A boarding pass is a document provided to passengers who have completed their check-in process, which can be done either online or at the airport. This pass shows that the passenger is authorized to board the aircraft.
I remember feeling confused during my first flight experience by the array of details printed on the boarding pass. It included terms like Gate, Zone, Seq No, SSR, and several other unfamiliar markings. At one point, I mistakenly believed that the time displayed was the aircraft’s departure time.
I ignored the information because I was flying with my friends, so I just followed them. If I was flying alone, I might have been misinformed by ignoring the boarding pass because it contains a lot of information that will help my flight process.
Well I hope you don’t ignore it too especially if you plan to take an airplane for the first time. So, in this article, I’d like to share information about various things usually listed on the boarding pass. Here it is:
This is our full name as an airplane passenger. The names usually comes in order from first to last, but sometimes they are reversed to last name or surname first.
The name of the city and airport we’re departing from. Sometimes the departure terminal information is also included.
The name of the city and the airport destination. It also sometimes includes terminal information at your destination airport.
This is our flight number information. Please refer to this number when we see information or hear announcements from the airport and airline.
This is the number or booking code of our ticket purchase. This number will always be the same from ticket purchase until the printing of the boarding pass.
This is our departure date.
It’s the time of boarding into the aircraft. This boarding time will not be the same as the flight time as we have to board about an hour or half an hour before the scheduled departure.
This is our seat number on the plane. The rows of seats from front to back are usually listed in numbers. While the order of seats in the row is listed in the alphabet.
This is the gate where we board on the aircraft. Please go to the displayed gate to wait for the departure time. Sometimes this gate information is empty or marked with a strip if the airport we are using doesn’t have many gates.
If we use the online check-in, the gates are often empty because the airline hasn’t determined which gate the passenger will be boarding at yet. To find out, please ask the officers or look at the departure information on the information screens around the check-in counter.
This is our baggage code if we have checked baggage. When collecting our luggage at the destination airport, the airline staff usually checks and compares this code with the code on our suitcase to make sure we’re collecting our own luggage.
Occasionally, this number might not appear directly on the boarding pass. Instead, it could be on a sticker that is attached to the pass. It’s important to keep this sticker safe until you collect your baggage at your destination airport.
Usually, the seats in the plane are divided into several zones. This section informs us the zone where we sit on the plane. When it’s boarding time, the airline officer will call passengers in turn according to the zone.
SSR stands for Special Service Request. It is a special codes usually understood by the airline staff. The code contains a request or service that the ticket holder has.
For example, on AirAsia flights, I often get the PBAB code. The code means Pre-Booked Baggage 20 KG, meaning that I have booked 20 KG of checked baggage.
This is the barcode used by airport or airline officials to find out our flight information. Do not leave this part torn or dirty as it will not be readable when it’s being scanned.
This is the number in which we checked in. If the boarding pass says number 20, then we are the 20th passenger to check in on the flight.
If we checked in online, we will usually be given a QR Code to print a tag on our luggage. This QR Code will only appear if we have booked or get checked baggage allowance.
This is information on the type of aircraft we are flying with. It is very rare to find this information on the boarding pass. I myself found it on the online boarding pass of Singapore Airlines.
If your flight has multiple classes, it will also be listed on your boarding pass.
That’s all the information you can get from your boarding pass. Although it may seem trivial, this information is very important for the smooth running of your flight. Therefore, we must learn well the various info contained in it.
Always keep your boarding pass with you until you arrive at your destination. Even after getting off the plane, you’ll still need your boarding pass for immigration purposes, baggage claims, or to file a complaint with the airline.
