How Real Boarding Passes Are Designed

Behind every boarding pass is a dense set of rules, a standard barcode, and a very specific set of design constraints that designers rarely get to see. Here is what actually shapes the document.

The IATA Resolution 792

Since 2008 the International Air Transport Association has required a standard barcode on every boarding pass. The standard is called Bar Coded Boarding Pass, shortened to BCBP. It defines the exact characters, order, and format of the data encoded. That is why you can check in online with one airline and scan the pass at a gate operated by a partner airline.

BCBP supports two symbologies, PDF417 and Aztec. Home printed passes almost always use PDF417 because it scans well on thermal paper. Mobile boarding passes usually use Aztec because phone screens handle two dimensional codes better.

Physical size and paper

Traditional thermal stock is about 82 mm wide and roughly 200 mm long. The stub on the right is about 70 mm wide, designed to be torn at the gate. Mobile passes are not constrained to that size but most still keep the same proportions so passengers recognise the format.

The hidden grid

Almost every boarding pass uses a three column grid.

1. Left column. Airline logo, passenger name, flight number. Sometimes a small frequent flyer tier badge.
2. Middle column. The main flight detail. From and to codes, departure time, date, gate, seat, boarding time.
3. Right column or stub. A condensed copy of the essential information, plus the barcode.

What must be on the pass

Regulators and airlines have overlapping requirements. The minimum content is.

• Passenger name, matching their identification.
• Carrier code and flight number.
• From and to airport codes.
• Date of travel.
• Boarding time and departure time.
• Gate and seat, if assigned.
• Booking reference, the six character PNR.
• E-ticket number or coupon status.
• Security screening indicator in some jurisdictions.
• The BCBP barcode.

Why boarding passes are ugly on purpose

Boarding passes look plain because their job is operational. Thermal printers have low resolution. Airport light is bad. Passengers read them in a queue. Designers who bring concept art to a boarding pass brief quickly learn why dense information and high contrast win every time.

The story told by the data order

The top of the pass usually holds the information the ground crew needs, not the passenger. Name and flight first, so gate agents can sort quickly. Below that the passenger focused information, gate, seat, boarding time, usually in bigger type. The designer is serving two readers at once.

How a mobile pass differs

Mobile passes drop most of the right stub since there is nothing to tear. They usually move the barcode to the bottom. Airlines often strip down the print pass when delivering it via Apple Wallet, because the Wallet format imposes its own layout.

Security features on paper passes

Paper passes have almost no anti-fraud features. There is no watermark, no special ink, no microprint. The security story is entirely on the barcode and the airline's booking system. A scan at the gate verifies authenticity, not the paper itself.

What you can learn from this

If you design a boarding pass mockup for a portfolio or a fictional airline, respect the grid, respect the hierarchy, and use a real barcode symbology. Your piece will stand out because it looks like a real document, not a concept render.

For practical portfolio tips based on these rules, read designing a boarding pass for your UX portfolio. For how the PNR you see at the top is generated and why it is six characters, read what is a PNR.