Typical boarding pass printed at the airport

More modern options - print at home and mobile boarding passes

The flight ticket itself does not enable you to board the plane: you must have a boarding pass or boarding card. You will need to present the boarding pass to the security staff and later to the gate staff and cabin crew when boarding the flight. At the security check, only passengers with boarding passes may access the airside portion.

The boarding card contains important details about your journey such as your seat number, gate number (although this is not always indicated especially for connecting flights), arrival and departure city, boarding time, class of travel, some privileges you may enjoy (lounge access, priority boarding), your allocated seat, and a 2-D barcode that is scanned with those details at important points at the airport. It is important not to dispose of it in the trash bin immediately after landing, since you may need it in case of problems after the flight, and a bad actor may scan the barcodes on the pass to access your travel information.

With some airlines you will receive a boarding pass with a seat assignment, while some do not assign seats.

Check-in is the process of declaring your presence for the flight, producing your boarding pass, which includes seat numbers, departure times and gates. You can often do the check-in yourself electronically, either online or with check-in kiosks at the airport. However some international flights, particularly to the United States and countries that require a visa from your nationality, may require you to present yourself to counter staff even if you have checked in online so your passport and visas can be verified - only after then may boarding cards be issued to you. Some airlines require you to check in only prior to their check in counters at the airport opening to avoid sometimes outrageous fees.

Check-in is not to be confused with baggage drop, which requires prior check-in. There, your checked luggage will be weighed, labelled, and handed off to baggage handlers. With online check-in becoming more and more the standard, some airlines no longer strictly distinguish between baggage drop and check in. If the queues are short, the agent at the bag drop counter might check you in, assign a seat and take your bag. Don't count on it though.

As a general rule, you should aim to be at the airport at least 2 hours for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights before the scheduled departure time of your flight (although it may sometimes not be possible to bag drop earlier for carriers that are not based at your departure airport). The aviation industry considers a new day to start at 00:00 (midnight). For instance, if your flight is scheduled to depart at 00:10 (12:10AM) on 1st April, you have to be at the airport to check-in by 22:10 (10:10PM) on 31st March. There have been many cases of passengers missing flights due to this confusion, when they turn up at the airport at 22:10 on 1st April instead. Doing this can may be beneficial immigration-wise as your exit stamp will reflect your exit from the country one day early than the actual departure date stated on your itinerary.

Airports consist of two areas: landside with the check-in and baggage drop, and airside with the aircraft. To get airside, passengers must clear the security checkpoint (see below). International airports have immigration and customs controls for passengers going from airside to landside (see arriving by plane for details). In other words, passage between these areas takes time, and should preferably be done just once. To use the airside to landside passage backwards without permission is strictly forbidden; however, the opposite, passing through landside to airside security barriers backwards is not. People who forget something airside must sort it out with the security staff.

As the landside area is usually open to the public, it might be more crowded, dirty, and more exposed to pickpockets and other crime than airside. Unticketed persons are often not allowed to stay with family or friends as they go through processing to airside. Some countries may allow family and friends to accompany domestic passengers airside up to the boarding gate provided they go through security; check each country's regulations for more details.

Typically, the duty free shops and most restaurants are airside. However, some large airports have good restaurants and other amenities landside, which may be worth a visit even for non-flyers.

Your boarding ticket specifies Boarding time, which is when boarding starts (not when it ends). Usually the boarding starts even after the printed time, but for short flights at least 30 minutes before departure; for international flights on large aircraft, sometimes at least 45 minutes. Some airlines do what is called "pre-boarding" with passengers admitted into a separated area after having their boarding passes checked in order to avoid a check when the airplane arrives. It is often possible to leave this "pre-boarding zone" only after showing the boarding pass again.

The gate closes (boarding ends) usually only 10–20 minutes before departure so give yourself plenty of time to get to the gate, especially if the airport is large, you are far away from the gate, or you don't know your way around the airport. Carriers have different policies and procedures for boarding. Contact your travel agent or your carrier for advice.

Overbooking is the practice of accepting reservations for a flight from more people than can fit on the plane. Almost all airlines overbook their flights, as statistically some percentage of passengers do not show up for the flight.

It does happen, though, that more people check in than can fit on the plane. When this happens, the airline staff will ask passengers to volunteer, either at the checkout counter or after the plane is full, to remain behind and take another flight. If your travel plans are flexible (such as on the homeward leg of your excursion), you may wish to volunteer, to receive the compensation that airlines usually offer to get out of this predicament. If there are no volunteers, passengers will be chosen by the airline to stay behind. "Bumped" passengers are almost always offered passage to their destination by some other route or on a later flight; it is common for airlines to offer a voucher for a substantial discount on a future flight, or even cash, in compensation for the inconvenience. If an overnight stay is required, the airline will usually pay for a hotel and meals during the delay. Your rights are regulated at the country level; some airlines may offer additional compensation (but their policy on this is rarely published). Sometimes they will increase their offer for volunteers if the initial offer does not get enough interest.

In deciding who gets bumped, most airlines use an algorithm that takes into account multiple factors about each passenger. You are less likely to be bumped if you have special needs (e.g. physical impairment or unaccompanied minors), have an onward connection on the same ticket, are part of a large group, have frequent flyer status with the airline, book a more expensive fare, and check-in early. Conversely, those passengers without onward connections, travelling alone or as a couple, travelling on cheaper fares, or check-in late are more likely to be bumped.

Compensation for denied boarding for flights depends on the jurisdiction: in the European Union, the compensation is €250 for flights 1500 km or less, €400 for intra-EU flights over 1500 km and all other flights between 1501 and 3500 km, and €600 for flights greater than 3,500 km (2,200 mi) (half if the delay is less than 2, 3 or 4 hours, respectively) in addition to an alternative flight or a refund of the ticket. In the USA, the compensation is the lesser of 200% of the ticket price or $775 for delays between one and two hours, and the lesser of 400% of the ticket price or $1,550 for delays longer than two hours. Consult your travel agent or the airline. If inquiring of the airline by telephone, ask for the current load factor, which is the ratio of reserved seats to capacity. Anything greater than one indicates an overbooked flight, while your chances of boarding as a stand-by passenger decline as the load factor increases.

If you are lucky, overbooking can sometimes lead to a free upgrade to first or business class, as seats in the premium cabins tend to be oversold less commonly than those in economy class. In general, your chances of being upgraded are higher if you bought a more expensive ticket, if you have elite status in the airline's frequent flyer programme (or that of an airline in the same alliance), and/or if you are travelling alone or in a small group. Conversely, sometimes the premium cabins are oversold and the airline bumps passengers down into economy class. In this case, the airline will normally refund the difference between the fare you paid and the applicable economy class fare. They may also continue to offer you other premium class perks (e.g. lounge access, priority baggage, premium meals and amenities) where possible.

You may face the same challenges in lines/queues for the personal security screening. If time is short, use the same methods as for check-in to get help.

Check with your airline - increasingly you will have to pay sometimes substantial amounts of money - if you haven't checked in online in advance. Checking in online when and where possible also has other advantages, such as often giving you better seats and a higher likelihood of not being "bumped" in case of overbooked flights.

Some airports offer curbside check-in, which allows you to check-in your bags before entering the terminal. These are normally available on domestic US flights and do what the standard check-in counters inside do except that they will not issue boarding passes to you. You will have to obtain them inside if you haven't done so from online check-in. Curbside check-in is offered nowadays for a fee levied by the carrier or by a third-party baggage handler sometimes on top of prevailing check-in baggage fees. Moreover, tips for the staff that handle your bags are expected.

The check-in staff will print a bar-coded baggage tag once your bags are processed; the longer part of it will be attached to your baggage while the shorter part will be given to you. In a few cases, the shorter part may resemble a thermal receipt; the details found in it may also be "pushed" to your phone via the airline's app. Keep this, as upon arrival, some airports may require passengers to present these along with their baggage to ensure that the person carrying the baggage is indeed the owner. These baggage tags are also useful if you suspect some of your check-in baggage is missing or similar to other baggage. Before the ticket agent attaches the new baggage tags for your upcoming flight, be sure:

• You've removed any old airline tags.
• Your new tags reflect your destination airport, checked-through as below.

If your journey for the day involves several flights, you may want to request to have your baggage checked-through. Check-through is when your baggage will be tagged all the way until the last leg of your journey and in most cases, you do not need to claim your baggage in your intermediate stopovers any more (especially for international-international or domestic-domestic flights on full-service carriers; generally does not apply to international-domestic connections). You need to inform the check-in staff of the flights which will be covered by check-through for a particular journey as they can't assume that's your preference. However, check-through is not always possible - make sure to enquire from the check-in staff. You may check the section "Making a connection" below and are advised to contact the carriers concerned for more information on when check-through may or may not be possible.

If you find you are taking more baggage than allowed, check with the airline to see what the cheapest way of carrying it is. Sometimes additional baggage allowances can be pre-purchased, especially online where discounts may be given. Excess baggage fees are heftier if the excess weight is detected at the airport than if pre-arranged and pre-purchased. Low-cost carriers tend to be stricter with their baggage allowance.

Many airlines offer discounted cargo rates to passengers, but this must be arranged prior to departure, and destination of the goods your want to ship as cargo must match the destination on your ticket. You will need to deliver your excess bags to the cargo terminal, and you may incur duties and other charges.

Postal services or sea freight can be much cheaper than air freight or excess baggage charges. But check rates thoroughly. It may be a good way to get some baggage back home when you don't need it any longer, or even to send some baggage ahead for longer trips. However, see individual country listings for information on reliability and shipping times of such services.

Baggage delivery services provide an alternative. Baggage is delivered by a specific date, normally between 48 hours and 5 days, with door-to-door service to an address you specify. You don't have to go to the cargo terminal before or after you drop-off or pick-up your checked luggage. All paperwork is provided to you and customs procedures are managed. The price is cheaper than airline cargo rates, but still expensive.

If you have a lot of baggage, consider flying business class or even first class. Domestic tickets may not cost that much more. International flights will cost considerably more and may not be recommended. With most airlines, those seat classes will allow you to get a larger luggage allowance.

There is a size limit for normal luggage, but it is usually possible to bring special oversize luggage. This might include sports equipment such as bicycles or golf bags. This will cost extra and should be pre-booked for all legs of the journey. The airline can deny non-booked special luggage if there is no room for it. Allow extra time for dropping it at the airport. When booking small children, it is normally allowed to have a pram/stroller checked into the flight without extra charge.

Airports with an elevated need for security (such as Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel and Narita International Airport in Japan) might have early checkpoints; at the road to the airport, or at the building entrance. Officers might request documents and/or a scanning of travellers and their baggage.

International airports usually have a high level of surveillance which is justified as being there to prevent crime, illegal immigration and smuggling, at the cost of visitors' privacy. In and around airports, staff might use harsher methods than in civilian locations, against unattended baggage, loitering and drunkenness. The civil rights implications of all this - and whether any given "security" measure actually works are sometimes subject of public debate. Plenty of time margins, papers in order and good behavior are the best methods to deal with excessive security measures.

You'll usually check any luggage with the airline at the ticket counter. It will be at least electronically screened for security as it goes to a holding area to be loaded on your flight.

Then, as you walk to your gate, you and your carry-ons must go through personal security screening. It involves the following basic steps (varying based on individual countries' policies and on whether the flight is domestic or international).

• You must present identification (perhaps except for toddlers) and boarding passes for your flight. Keep your ID and boarding passes with you throughout the process.
• You may be instructed to:
  • Remove bulky outer garments (e.g., sweaters, jackets) and/or your shoes, and place them in a bin/tub going through separate electronic scanning or manual inspection.
  • Place all carry-on bags, purses, laptops and the clear bag of liquids in tubs/bins on the line for separate scanning. Depending on the country and the airport, items such as laptops, other electronics, umbrellas, chargers, and liquids may have to be placed separately. Put the clear bag of liquids on top where it can be easily seen and inspected.
    • This is your last opportunity to avoid delays, by placing all metal or electronic items (e.g., cell phones, coins, keys, timepieces) into a bin/tub. At airports that use backscatter X-ray machines, you'll need to remove everything from your pockets, metal or not.
  • Proceed to a nearby point for body screening: electronic, X-ray, and/or manual. Any metal object will generate an alarm. You'll be directed to return to the carry-on scanning line and place "offending" items in a bin/tub for separate screening. If this happens, be careful not to leave them behind when grabbing your bags!

In general, you will not be allowed to carry any sharp objects (eg. knives, scissors, razor blades), firearms, or other possible weapons (hammers, golf clubs, baseball bats) onto a flight, and these items must be put in your check-in baggage. There is also a restriction on the amount of liquids, aerosols and gels that you may carry for flights in the United States and European Union, as well as all international flights. For flights to the United States or Australia, you may only purchase duty free liquids (e.g. liquor, perfume) at the stop before your final leg. In other words, if you have any stopovers, you should not purchase duty free items at the beginning of your journey, and should only do so at your final stopover.

If you have any kind of metal in your body for any reason (e.g., pace-maker, artificial joint, combat wound), be prepared for the alarms as you go through body scanning. Your doctor may help you obtain some form of proof for TSA or other security inspectors. This may avoid an unnecessarily invasive pat-down.

After body screening, you may be told to go with a screener to hand inspect your belongings — usually because electronic screening cannot identify an object. You may be subject to a more rigorous security check. Depending on the country and airport, this can be random or based on some suspicion. It can involve luggage search, swabs for explosive chemical traces and/or personal body searches. Officers may offer an information sheet explaining your rights, but the chance of your reaching your plane without submitting to the check is low.

Otherwise, go to the end of the conveyor which takes your luggage out of the screening machine, claim your possessions and proceed into the "airside" terminal.

As you are going through this procedure, try to have someone you know keep all belongings in-view to avoid loss if someone else picks up a wrong item or tries to steal yours. Security personnel are focused on keeping the terminal area secure. They don't know what's yours versus others, so won't notice if someone "lifts" your bag (or something in it) or loose belongings.

Depending on the country, taking prohibited items to the security checkpoint even by accident may be considered an offense, and the items concerned are not just subject to confiscation. UK airports may limit their gate security scans to one item per person but with little regard for its size limits; you may need a large, soft bag to hold all carry-on items just for that check; find out before you begin your trip.

Based on perceived threats or improving technologies, details about what's allowed and procedures for scanning may change — just follow instructions. Some security levels, airlines, or flights going to certain regions, may require additional screening at your gate as you board - usually manual.

According to the letter of the law the limit on liquids can be avoided by freezing. You can try it with a low value liquid and some people have reported getting stuff through security that way that would've been disallowed in the liquid state. Some security personnel even take it in good humor and it might brighten an otherwise dull day. However, when the liquid is even partially molten, they can and might point out it's a liquid now and not admit it on the flight. ICAO regulations also allow passengers to carry up to 2.5 kg of dry ice in either their hand or checked luggage (provided it's labeled properly) which you might employ to keep frozen stuff frozen. Maybe get that pint of ice-cream home after all?

Some airports use computed tomography (CT) scanners at some checkpoints, which can better analyze luggage contents and don't require electronics or liquid containers to be taken out of them. You will be asked to leave such items in your luggage if you encounter a CT scanner.

To avoid delays or stoppages at the screening:

• Don't wear hiking boots or shoes with large metal loops or steel plates in the soles.
• Choose footwear that's easy to slip on and off; wear socks to avoid dirt/organisms on the floor.
• Avoid wearing or carrying unnecessary items you'll have to remove before inspection - put them in your bags before reaching security control.
• Avoid wearing metal objects, like a belt-buckle or use ones that are easy to take off.
• Put small metal and electronic items in external garment pockets or hand-carried luggage (so that you do not have to perform extra moves to take them off you)
• Remove items that create bulges from trouser/pant pockets - just an unnecessary way to generate inspector questions.
• You may be required to show that any electronic device functions. Make sure their batteries are charged and inserted for a brief demonstration.
• Join a queue with what looks like experienced travelers, even if it's not the shortest one. They probably know the ins and out and prepared accordingly, which can make the process proceed much faster than usual.
• Consider looking for queues off to the side, since they tend to be far shorter than the center queue(s).
• Avoid aggression and signs of nervousness, since security agents consider these suspicious behaviors.

• Always keep your luggage with you until you've checked your large pieces, then carry-ons before and after personal security check. Security officials take unattended items very seriously. If one is found and the owner is not within reach to claim it, it may trigger an alert, resulting in the affected area being "locked-down", and inspection of the suspicious piece of luggage by experts. The result will be serious inconvenience for a lot of people, and for you perhaps fines or the loss of your property (it may even be destroyed).
• Never make jokes about bombs, weapons, or other security threats. There is no room for humor on this topic; rather than relying on their individual subjective judgement, security personnel are required to take any such joke as a serious statement. You will be checked more thoroughly and/or escorted off the premises in some cases. Jokes may even be treated as a criminal offense, with charges filed against you, leading to fines and/or imprisonment.
• Make sure you leave enough time for security checks — it is your responsibility to make it through them in time to get to your boarding gate before it closes. Most airlines and airports advise how much time in advance you should arrive to be on the safe side. When you believe you may be running late anyway, make sure to indicate to the airport staff that your gate closes shortly — in some cases you may find them willing to arrange for expedited security check for you not to miss your flight. That said, all the speeding up they can do is pretty much allow you to jump the queue — the check itself cannot be sped up, and if you or your luggage are found to require extra inspection, it will proceed as usual regardless of your flight time.

To avoid the delays associated with normal security checks, some airports offer express security lanes for frequent travellers who have pre-registered, or sometimes for passengers who have paid an additional fee. In cases of heightened security, the expedited security check lanes may be suspended or closed.

Flying to certain destinations can involve more security checks. They may be induced because:

• You must change planes en route, and the change forces you to leave the secure air side area, e.g. if you must change terminals or the country doesn't allow sterile transit.
• A country you will travel to or through mandates its own security checks or standards higher than the one most other travellers go through at the departure airport — even complete arrival and departure immigration and customs processing, e.g., Japan, the US.
• Your flight or your ticket was selected (randomly or otherwise) for additional screening.

Sometimes this means going through security a second time at the gate when you're about to board. If there's a chance you may have to go through security a second time, be careful about buying water or other liquids airside, as they might just be confiscated again.

See also: Lounges

Major airports also offer lounges, that offer extra facilities (comfortable seating, food, drinks, computers, TV, magazines, showers, etc.) for some customers. If you have free or included access and substantial time, you should head straight there rather than waiting at the gate. Lounges are usually found airside, however, occasionally lounges may be found before security check. If landside, be sure to end your stay there in plenty of time to go through your security check and reach your gate.

You may have access if:

• You are a first or business class passenger, except for US domestic flights.
• You are an elite member of a frequent flyer program, except for elite members of US frequent flyer programs on US domestic flights.
• You are a yearly member of an airline club
• You are a member of a prepaid program like Priority Pass or DragonPass, which offer pay-per-visit and unlimited visit plans on-line... usually for independent lounges.
• You have a premium credit card like Visa Infinite or American Express Platinum, or you have a priority or private banking account with a large bank. This can either be indirectly through complementary membership in prepaid programs like Priority Pass, or through lounges operated by those financial entities like the American Express Centurion Lounge in various airports around the world or the DBS Asia Treasures Lounge in Singapore Changi Airport.

If you don't have access for these reasons, some airlines and independent providers allow one-day lounge entry for a fee.

Most airports provide some kind of Internet access for visitors. Although most airports offer some form of free access, some of them offer paid access at the same time. A couple of tips to make sure you can take advantage of what is on offer:

• For airports that simultaneously offer free and paid access, the former will typically come with more restrictions. For instance, the speeds will be slower than if you use the latter option, some websites (e.g. streaming-heavy) may be rendered inaccessible or inoperable, and/or you may only be able to enjoy it for a limited amount of time. For the latter, the price depends on how long you intend to use it, how much data you want to use, or what websites you plan to visit. If you subscribe to services such as Boingo, premium internet may be included in your plan; check with your service provider for more information.
• If using a mobile phone (set for use at home), ensure it can receive signal, even if you don't intend to use it. You may need to receive an SMS with your instructions for internet access, or information on cancellations and rerouting.
• Internet usage might be very expensive abroad (up to US$10/MB=$10,000/GB) considering the often high data consumption of modern smart phones. Deactivate data roaming or remove your home SIM card if you don't want to pay this. Alternatively, you can buy a prepaid/pay-as-you-go SIM card at the airport at the arrivals hall. Some providers also allow you to book a mobile hotspot in advance for a fee and claim/return it at a designated counter at the airport. See Wikivoyage's Internet access article for more information and security issues.
• Even if there is no free Wi-Fi generally available in the terminal, there may still be a signal to be found. Particularly check areas adjacent to lounges, or in food courts or coffee shops.
• For those who need to access the internet on a device with a screen larger than a phone's but do not have one, the airport may provide some computers for public use. Be careful when using websites that require you to enter personal information on airport-provided computers, and make sure you log out of any accounts you signed into before you leave.
• Airport lounges provide their own complimentary internet access to guests in addition to what the airport offers. These may be faster or less time-limited than the airport's but will often require a password. A good number of lounges may also have computer terminals for those who did not bring their laptop or tablet.

Your flight will have an associated gate number where you'll board. This is indicated in your boarding pass (which may be available on your phone), the airline's phone app, and the overhead monitors.

• Find the gate where you are boarding: be there no later than 30 minutes before the flight's scheduled departure, and preferably a little earlier. Even if you have a few hours before your flight, it's always a good idea to go straight to the gate in order to familiarize yourself with the area and ensure you're never more than a few minutes away in case you lose track of time.
• Find a seat in the boarding area. If no seats are available, stand away from the departure gate. Don't stand around the departure gate hoping to be first on; gate attendants hate "gate lice" and will treat you accordingly.
• At the gate, airline staff will check your boarding pass just as you board, or perhaps earlier; they may also want to see photo ID. Once done, you will be counted as being on board the flight.

While waiting, ensure you miss no change or announcement about your flight, e.g., gate change, delayed departure. This includes checking the overhead monitors since many airports don't widely announce when a flight has a gate change or it's about time to board. Many carriers will also push real-time gate information about your flight to your phone through their apps; you need to . If you miss your flight by not heeding changes, you will be responsible for making other travel arrangements, and for paying a "no-show" fee before being allowed to travel with that carrier again.

There are three main kinds of boarding.

• Tarmac walk. Most common at small airports and for low-cost carriers. Passengers walk across the tarmac to the plane, exposed to weather.
• Jet bridge. Most common at large airports. A jet bridge (which in best case is sealed from outdoor air) takes the passengers directly from the terminal to the plane.
• Bus transfer. Most commonly used during peak hours at crowded airports but also used often for low-cost carriers. Passengers get on a bus, which takes them to the plane. In this case, passengers need to be at the gate in advance; as long as 60 minutes before departure.

Done? Move on to the next section of this guide: On the plane →