by Erin
You’ve been planning your exciting vacation months and today’s the day! You arrive at the airport, check your luggage and snap a quick picture of your boarding pass to upload onto social media to let everyone in your network know that you’re on your way
But keep this in mind: the thrill of making your friend jealous isn’t worth the risk.
Yes, you know to keep your credit card info, Social Security number, driver license and passport off of social media. But did you know the same rules should apply for your boarding pass?
A seemingly innocent picture of your boarding pass online could turn into a slew of issues if it goes into the wrong hands. This is because the bar code on your boarding pass contains information that you don’t want to share.
In addition information like your name and seat number, the bar code can also link to details like your itinerary, future travel information, frequent flier number and more. Once the picture of your bar code is out there, it is actually pretty easy for someone to get their hands on that information.
The same is true, actually, if you leave your boarding pass in the seat back in front of you or lose it in the terminal on your way to your next flight. That being said, the best thing you can do is hold onto your boarding passes until you have the opportunity to shred them.
So yes, it is unlikely that someone would make the effort to mess with your travel plans, it is just as easy to keep your information safe – particularly in this time of identity theft and cybersecurity concerns.
