Posted by After the never-ending COVID-19 pandemic finally came to an end, the number of people traveling have jumped to levels ten times higher than last year. Especially with the long weekend in May, many traveled to nearby countries such as Japan, or in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. The vibes at Incheon Airport have been quite lively thanks to our passengers. 🤭
Many people have been uploading airport photos 📸on social media, showing off their excitement to finally travel again! One common post is photos of one’s passport and boarding pass. This poses the question, is it safe to post up your ticket online🎫? This is why Incheon Airport has prepared Aviation Fun Fact #16, Why You Shouldn’t Post a Picture of Your Boarding Pass on the Internet. We’ll settle this matter once and for all!
A. The barcode on your boarding pass can expose your personal information.
“Boarding pass barcodes contain personal information.”
Boarding passes contain a barcode. Did you know this simple barcode contains all the information related to your reservation and flight? 💁♀️That means a third-party can access your name, address, email address, phone number, city of departure, destination, reservation number, and credit card information! Even if you cover your name and destination on the boarding pass in your photo, if the barcode is visible, your private information is still being put out there.
A. You personal information is contained in the PNR reservation code.
“The PNR is a 6-digit reservation code serving as a passenger’s personal identifier.”
PNR stands for “Passenger Name Record”, meaning it contains all your reservation information. If your PNR gets leaked, not only can a third-party access your personal information, but the information of anyone traveling in your party. 😲In addition to all the aforementioned personal information, financial details like your credit card number and the cost of your ticket can also be leaked. More of a reason to be careful!
A. Another person can change or cancel your flight.
“Even with such little information, someone can change or cancel your flight. Even your destination!”
You’re so excited to go on a long-overdue trip that you just can’t help but to upload a picture of your boarding pass! You then come to find that your destination has been changed! 🛫Simply by knowing your name, boarding area, date, and flight time, a third-party can change, cancel, or reroute your flight. With such information, other crimes can also be committed, so always be on guard! ☝🏻
A. You used your miles and now someone can steal your account information.
“If you purchased your ticket using your miles, you need to be even more careful!”
You racked up your miles and used them to purchase your flight. A photo of your boarding pass contains enough information to allow a third-party to log into your mileage account. It’s relatively simple to figure it out simply from your mileage account number and cardholder’s name💳. There have been cases where a third-party was able to access someone’s miles and use it to purchase their own airplane tickets.
A. You may be put at risk for other criminal activities.
“Uploading your boarding pass exposes how long your home will be empty.”
The ultimate reason you shouldn’t ✋🏻upload a picture of your boarding pass is this: Someone can know how long your house will be empty just by looking at your travel itinerary on your boarding pass.👀 This may be the most important reason of all, amongst all the other reasons we listed regarding leaking of personal information and flight changes. Serious crimes can be committed with the knowledge of someone leaving their house empty, thus help prevent them by not uploading photos of your boarding pass on social media.
Did you enjoy our Aviation Fun Fact for today regarding why you shouldn’t post a picture of your boarding pass online? If you have a trip coming up or are active on social media, this may be useful information. 🙆♂️ We wouldn’t want you to inadvertently leak personal information! We’ll be back next time with more useful and interesting stories! ☺