Written by JOHN WALTON
The idea of printing and carrying a boarding pass seems a little ridiculous in the age of smartphones; if you even have a printer at home at all.
But a paper copy can come in handy. Here's why.
Paper passes might be a mandatory
Some airports don’t allow mobile boarding passes. EasyJet has 15 airports in its network that don’t take mobile boarding passes, including some like Oslo. Lufthansa’s list is even more extensive.
Even if you can use mobile boarding passes on your outbound journey, sometimes they aren’t allowed on your return.
So perhaps have a think about where you’d print out a copy at your destination so you don’t have to hurriedly find an internet connection, especially if you’re flying on budget airlines.
In some countries, you’ll also need to have your boarding pass stamped at an initial curbside security check. That can get a little complicated if you only have a mobile boarding pass.
Relying on your phone can be a bad idea
What’s your plan if you drop your phone and it breaks, or it goes on the fritz, or you run out of roaming data, or the battery dies?
More practically, a paper boarding pass is especially useful at those airports that want to scan your boarding pass as you approach security; phones often end up stowed it deep inside a bag or pocket.
Following up afterwards needs a paper trail
Most flights go off without a hitch, but sometimes things can happen that make having a paper copy easier.
Perhaps your suitcase went missing: your boarding pass makes the process of the airline trying to find it again much easier, and the paper boarding pass is also a handy place to stick that bag tag.
It’s also useful if you’re connecting in certain countries, especially if you’re changing airlines. Many places require you to be able to prove that you’re not going to stay illegally.
So if Airline X is flying you to that country, and Airline Y is flying you onwards, best to be able to hand over the printed boarding pass for them to verify.
The same goes if you end up needing to seek assistance if your journey has gone a bit awry. Having all your travel details on a piece of paper rather than a phone that will go dark is so much easier.
So hit print or get the airport to print one for you. You’ll be glad you did.