Here are six reasons why you should save your boarding card after you land.
When your plane lands and you receive your luggage, your boarding card may appear useless. Many passengers instantly discard the paper copy or erase the digital version. However, keeping it for a little longer can be beneficial if you need to document your journey, claim lost frequent-flyer miles, submit travel costs, or deal with an insurance or luggage issue.
1. It Can Help Recover Missed Airline Miles.
Frequent-flyer miles or reward points may not always display automatically in your account. When you contact the airline or reward program to request missing miles, your boarding pass can reveal valuable trip information.
Keep the boarding pass until you receive confirmation that your miles or points have been reimbursed.
If your flight is delayed or canceled, or you have a luggage issue, your insurer may seek paperwork detailing your voyage. Some travel insurance policies specifically include the ticket and boarding pass as claim papers.
Requirements vary by insurance, so always review your policy before filing a claim.
If you are traveling for work, your employer may need confirmation that you actually flew before processing your expense claim. A boarding pass can supplement your airline's receipt or itinerary.
Keeping a digital copy helps simplify expense reporting.
4. It offers a record of your journey.
A boarding permit includes important information such as your flight number, travel date, route, and passenger information. Keeping it temporary allows you to easily check your travel history or offer evidence of a certain flight.
5. It Can Help With Post-Flight Issues.
Unexpected complications can arise after landing. For example, you may need to contact an airline regarding a flight delay, baggage difficulty, or reservation issue.
While a boarding pass is not the only document required, having it handy can make it easier to submit your flight details.
Remember to save your baggage claim tags until you've retrieved and checked your luggage. The United States Department of Transportation particularly recommends passengers to save baggage claim stubs until their luggage is recovered and checked.
This is probably the most ignored reason to be cautious with your boarding pass.
The barcode or QR code may contain information related to your booking and loyalty account. Posting a boarding card publicly on social media or leaving an intact paper copy in a public trashcan can reveal information that you do not want outsiders to see.
When you no longer need it, shred or totally destroy the barcode, QR code, and personal information rather than discarding the entire pass.
How Long Should You Keep Your boarding pass?
There is no set duration that applies to all travelers. A sensible strategy is to preserve it till you have:
You received your frequent flier miles or points.
Confirmed your luggage is safe.
Completed any cost claims.
resolved any insurance or travel issues.
Completed any necessary airline follow-up.
For a straightforward journey with no ongoing difficulties, you can discard it afterward—but first, destroy any personal information.
What about digital boarding passes?
If you use a mobile boarding pass, snap a screenshot or preserve the necessary travel information before deleting it. Airline applications and digital wallets might update or remove old boarding passes after a flight, so having a backup can be beneficial.
Your boarding card may appear to be a disposable piece of paper once you've landed, but it can still be helpful after your flight. From recovering lost miles and supporting insurance claims to documenting business travel and preserving your personal information, keeping it temporarily is a simple travel practice that can save you time and trouble later on.
