Why It's Important For Travel Braggers To Not Share Their Boarding Pass

If there’s one thing many of us have noticed, it’s that people often treat social media as the only way they can prove they’re having fun. After all, did it even really happen if there aren’t photos? While it might seem like it’s nothing more than sharing your fun with your friends, you might want to think twice before you post certain things.

Traveling is a great way to make memories and explore the world, but what about telling the rest of the world about where you’re heading? While it can be tempting to post photos of your adventures, there is a big reason why it’s important for travel braggers to not share their boarding pass.

Boarding passes actually contain a wealth of information

Even though it might not look like it, Travel + Leisure reports that our boarding pass actually contains a wealth of personal information. When travel braggers post images of their boarding pass, they could accidentally be telling people their names, as well as the six-letter code of their names that are used for airline bookings, often called a PNR. These make it incredibly easy for identity thieves to gain access to everything they need related to your booking, such as your booking, address, phone number, and even any airline benefits programs you have in place.

Hackers might have access to a host of your information

What is the worst an identity thief could do with your boarding pass information? For one, they could hack into your flight plans, canceling or stealing your ticket. They could also have access to your frequent flier miles, meaning you can wave goodbye to all those rewards. If the hackers are really determined and know what they’re doing, they could even get more personal information about someone for the airline - or manage to convince unsuspecting passengers that they are from the airline through a phone call. Whatever the case, this can lead to our personal and financial information being compromised.

Digital passes are far safer than physical ones

If you’re someone who likes to print their boarding passes before you travel, you might want to think again. That’s because digital boarding passes typically stay with us the entire time, as most people always know where they keep their phones. Something like throwing your boarding pass in the trash when you’re done or accidentally leaving it somewhere in the airport can see you fall into the same trap as travel braggers sharing their boarding pass online, as the hackers now have a physical copy of all your information.

If you really have to share a snap of your boarding pass on social media, be sure to blur out any information that could be used to steal our information. Your best bet? Stick to using your camera for all those vacation memories instead.