Is it safe to forward airplane ticket to third party?
I booked a flight and was issued a travel itinerary. It contains my name, booking reference, E-ticket number and some other information.
For proof of absence, I need to forward this document to a third party (an educational institution). Is there any security risk of doing so? And is there any way to prevent/minimize the risk?
Best Answer
There is a risk. At a minimum, you are revealing the personal information, including your full name. The itinerary may also contain (depending on its format) your date of birth and travel document information (see What harm can be done with a copy of one's passport?). You're also revealing your whereabouts: somebody could, at least theoretically, follow you or know when you won't be home and break in.
In addition, all the information you need to change the itinerary is generally printed on the itinerary. Someone could go online or call the airline and use that information to cancel your trip or reroute you to Siberia. Getting that fixed could cost you time and money. They could engage in smaller mischief such as ordering you an unwanted vegan meal or giving you a middle seat directly in front of the lavatory.
You could minimize the risk by ensuring the third party is trustworthy (legitimate businesses do not generally spend their time messing with people's itineraries) and by redacting information unnecessary to their purpose (if they're picking you up at the airport, they may need the information of your arrival flight but not the booking code). Or you may conclude that the third party is trustworthy and necessary and provide the information.
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Is it safe to share your flight ticket?
To make you aware of the dangers, this straightforward and innocent action of just taking a picture of your boarding pass might lead to identity theft, duplicate credit cards, account numbers were stolen and even passwords, just to mention a couple.Can plane tickets be transferred to other people?
A transferable airline ticket is a ticket that can be transferred from one person to another person after the reservation is made. It means, airline allows changing the name of the traveler on the ticket. Most of the airlines do not offer transferable tickets.Is it safe to share flight confirmation number?
Ask the airline to add a note to your reservation as a precaution. Never share your confirmation number with anyone but an airline employee. If you forward an itinerary to colleagues or friends, remove the confirmation number before you do so.Is it better to book flights through airline or third party?
The bottom line is: it's more expensive to change your flight through a third-party flight than booking directly through an airline. If you're changing your flight within 24 hours of booking, however, it will most likely be free. Expedia, for example, allows cancellations and changes within 24-hours of booking.HOW TO FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS - My Best Tips After Booking 500+ Flights
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Answer 2
Instead of subtracting sensitive information, it may be more straightforward to start with nothing and add non-sensitive information. In general, if you provide the (departure) date, airline, and flight number, that should be enough for anyone to look up the time, duration, both airports, gate, and terminal, as well as check for delays (e.g. by putting the airline and flight number into Google). Some flights consist of multiple segments, so you may also need to indicate which segment you're talking about. Depending on your situation, you might also want to tell them your name, seat assignment, cabin class, or any other personal information which they legitimately need to know.
In general, there is no good reason to provide anyone with your booking code or confirmation number (or whatever your airline calls it). The only purpose of this code is to check-in, rebook, cancel, or otherwise mess with your flight, and nobody besides you should be doing any of those things. If anyone asks you for this code, you should refuse to give it to them unless they are affiliated with the airline or your travel/booking agency.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Keira Burton, Rui Chaves, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh