Boarding Pass Barcode Decoder
Paste the text from a boarding pass barcode and see every field explained in plain language: passenger, booking reference, flights, dates, seat, ticket and frequent flyer number.
Private: decoded in your browser. What you paste never leaves this page. It isn't uploaded, saved or logged, and the decoder keeps working offline once the page has loaded. We only count whether a decode worked.
Scan your boarding pass with any barcode reader app, copy the text and paste it here. Spaces matter, so paste it exactly as it is.
Every field
| Field | Raw | Meaning |
|---|
How to get the text from your barcode
- Open a barcode reader app that shows the raw content of a code. It needs to support PDF417 (the wide barcode on printed passes) and Aztec (the square one in airline apps and Apple Wallet).
- Scan the barcode on your boarding pass, paper or screen.
- Copy the text it shows and paste it into the box above. It usually starts with
M1followed by your surname.
Too fiddly? YourCheck-In does it in one step: point your iPhone's camera at the pass, or import it from Apple Wallet, a screenshot or a PDF.
What the decoder shows you
Airlines worldwide encode boarding passes in the same format, IATA's Bar Coded Boarding Pass (BCBP) standard, Resolution 792. The barcode is plain text in fixed-width fields. The decoder splits it into those fields and explains each one:
- Mandatory fields for every flight: name, booking reference, route, flight number, date, booking class, seat, check-in sequence number and status.
- Optional fields, if your airline included them: how and when the pass was issued, ticket number, frequent flyer number, baggage allowance, bag tags, fast track and the TSA selectee flag.
- Airline private data and the digital signature, shown as they are.
Dates are stored as the day of the year, without the year. The decoder works the year out from the date of issue when the pass has one, otherwise it picks the date closest to today. For the full background, read what's in your boarding pass barcode. For the codes printed on the pass itself, like SSSS, boarding groups and fare classes, see boarding pass codes explained.
Seeing your own data decoded like this is a good reminder of why you shouldn't post your boarding pass online: the barcode gives away your booking reference to anyone who can read it.
FAQ
Is the boarding pass data I paste sent anywhere?
No. The decoder runs in your browser. The text you paste is not uploaded, stored or logged, and the page keeps working if you go offline after it has loaded.
How do I get the text out of my boarding pass barcode?
Scan the barcode with a barcode reader app that shows the raw content and supports PDF417 and Aztec codes, then copy the text and paste it into the decoder. Keep the spaces exactly as they are. The YourCheck-In app for iPhone skips this step: it scans the pass with the camera and decodes it directly.
Which boarding passes can it decode?
Any boarding pass that follows the IATA Bar Coded Boarding Pass standard (Resolution 792), which airlines use worldwide. It does not matter whether the barcode was a PDF417, Aztec, QR or Data Matrix code. Passes with up to four flights in one barcode are supported.
How does the decoder know the year of my flight?
It doesn't, strictly speaking. The barcode only stores the day of the year. If the pass carries a date of issue, which includes the last digit of the year, the decoder uses it. Otherwise it picks the date closest to today.
Can the decoder verify the digital signature?
No. It shows the security section and its length, but checking the signature requires the airline's public key, which only airlines and airports have.
Skip the copy and paste
YourCheck-In scans any boarding pass with your iPhone's camera and decodes it in a second, with airline and airport names, full dates and your route on a map. Free, no ads, no account, and nothing leaves your phone.
