Boarding pass codes – what they mean and why SSSS is always bad news

THE words on your boarding pass can tell you a lot about what your flight is going to be like.

The different codes tell you everything from where you'll sit to the grub you'll be given.

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It can even reveal if you're likely to have a hard time going through airport security.

Airlines have different codes for various messages, so not all boarding passes will look the same.

But British Airways has now revealed to Sun Online Travel what every single message on their plane ticket means.

Read on to find out more...

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1. BA1234 - Flight number
2. Sold as AY5678 – This is the codeshare flight number (ie, this was a BA flight, but the ticket holder had bought it as a Finnair flight).
3. Gate Z99 – Boarding gate number – the boarding gate the customer needs to head for.
4. Board at – The time customers need to be at the departure gate in order for us to get their flight away on time. British Airways said: "We know how important punctuality is to our customers, and so now we’re telling them the time they need to be at the gate to ensure we can board our flights quickly and efficiently and depart them punctually." Previously customers have seen ‘Gate closes at’ – now it’s ‘Board at’, which encourages customers to get to the gate in good time."
5. Group 2 – the boarding group number (2 signifies that the customer is a Silver BA Executive Club member). British Airways said: "We have just introduced a new boarding procedure to speed up the boarding process and make it simpler for customers to understand."This method has been used by airlines around the world for a number of years, including by our partners American Airlines, Iberia and Qatar."
6. ABC1 – Customer’s booking reference
7. SEQ 999 – The number you are to check in, ie in this case, the customer would have been 999^th to check-in.
8. CHML – The customer has requested a child meal. British Airways offer a choice of , including vegetarian, kosher, muslim, child’s meal, diabetic, gluten intolerant, low calorie, low fat, low salt and low lactose.
9. WCHR – The customer is a wheelchair user.
10. BASILVxxxxxx – the customer’s British Airways Executive Club number.
11. 125XXXX – This is the actual ticket number – all British Airways flights start with 125.
12. SSSS - The code, which only applies if you are travelling to the US, means “Secondary Security Screening Selection.” It means that the passenger has been selected for additional screening by security – where officials will give you a pat down, swab for explosive residue and open up all of your bags.
13. This indicates that you will be boarding from the front of the plane.