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Boarding Pass Barcode Decoder

Decoded on your device. Nothing you paste or upload is sent anywhere.

Example pass: the passenger, booking and numbers are made up

EZEMAD

FlightIB 6845
DateJanuary 15
Seat23A
ClassY
Check-in number142
PassengerTRAVELLER/ALEX

What this barcode gives away

Anyone with a photo of this pass can read all of this, which is why posting one online is a bad idea:

  • Passenger nameTRAVELLER/ALEX
  • Booking referenceXK7Q2P
  • Bag tag0075123456001
  • Ticket number075-2345678901
  • Frequent flyer number12345678

The booking reference and the surname are all most airlines ask for to open a booking online, where someone could change the seat or cancel the rest of the trip.

The barcode, field by field

Each colour is one section. Point at or tap a field to find it in the list below; the faint dots are padding spaces.

M1TRAVELLER/ALEX······EXK7Q2P·EZEMADIB·6845·015Y023A0142·148>6180WM6014BIB·00751234560012A075234567890101IB·IB·12345678·········1PCN^110MEUCIQDvG1n8sR4a

Header

Format
M
Always M: the format code IATA set for boarding pass barcodes.
Number of flights
1
1 flight. How many flights this one barcode covers. Up to four connecting flights can share a pass.
Passenger name
TRAVELLER/ALEX
Surname, a slash, then given names, cut off at 20 characters. That limit is why a long name sometimes looks clipped on the pass.
E-ticket
E
Electronic ticket. Whether the ticket is electronic, which since paper tickets were retired in 2008 is nearly all of them.

Flight

Booking reference
XK7Q2P
The code from your confirmation email, also called the PNR or record locator.
From
EZE
The departure airport's IATA code.
To
MAD
The arrival airport's IATA code.
Airline
IB
The airline operating the flight. On a codeshare it is not always the one you booked with.
Flight number
6845
Padded with zeros to four digits, with room for a suffix letter.
Date
015
January 15 (day 15 of the year). Written as the day of the year, from 1 to 366. There is no month and no year.
Class
Y
Booking class Y. The booking class letter. It is the fare bucket rather than just the cabin: Y, B, M and many other letters are all economy, sold at different prices.
Seat
23A
Row 23, seat A. Row and letter, padded with zeros to four characters.
Check-in number
142
Number 142 to check in. The order you checked in for this flight. Some airlines use it to decide boarding groups.
Status
1
Checked in. Where the passenger stood when the pass was issued.
Optional data length
48
72 characters follow. How many characters of optional data come next, written in hexadecimal.

About the pass

Optional data start
>
A > marks where the optional data begins.
Format version
6
Version 6. Which revision of the IATA standard the airline's system follows.
Pass details length
18
24 characters follow. The length of the section about the pass itself, in hexadecimal.
Passenger type
0
Adult. Adult, child or infant, and on some airlines the passenger's gender.
Checked in via
W
Website. Where the check-in was done.
Pass issued via
M
Mobile app. Where this boarding pass was produced.
Issued on
6014
January 14, in a year ending in 6. The last digit of the year, then the day of the year. It is the only clue to the year anywhere in the barcode.
Document type
B
Boarding pass. What the barcode was printed on.
Issued by
IB
The airline that produced the pass.
Bag tag
0075123456001
The number on your checked bag's label: a leading digit, the airline's three-digit code, a six-digit serial, then how many bags in a row follow it.

Ticket and loyalty

Ticket details length
2A
42 characters follow. The length of the ticket and loyalty section, in hexadecimal.
Ticket airline code
075
The first three digits of the ticket number, identifying the airline that issued the ticket.
Ticket number
2345678901
Full ticket number 075-2345678901. The remaining ten digits of the 13-digit e-ticket number.
Security selection
0
Not selected. Filled in for flights to and within the United States, for the TSA.
Passport check
1
Required. Whether travel documents have to be, or have been, checked before boarding.
Sold by
IB
The airline that sold the ticket, which differs from the operating airline on a codeshare.
Loyalty programme
IB
The airline whose frequent flyer programme the miles go to.
Frequent flyer number
12345678
The loyalty account the flight is credited to.
Staff travel
Left blank. Marks staff and industry discount tickets. Blank on a normal ticket.
Free baggage
1PC
1 piece. The checked baggage included in the fare, in pieces, kilos or pounds.
Fast track
N
No. Whether the passenger can use a fast track security lane.

Digital signature

Signature start
^
A ^ marks where the security data begins.
Signature type
1
Which kind of signature follows.
Signature length
10
16 characters follow. The length of the signature, in hexadecimal.
Signature
MEUCIQDvG1n8sR4a
A cryptographic signature, so the gate can tell a genuine pass from an edited one. Many airlines leave it out.

Or scan your passes straight onto the map

The barcode on a boarding pass is not encrypted. It is plain text in a format every airline shares, and it holds more than the pass prints: your booking reference, ticket number, frequent flyer number and sometimes your bag tags. Paste one in or upload a photo, and every character is explained.

How to read your own boarding pass

  1. Upload a photo or screenshot of the pass, or the .pkpass file from your phone's wallet. The barcode is read in your browser.
  2. Or paste the barcode's text if you already have it, for example from a barcode reader app.
  3. Point at any part of the coloured text to see which field it is, or read the table underneath, section by section.
  4. Use the hide button before taking a screenshot, so the personal details are masked.

Things people are surprised to find in there

The format is IATA's Resolution 792, used by every airline since paper boarding passes went barcoded in 2005.

  • The date has no year and no month: it is the day of the year, from 1 to 366. The only clue to the year is a single digit in the issue date.
  • Your check-in number says how many passengers checked in before you.
  • On flights to and within the United States, one field says whether you have TSA PreCheck or were selected for extra screening.
  • The class letter is the fare bucket you paid for, not just the cabin, so two passengers in neighbouring economy seats can carry different letters.
  • Your name is cut at 20 characters, which is why long names look clipped on the pass.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to post a photo of my boarding pass?

No. The barcode carries your booking reference and surname, which is all most airlines ask for to open a booking online, change the seat or cancel the rest of the trip. It also holds your frequent flyer number and ticket number. Throw paper passes away carefully and crop the barcode out of any photo.

Is my barcode sent anywhere when I use this?

No. The barcode is read and decoded in your browser. Nothing you paste or upload leaves your device, and the text is not put in the page address either.

Why does my barcode not decode?

Some airline apps show a QR code that only links to their website, and a few airlines use their own format instead of the IATA one. For photos, a sharp, straight-on picture with the whole barcode in frame reads best.

Why is there no year on my boarding pass barcode?

The format dates the flight by day of the year only, because a pass is used within days of being issued. The issue date field adds the last digit of the year, which is enough to tell this year from last year.

What does the class letter mean?

It is the booking class, the fare bucket the ticket was sold in. Airlines use letters like F and A for first, J, C and D for business, W for premium economy, and Y, B, M, H and many more for economy at different prices.

Know what you carry through the airport.

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