I wrote an article this week for Inside Flyer showcasing the compromising personal information at your fingertips with nothing more than a discarded boarding pass. An equal-opportunity problem; American, Delta, and United all have a lot of work on their hands if they wish to better protect the security of their passengers.
NBC4 in LA also asked me discuss this issue and you can see my interview here –
Remember that is is not just personal information that can be garnered from a boarding pass, but often your frequent flyer number which can be used to steal your points and even, with a little footwork, steal your return reservation.
The bottom line is simple: use your smartphone to store your boarding passes and if you do insist upon having a printed boarding pass, place it in a safe place immediately upon boarding and don’t even think about leaving it in your seatback pocket or discarding it in an airport concourse trash can.
That’s why I always shred my old boarding passes, unless it’s a special one I want to keep as a collector’s item. You can never be too safe these days.