The Importance of Carrying a Paper Boarding Pass When Traveling

The idea of printing and carrying a boarding pass seems a little odd in the age of smartphones; especially if printing facilities are scarce. However, even beyond airlines like Ryanair, which charges extensively for printing boarding passes, it’s wise to either produce a paper copy or ensure that airport staff can print one out for you. John Walton explains why.

Some of my friends look at me incredulously when I mention that I always travel with a paper boarding pass. Nevertheless, I do, and it’s saved me more times than I can count, whether it’s a phone that runs out of battery, uncooperative airline staff, new regulations, or unexpected issues.

Online Check-In Is Important but Not Enough

Online check-in is a beneficial practice, and you should certainly utilize it as early as possible. Not only does this provide you with the best choice of seats, but getting on the passenger list early can help immensely if your flight faces overbooking or other complications. However, I often ensure that after sending my boarding pass to my phone, I also print a paper version simultaneously, or at least confirm that I can secure one at the airport.

Paper Passes Might Be Mandatory

For starters, some airports simply do not permit mobile boarding passes. EasyJet boasts a network of fifteen airports that don’t accept mobile boarding passes, including destinations like La Rochelle and Oslo. Notably, Lufthansa has an even more extensive list.

Moreover, don’t be caught off guard: even if mobile boarding passes are accepted on your outward journey, they might not be valid for your return trip — and it’s surprising how poorly informed some airline websites can be regarding this detail.

Think ahead about where you may print a copy at your destination, eliminating the urgency of finding an Internet connection, particularly when flying with budget airlines. In several countries, it’s also mandatory to have your boarding pass stamped at an initial kerbside security check. This can become problematic if you only hold a mobile boarding pass and haven’t printed your itinerary.

Relying on Your Phone Can Be Risky

In our digital age, integrating boarding passes into our phones seems to be a natural choice. However, consider the consequences if you drop your phone, it malfunctions, you run out of roaming data, or the battery dies.

Some devices automatically start updating apps upon connecting to wi-fi, particularly slow airport wi-fi. The last thing you would want is for the airline app to crash midway through while you’re trying to present your mobile boarding pass.

Having a paper boarding pass remains pragmatic, especially at airports where scanning occurs upon approaching security; this can lead to inconvenience if your phone is tucked away deep inside your bag or pocket.

Furthermore, it prevents you from being the person wrestling with luggage while struggling to present a phone that keeps turning off or rotating its screen. You certainly do not want to be that person attempting to retrieve multiple phones from a group just to hand them over to the gate agent.

The Necessity of a Paper Trail

Most flights operate smoothly, but circumstances sometimes arise that make possessing a paper copy much easier. For instance, if your suitcase is lost, having your boarding pass facilitates the airline’s process of locating it again, and it serves as a convenient spot for attaching your baggage tag.

This is particularly beneficial during connections in certain countries, especially if you switch airlines; many places mandate that you prove your legality, necessitating the printed boarding pass to verify and photocopy for their records (it’s much harder trying to photocopy a phone screen).

Moreover, if you require assistance due to unforeseen circumstances, having your travel details readily available on paper is much simpler than navigating through a phone that requires unlocking multiple times for airline staff to resolve your issue.

Imagine this: your airline’s systems go down while you’re in a long queue to get assistance, and your phone battery is depleting rapidly. Or, there’s a security alert leading to increased scrutiny from airport security in identifying legitimate travelers.

Therefore, make sure to print your boarding pass, or request the airport to provide one for you. You’ll be grateful that you did.

This article was published in November 2019 and was last updated in October 2020.