Cranky on the Web: What’s On Your Boarding Pass?


Your boarding pass does contain information about you, but whether it can be used for evil is another questionLos Angeles Times
It was fun sitting with the author poring over her boarding pass and picking apart what everything meant. Though I couldn’t decipher some of the info that popped out on the barcode, there was definitely enough info in there to be able to at least cancel a reservation if not use the credit for something else. (That’s particularly dangerous on airlines like JetBlue where you can use a credit for another person.) In general, I recommend not being an idiot and posting your boarding pass (without redaction) online. If you do use a paper one, it can’t hurt to shred it once you’re done. Chances aren’t great that you’ll run into trouble otherwise, but why take the chance?

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Brett Avatar

2 responses to “Cranky on the Web: What’s On Your Boarding Pass?”

  1. Jonathan Reed Avatar

    Thanks. I’ve just been throwing my paper boarding passes in the trash. I will be more careful now.

  2. Kilroy Avatar

    Paper boarding passes have been hacked in a way before (remember the guy who created a boarding pass generator that made boarding passes that got him through security?). Probably only a matter of time until mobile boarding passes get hacked, if they haven’t already.

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