During an international journey, I realised how much I was relying on my phone. What would happen if the battery died or the phone was stolen while I had a short connection to catch? I ended up getting a printed boarding pass in Dubai.
A mobile boarding pass is convenient, but a printed backup removes one dependency: having a working phone at every checkpoint. When time is tight, finding a charging point or an airline desk is another task you could do without.
This guide explains when a paper backup is useful, how to prepare your digital boarding pass and what to do if your phone becomes unavailable during your journey.
My practical recommendation: For international travel and short connections, carry a printed boarding pass where your airline permits it, alongside your downloaded mobile pass. Keep your passport or required ID accessible and your booking reference somewhere other than your phone.
On this page
- Why carry a printed boarding pass?
- What each backup protects against
- Why short connections make this important
- Can you get a printed boarding pass in Dubai?
- What to do if your phone dies or disappears
- Offline passes, screenshots and PDFs
- How to obtain a printed backup
- A boarding pass is not your ID
- Before-you-fly checklist
- Frequently asked questions
Why Carry a Printed Boarding Pass?
A mobile boarding pass—also called a digital boarding pass, electronic boarding pass or mobile boarding card—usually works well when you can display the valid pass in the format accepted by your airline and airport.
The vulnerability is relying on one device for everything: boarding passes, booking details, identity documents, payment, messages and contact numbers.
A paper boarding pass can help when:
- Your battery runs out. You cannot display a normal phone-based pass on a device that will not turn on.
- Your phone is lost or stolen. Saving several copies on the same phone does not provide an independent backup.
- The screen breaks. You may be unable to unlock the phone or display a readable barcode.
- The app or account becomes inaccessible. A login problem can leave you searching for another way to retrieve the pass.
- You cannot load the boarding-pass link. Airport Wi-Fi, roaming or email access may not be available when needed.
- You are managing several passengers. Paper copies can make it easier to hand each traveller the correct pass.
A printed copy does not prevent every travel problem. It simply lets you present your boarding pass without needing that phone to work.
What Does Each Type of Backup Protect Against?
| Backup | What it helps with | What it does not solve |
|---|---|---|
| Downloaded pass or supported wallet pass | Loss of internet access, if the complete pass is stored and accessible offline | A dead, missing or unusable phone |
| Screenshot, where accepted | Difficulty reopening an app or loading a link | Phone loss, battery failure or a requirement to use a live pass |
| Copy on a travelling companion’s device, where permitted | Loss of access to your own phone | Separation from that companion or problems with both devices |
| Printed boarding pass, where accepted | Phone, battery and connectivity problems | A lost passport, cancelled flight, invalid pass or missed boarding deadline |
| Booking reference written down separately | Helping airline staff locate your reservation | Replacing the boarding pass or required identification |
Why a Short International Connection Changes the Calculation
At your departure airport, you may have time to visit a counter or charge your phone. During a short connection, you may already need to change concourses, pass through transfer security and reach a distant gate.
If your only boarding pass becomes inaccessible, you must solve that problem while the connection clock keeps running.
The issue is not that a dead phone automatically cancels your ticket. It is that obtaining help or another boarding pass can take time you do not have.
Where possible, ask for the onward boarding pass at your first check-in. If it cannot be issued until the transfer airport, find out where to collect it. Do not assume every flight in your itinerary is covered by the first boarding pass.
A paper copy is particularly useful when travelling alone, accompanying children or older relatives, or using more than one airline.
Can You Get a Printed Boarding Pass in Dubai?
Digital-first boarding does not necessarily mean there is no help when your phone fails. Emirates introduced mobile boarding passes for most Dubai departures in May 2023.
In its official announcement, Emirates explained that passengers could request a printed pass from check-in agents when they had no mobile device or could not access the pass because of battery, technical or connectivity problems.
This supports an important distinction: a normal digital process can still have a paper fallback. It does not mean every airline, transfer desk or gate follows identical procedures.
If you are connecting through Dubai and need help, approach the operating airline’s transfer or service desk. Explain that your boarding pass is inaccessible and show your passport. Ask staff where to obtain the replacement without unnecessarily leaving the transit area.
What Should You Do if Your Phone Dies, Is Lost or Is Stolen?
- Use your printed boarding pass if you have one. Check airport screens for the current flight status and gate.
- Keep your passport or required ID ready. A boarding-pass problem and a missing-identity-document problem require different solutions.
- Approach the nearest appropriate airline desk. Depending on your location, this may be check-in, a transfer desk or the staffed departure gate.
- Explain any time pressure immediately. Give your flight number and tell staff if boarding is approaching.
- Ask for a replacement pass or instructions. Staff will need to verify your booking and eligibility to travel.
- If the phone was stolen, seek airport security assistance. Arrange to secure your device and accounts using a trusted alternative device.
Do not leave the secure transit area to search for a public printer without first asking airline staff. Returning may involve additional checks or entry requirements.
If the phone is simply out of power and you have time, charging it may solve the problem. During a tight connection, however, ask for assistance rather than spending your remaining time hunting for a socket.
Will a Downloaded Boarding Pass Work Without Internet?
A supported boarding pass saved fully to your device or wallet can often be displayed without an internet connection. A link sitting in an email or text message may still need to load before you can see the pass.
Test your backup before leaving. Open the saved pass with mobile data and Wi-Fi temporarily switched off. Check that the passenger name, correct flight and full barcode are visible.
Offline access does not protect against a dead battery or missing phone. You also need to check flight-information screens because an offline copy may not show later gate or schedule changes.
Is a screenshot enough?
Do not assume screenshots are accepted everywhere. They may work for some static boarding passes, while other systems require the pass in the airline’s supported format or use a changing barcode.
Prefer the airline’s download or wallet option. If you keep a permitted screenshot, capture the complete pass without cropping the barcode or essential details.
Is an emailed PDF the same as a mobile boarding pass?
Not necessarily. Airlines can distinguish between a pass designed for phone display and a document intended for printing.
For example, Emirates’ boarding-pass guidance distinguishes its mobile pass from an emailed print-format pass. Follow the instructions attached to the document rather than assuming any file displayed on a screen will be accepted.
How Can You Get a Printed Boarding Pass?
Depending on the airline and airport, options may include:
- Printing the airline’s printable pass after online check-in.
- Using an airport self-service kiosk.
- Requesting a copy at check-in or bag drop.
- Asking a transfer-desk agent about the onward flight.
British Airways, for example, says a lost or forgotten boarding pass can be printed again at an airport check-in kiosk.
IndiGo provides a boarding-pass download and print facility. Its check-in FAQ also warns that kiosk printing is unavailable once the relevant check-in counters have closed.
Arrange the backup early. Do not assume that a replacement will always be available immediately, at every location or without a fee. Check the operating airline’s policy.
Print the actual boarding pass
A booking confirmation, payment receipt or itinerary is not necessarily a boarding pass. Use the airline’s printable document and make sure the barcode and flight details are clear.
If the airline changes your flight or issues a replacement pass, use the current version. Keep paper dry and avoid damaging the barcode.
A Printed Boarding Pass Does Not Replace Your Passport or ID
Paper solves access to the boarding pass. It does not replace the travel documents needed for your journey.
Keep the required passport, visa or other applicable entry documents accessible for international travel. For domestic travel, carry identification accepted for your circumstances.
If your identity documents are also accessible only through the missing or dead phone, the problem is broader. Read our guide to a dead phone when your ID is in DigiLocker and our India flight document checklist.
If your passport is missing too, follow our lost passport abroad guide. A boarding-pass reprint will not resolve that situation.
A Simple Boarding-Pass Backup Checklist
- Download the valid mobile pass using the airline’s supported method.
- Confirm that it opens offline.
- Obtain a printed copy where permitted, especially for international connections.
- Check that you have a pass for each flight that has been issued.
- Keep your booking reference separately from your phone.
- Carry the required physical travel documents.
- Keep your phone charged and your charging cable accessible.
- Check airport screens for gate and schedule changes.
- Keep the paper pass somewhere secure, rather than inside your phone case.
A printed pass also contains personal travel information. Avoid posting an unredacted photograph online, and dispose of it securely when you no longer need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a mobile boarding pass a bad idea?
No. The concern is relying exclusively on one phone. A mobile pass can be your normal boarding method while paper provides an independent backup.
Is a printed boarding pass compulsory in India?
There is no single answer for every airline, airport and journey. Check the requirements for your flight. Our mobile boarding pass guide for India covers acceptance and usage; this article focuses on backup planning.
Can I still travel if my phone dies?
A dead phone does not itself cancel your reservation. Use an accepted paper pass or seek airline assistance to obtain another pass. You must still meet document checks and boarding deadlines.
Will the airline wait while I charge my phone?
Do not expect it to. Tell airline staff immediately if you cannot access your pass, particularly when boarding is under way.
Can I show only my booking reference?
A booking reference may help staff find your reservation, but it is not a substitute for the boarding pass required at a checkpoint. Ask the airline to issue the appropriate document.
Can my companion carry my digital boarding pass?
Where the airline supports it, a companion’s device may provide another way to display your pass. Keep the passenger names clear and remember that this backup depends on staying together.
Does a printed boarding pass update if my gate changes?
No. Check airport screens and airline announcements. If your flight or boarding-pass details change, ask whether a new pass is required.
Should I print my return boarding pass before leaving home?
You can only print it once the airline has made it available and completed any required checks. Printing your full itinerary does not create boarding passes for future flights.
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