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us Travel, documents & being abroad lost boarding pass • lost boarding card • paper boarding pass missing • boarding pass lost during layover • connection boarding pass lost • layover boarding pass missing • cannot access booking • can’t open booking on phone • phone dead at airport • phone lost while travelling • no service to pull boarding pass • no internet at airport • forgot confirmation number • can’t find record locator • can’t access email confirmation • stuck at airport without pass • boarding pass barcode unavailable • can’t find gate for connection • can’t get through security • missed connection paperwork lost

What to do if…
you lose a paper boarding pass for a connection and you cannot access your booking on your phone

Short answer

Go to your airline’s kiosk/counter (or the gate if you’re already in the terminal) and ask them to reprint/reissue your boarding pass after verifying your ID.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t exit the secure area just to “print it” unless airline/airport staff tell you to — it can mean re-screening and lost time.
  • Don’t buy a new ticket in a panic because you can’t see your booking — duplicates are hard to unwind.
  • Don’t keep trying random confirmation codes at a kiosk; it wastes your window to fix this.
  • Don’t hand your ID/phone/credit cards to anyone who isn’t an airline or airport official behind a counter.
  • Don’t wait until final boarding call — reissuing a pass can involve extra checks.

What to do now

  1. Work out where you are right now (this decides the fastest fix):
    • Before security (landside): head to the airline kiosk/counter first.
    • After security (airside): go to the gate for your connecting flight or the airline’s customer service desk in the concourse.
  2. Go to the quickest official help point for your airline:
    • a self-service kiosk (often fastest for a straight reprint), or
    • the airline counter/customer service desk, or
    • the gate agent for your next flight (best if boarding is soon). Use: “I’m connecting, I lost my paper boarding pass, and I can’t access my booking on my phone. Can you reprint my boarding pass? Here’s my ID.”
  3. Use your ID to let them pull up the reservation. Give your name (as on ID), route, and date. The agent can typically locate the booking and then verify identity.
  4. If you’re stuck at a TSA checkpoint, keep two facts in mind:
    • TSA procedures vary by airport; at some checkpoints your flight details may be verified by scanning your ID, but this does not replace airline check-in.
    • You still need to be checked in and have a boarding pass to board the aircraft (and to scan at the gate). So: prioritise the airline reprint/reissue, then follow TSA instructions at the checkpoint.
  5. If you can’t access your confirmation details, use a low-risk workaround:
    • Connect to airport Wi-Fi and check for your airline confirmation email (on a device you control if possible).
    • If you must borrow a device, avoid logging into sensitive accounts; instead, give the airline agent your details and let them retrieve the booking internally.
  6. If you checked bags, say so immediately. Ask whether they’re checked through and whether anything needs to be retagged if your boarding pass is reissued or you’re moved to a different flight.
  7. Before you walk away, verify the reissued pass: correct name, flight number, date, departure time, gate, and seat — then go straight there.

What can wait

  • You don’t need to troubleshoot your phone, apps, passwords, or roaming right now.
  • You don’t need to debate fees, refunds, or policies while time is tight.
  • You don’t need to decide anything about later travel plans until you know you’re cleared for the next flight.

Important reassurance

Airlines deal with lost boarding passes constantly. With your ID and the right airline desk/gate, this is usually a routine reprint or reissue — even if your phone is unusable.

Scope note

This covers only the first steps to get a valid boarding pass and continue your trip. If you miss the connection or get rebooked, you can address rerouting and documentation once you’re back on a stable plan.

Important note

This is general information, not legal advice. TSA and airline procedures vary by airport and route; always follow instructions from TSA and airline staff on site.

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