn’t
be so careless to leave my boarding pass in a public trash can or in the airplane seat
pocket, don’t forget how risky online stuff is too.
In July 2019, a popular check-in software used by more than 500 airlines encountered
a major security issue: people’s boarding passes were getting downloaded by strangers!
While this issue was fixed immediately, it only serves as proof of how careful you need
to be with this seemingly simple little document.
#13.
Claiming compensation One flight compensation company reported that
less than 2% of travelers claim for money due to them because of major flight delays,
overbooking, or cancellations.
Once you’re aware of the airline’s terms and conditions, you can then apply for compensation.
And your boarding pass is the first document you’ll need.
Don’t miss out on this financial reimbursement if you’re entitled to it!
#14.
Tax records If you travel for work, your trips could be
tax-deductible.
You’ll need proof that you physically got on a plane and flew from A to B, and a boarding
pass is exactly that.
It might not be enough just to show a receipt of when you paid for the ticket.
Also, if you work and pay taxes abroad, your home country’s tax authority might ask for
proof of your absence from the country as well!
#15.
Accessing the airline’s website With your name and Passenger Name Record,
anyone can access the airline’s website.
They can change practically anything in your flight booking, or just cancel it altogether
if they’re feeling especially malicious!
Sure, it might be easy to rebook, but don’t forget that a lot of carriers will charge
you for canceling or changing anything at the last minute.
And what can they change?
Glad you asked…
#16.
Your flight seat We all have our seat preferences.
I know it’s not the most serious thing in the world if your pre-selected window seat
at the front of the plane has suddenly been replaced with an aisle-seat back by the bathrooms!
(That flight’s gonna stink…)
Or maybe the other way around?
Me, I’ll gladly take that happy comfy middle seat.
Oops -- I’m sorry.
I think I just had a hallucination that I prefer the middle seat.
Weird.
Which do you desire: aisle or window?
Let me know down in the comments!
Anyway, a more troubling offense would be if your business class ticket has now been
downgraded to economy!
Goodbye leg room…and extra money I paid to have it!
#17.
In-flight meal preference With meals, it can be a lot more dire.
You might pre-select your food on the plane for personal lifestyle choices like veganism
or for medical reasons like food intolerances and allergies.
Unauthorized changes to your meal preferences are more than just mere inconveniences.
#18.
Your Frequent Flyer rewards Most travelers join frequent flyer programs
because it doesn’t cost anything.
Instead, you continue to earn points as you subject yourself to jet lag, questionable
airplane food, and countless awkward security pat-downs.
Hey, you earn those rewards, so all that time and money you put into getting them should
be secure!
You’re the only one who should be redeeming your hard-earned frequent flyer rewards!
So there.
#19.
Forgot Password?
You think you’re safe with all your login accounts?
When someone clicks FORGOT PASSWORD, they usually send the reset password to your email.
Oh yeah, this boarding pass bandit has already gotten access to that as well…
#20.
That Code Sharing practice Code Sharing is a really common practice when
partner airlines sell seats on each other’s flights.
It’s convenient for passengers, but it can also be a risk.
Your Passenger Name Record can also be used to log in to the websites of other code sharing
airline partners.
Anyone with criminal intent can ride on that PNR multiple times, increasing the chances
of fraudulent transactions.
#21.
Boarding Pass Privileges When a global airline showcases its Boarding
Pass Privileges as a marketing trick to get discounts and freebies at retail stores, it’s
a great deal, sure!
But that just means your boarding pass is getting exposed to all those places!
If you’re putting your information out there and letting it spread all around, the risk
of something personal falling into the wrong hands only gets higher and higher…
#22.
Privacy invasion If your trip is confidential and sensitive,
then an exposed boarding pass is exactly what you don’t want.
I’m not saying you have to be a secret agent or anything.
But sometimes we just don’t want people to know where we’re headed, how long we’ll
be there, and what we’ll be doing there.
“One ticket to the Annual Belieber Conference in Toronto please…”
Ok, jokes aside, this kind of privacy intrusion could set you up for…
#23.
Hypothetical risks If the wrong person got hold of information
that you or the whole family will be on vacation in another city or country for the next 2
weeks, then it could spell real trouble!
This person might decide that this will be the perfect opportunity to break into your
home, steal your car from the airport or even your garage, or maybe just go to your house
and kick over your garden gnomes!
Bottom Line: Take a pass on playing Boarding Pass Roulette.
You have too much to lose!
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