How to Read a Boarding Pass: Every Field Explained

The basics, top to bottom

A standard boarding pass is dense. Here's what every field means.

Passenger name

Always last name first, in capital letters. If yours is wrong, fix it before flying internationally — TSA and CBP cross-check.

Flight number and date

UA 232 / 14APR — airline code, flight number, day-month abbreviation. The year is implicit.

From / To

Three-letter IATA airport codes (SFO → JFK).

Departure time and gate

The scheduled time, not necessarily the actual time. The gate may change up to 30 minutes before push-back; check your tracker.

Boarding time

Usually 30–45 minutes before scheduled departure. Doors close 10–15 minutes before push.

Seat

Number + letter. Window seats are A and F (or A and K on widebodies). Aisle is C/D and D/J.

Class / Booking class

A single letter — your fare bucket. Common codes:

• F — first
• J — business
• W — premium economy
• Y — full-fare economy
• B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X — discount economy buckets, in roughly descending price order
• A, P, R — discounted premium

The lower-cost economy buckets earn fewer miles and are often last to upgrade.

Sequence number

SEQ 045 — the order in which you checked in. Useful when you're on a standby list.

TSA PreCheck / Boarding Group

Look for TSA PRE✓ and a group number or zone (varies by airline).

Barcode

The PDF417 barcode encodes the entire pass. Don't post it on social media — anyone with it can sometimes change your seat or look up your reservation.

After scanning your pass

Pin the flight in FlightyFlow to get gate, delay, and baggage updates from now until you're at the curb.