Boarding pass

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A flight coupon (on the left) and an boarding pass (on the right), minus gate, seat and boarding time.

A boarding pass is a document provided by an airline during check-in, giving a passenger the authority to board an aircraft. As a minimum, it identifies the passenger, the flight number, and the date and scheduled time for departure. In some cases, flyers can print the boarding passes themselves.

Generally a passenger with an electronic ticket will only need a boarding pass. If a passenger has a paper airline ticket, that ticket (or flight coupon) must be attached to the boarding pass for him or her to board the aircraft. The paper boarding pass (and ticket, if any), or portions, are typically collected and counted for cross-check of passenger counts by gate agents. For "connecting flights" there will be a boarding pass needed for each new airplane boarded.

Some airports and airlines have automatic readers that will verify the validity of the boarding pass at the jetway door. This also automatically updates the airlines database that shows the passenger has boarded and the seat is used, and that the checked baggage for that passenger may stay aboard. This speeds up the paperwork process at the gate, but requires passengers with paper tickets to check in, surrender the ticket and receive the digitized boarding pass.