Flight passenger warns travelers to 'always screenshot your boarding pass': Here's why

A traveler took to social media to share their experience using their mobile boarding pass in order to share an important message with fellow travelers.

Titled "Always screenshot your boarding pass from the app," the user wrote in the post, "Call me paranoid, but I take that extra step just in case."

The user went on to explain that a flight attendant approached them upon seating and said they were upgraded.

The Redditor, who claimed to be flying American Airlines, then shared that once they arrived back at their original seat, a fellow passenger who said they were on standby said it was her seat.

"I look in the app and of course, my boarding pass had changed to the FC seat, which was not available. Good thing I had the screenshot of the original pass and showed it to her and to the FA, who then moved her somewhere in the back," the post said. 

The user added, "A complete snafu, which of course they had no explanation for, but if I had not had that screenshot, it would have been me in the back."

"An airline's system can go down, or an internet connection can fail right as I'm trying to board. So, I view this as a backup that helps me board smoothly," said Leff.

On the sub-Reddit forum titled "r/americanairlines," users took part in discussing online boarding passes.

"That's awful!! Great idea about the screenshot," commented a user.

Another posted, "I often wondered about that. So many seat changes seem to happen before a flight."

"I put mine on the wallet as well but if the seat changes it updates on the wallet too. Hence screenshot," added a user.

Some also said they screenshot their passes as an added precaution. 

Other users expressed frustrations with digital passes.

"It always disappears immediately for me like it's trying real hard to avoid me lol," said one.

Many Redditors said they prefer physical boarding passes.

"Paper boarding pass ftw [for the win]. I don't need my phone to be out for anyone to see," commented one user. 

Another added, "I always get a paper ticket. You never [know] what can happen with electronics."

"There's nothing like the paper boarding (pass) document, printed on their paper, with all the fancy numbers and barcode," a user concurred. 

The user continued, "That is a legal document that may come in handy in a court case. Electronic boarding passes from the carrier's app/website can disappear in the blink of an eye. Screen prints are barely one step above that."

Leff says it is important to keep a record of seats in case something changes.

"An airline may reassign your seat for operational reasons, but showing where you were previously seated can be persuasive in making your case not to be moved," said Leff.