--- title: "Boarding passes" url: https://getstell.com/passes/boarding description: "Gate, seat and departure, updated when things change." --- # Boarding passes A boarding pass in the wallet carries gate, seat and departure, surfaces itself as the trip approaches, and updates the moment something changes. It works offline at the gate and follows to the paired watch. ## What the pass does ### Issued at check-in The pass is delivered at check-in from your app, website or confirmation email, added in one tap. A whole booking can be added at once, so every traveller's pass lands together. ### Scanned or tapped at every checkpoint Security and boarding validate the pass with a barcode or QR scan, or an NFC tap where readers support it. The pass and its code are stored on the device, so a dead connection in the terminal is not a problem. ### Changes reach the traveller first Gate changes, delays and seat updates are pushed to the pass in seconds, with a message on the lock screen. On Apple Wallet, Live Activities can keep flight status on the lock screen through the journey. ### There when it matters, gone after Time and location relevance surface the pass at the airport and ahead of departure. After the flight, the pass expires and archives itself out of the active list. ## How it works ### 01 / CHECK IN Issued at check-in The pass is delivered from your app, website or confirmation email and added in one tap. A whole booking can go through a single link. ### 02 / SURFACE Ready at the airport Time and location relevance bring the pass to the lock screen ahead of departure and when the traveller reaches the terminal. ### 03 / BOARD Read at every checkpoint Security and boarding scan the code, or take an NFC tap where the reader supports it. The pass is stored on the device, so no signal is needed. ### 04 / CHANGE Updated before the board is Gate changes, delays and seat moves are pushed to the pass with a lock-screen message. After the flight it expires and archives itself. ## What is on the pass ### Top left: The airline Logo text and artwork, so the right pass is found instantly in a wallet that may hold four of them for one trip. ### Top right: Gate The field that changes most and matters most, in the header field at the top of the pass. ### Center left: Departure The time the whole day is organized around, in the largest type on the face. ### Center right: Seat Beside the departure time, because they are checked in the same glance at the gate. ### Footer: Route and boarding time Origin, destination and when boarding starts, on the one line that gets read while walking. ### Barcode: Scanned at the checkpoint The code is stored on the device, so security and boarding work with no connection at all. NFC does the same where the reader supports it. ## What it replaces The printout and the PDF: Printed the night before, or queued for at the desk; A gate change nobody sees until the board; A PDF that needs a connection to open; One pass per traveller, found one at a time. The wallet boarding pass: On the phone at check-in, and on the paired watch; Gate and time changes pushed with a lock-screen message; Stored on the device and scannable offline; A whole booking added through one link. ## Where it fits ### Airlines Check-in to gate on one pass that updates itself, with Live Activities keeping status on the lock screen through the journey on Apple Wallet. ### Rail and coach A ticket that surfaces at the platform, scans offline in a tunnel, and carries the seat reservation with it. ### Ferries and cruise Boarding documents in the wallet for every traveller on the booking, updated when the departure or the berth changes. ## Messaging ### Disruption belongs on the pass A gate change or a delay is a pass update with a change message, which reaches the traveller without competing with marketing in an inbox. ### Segments for the journey Build an audience from wallet type or the tags and attributes on the contact, and see the estimated reach before a campaign sends. ### A cap that protects the important message The frequency cap keeps automations from crowding the one notification a traveller genuinely needs to see. ## Questions ### Does a wallet boarding pass work without a connection? Yes. The pass and its barcode are stored on the device, so it can be scanned at security and boarding with no signal. ### What happens when the gate or departure time changes? The update is pushed to every issued pass in seconds and can appear as a message on the traveller's lock screen. ### How are passes handled for a whole booking? Each traveller on the booking gets their own boarding pass, added from the same confirmation page or email, so the pass and the person it belongs to stay tied together at the gate. ### Can a boarding pass be used on a smartwatch? Yes. Passes follow to a paired Apple Watch or Wear OS watch, which is often easier than finding a phone at the gate. ### What happens to the pass after the journey? It expires and archives itself out of the wallet's active list, so the traveller is not left scrolling past last month's flights.