Decoding your Airline Boarding Pass

by John Webber

Your boarding pass may seem like a piece of paper that gets you from point A to point B, but that jumble of numbers and letters surrounding your name can actually tell you a lot about your trip.

Your boarding pass lets all of the airline employees from security to the gate know who you are, what you’ll be eating and, to some extent, how well you will be treated.

For example, a person with a “B” or “Y” on their ticket has a better chance of getting a free upgrade to business class than those with a “Q” or “N”.

That’s because the former airfare code, as the letters are known, indicates that the ticket holder is in the economy section but bought a more expensive fare and is eligible for an upgrade, while the latter codes label the boarding pass as the lowest economy class fare ticket hence unlikely for an upgrade. Meanwhile, a person with an “A” or “P” or “F” will get the utmost service during their travels, due to their first class status.

Want to know what other codes and airline jargon your ticket is saying about your trip?

“Do not go where the path leads, travel instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”  @wbbrjp

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