Electronic Flight Ticket — What does it look like and how to read the information?

🕗 12 minutes | June 24, 2024 | Author Karolina Lesicka | Editor Klara Krysiak | Expert consultation Anna Sekita (Expert in tariffs and reservations at PLL LOT)

Welcome to the mysterious world of airline tickets! Whether you are looking at an e-ticket, booking confirmation or boarding pass, the codes contained therein may seem strangely familiar or strangely incomprehensible. Today, we will help you decipher them all. So that you will always be able to read them with ease and know what your booking contains and what your upcoming travel plans are.

Also read:

• Information recorded on the airline ticket (opens in a new tab)
• How to find a cheap flights
• How early to be at the airport (opens in a new tab)

Travelling with an electronic ticket is effortless and secure. Once you have completed the purchase process, you receive an email confirmation, complete with your booking number and all flight details. Then, when checking in online or at the airport, simply enter your booking number or show the QR code on your phone.

Remember to show the same ID you used to book your ticket when boarding.

An e-ticket is a digital record in the airline's computer database, eliminating the need for a traditional paper airline ticket. It is an individual record stored in the airline's booking system and contains all the details of the flight, the itinerary, the passenger travelling and the payment made.

Once an electronic ticket has been purchased, the passenger receives an email confirming the purchase. The message contains the airline booking number (PNR number), the ticket number and the details of the traveler.

* The presented graphic is for educational purposes only. The booking number, ticket number, travel details, and personal information are fictitious.

Above is a graphic illustrating what a confirmation of the purchase and issuance of an electronic air ticket looks like, which you will receive to the email address you provided when finalizing your purchase on lot.com. An email with your booking number and ticket number is sent to you within 48 hours of completing your purchase.

All airline tickets (and therefore also your booking confirmation and e-ticket purchase) contain:

• booking number,
• details of the passenger(s),
• name of the airline,
• flight number,
• time and place of departure
• time and place of arrival,
• information on the number of baggage allowed,
  ticket price.

You already know what the confirmation you will receive after purchasing an electronic air ticket looks like. However, where can you find specific information about your booking? Check your departure time? How many pieces of checked-in baggage can you take on your trip? Do you have your favorite meal ordered?

In this section, we will suggest where to look to find the information you need. In the graphic below, we have highlighted all the relevant fields.

* The presented graphic is for educational purposes only. The booking number, ticket number, travel details, and personal information are fictitious.

• 0. PASSENGER — the passenger's name appears first, followed by the first name, then the gender designation and a code indicating the age category. ADT — passenger over 12 years of age. CHD — child aged 2–11 years, INF — infant aged 0–2 years.
• 1. BOOKING REF. — is nothing more than a booking reference code for a passenger's itinerary. In the aviation environment, it is most commonly referred to as a PNR number. It consists of 6 characters (a combination of numbers and letters) in a random configuration assigned by the reservation system. 
• 2. TICKET NUMBER  — consists of a total of 13 digits. The first three digits represent the airline identification number assigned by IATA (LOT is 080). These are followed by 10 further digits assigned at random by the booking system. Each e-ticket number is unique and encoded in this way to prevent embezzlement and fraud.
• 3. ISSUING OFFICE — also called a validator, this field identifies the office that issued the ticket.  For example, it could be a direct contact center office (as in the graphic), lot com — online bookings, an agency office. In the case of a cancellation, a delayed flight, it tells you whom to contact to make the necessary changes to the ticket, to modify your travel plans.
• 4. DATE — a field containing information on when the e-ticket was issued.
• 5. BAGGAGE —  This field contains information about the passenger's free checked baggage allowance (to be taken in the aircraft's baggage hold). On LOT flights, the limit is determined by the maximum number of pieces and the maximum weight and dimensions of the suitcase allowed. PC is an abbreviation for pieces (here: pieces). This designation indicates the number of pieces of checked baggage allowed to be carried in the ticket price. The example graphic shows 0 PC — in this case, this means that checked baggage is not included in the ticket price.
• 6. FLIGHT NUMBER, DATE AND TIME OF DEPARTURE, DATE AND TIME OF ARRIVAL. 
  • Flight number  — preceded by the airline designator (LO), which consists of a combination of two characters (digits or one letter and one digit). This is followed by a three- or four-digit number that the carrier has assigned to the specific flight.
  • Date and time of departure and arrival — tart and end times are always given in local time and are recorded according to a 24-hour clock. 
  • From/To — the passenger's itinerary is entered here, starting from the aircraft's point of departure to the point of landing. City names are written in full. If a city has more than one airport, the three-character IATA code (for example, LONDON LHR) or the airport name (for example, PARIS DE GAULLE) is added to the city name.
• 7. OPERATED BY —  is the airline that actually operates the flight. The field indicates which airline bases the aircraft and provides crew, fuel, on-board service and maintenance for the flight. 
• 8. BOOKING STATUS  — here is the booking status code at the time the ticket was issued.
  • OK — means that the reservation is confirmed with the right to take a seat according to current availability.
• 9. ADDITIONAL SERVICES RESERVED BY THE PASSENGER — this field indicates what additional services have been added to the ticket, added to the booking. This could be a special meal, extra luggage, sports equipment, assistance service and many others.   

Why is the first price you see when you select your route and class of travel different from the one you ultimately have to pay when you complete your ticket purchase? There is a second part of the booking confirmation and ticket price fields ahead that we will help you understand.

* The presented graphic is for educational purposes only. The booking number, ticket number, travel details, and personal information are fictitious.

• 1. FARE DETAILS — (Fare Details) this field includes what constitutes the total ticket price. Here are its components:
  • Fare — this is the net ticket price and also the passenger's fare on the airline in question. The fare, which is chosen by the passenger at the booking stage, determines, among other things, the standard of the flight, the rules for making changes or returning the ticket. This is the base price you will see in the comparison engine when you start the booking process.
  • Taxes — these include government taxes applicable to airlines flying into a particular country or city. The name of the country for which the relevant tax is levied is displayed as a two-letter abbreviation after the currency and the amount of tax levied. Fuel surcharges and airport charges (to the authorities of the airport in question for the use of facilities, equipment or services, related to the operation of the aircraft and passengers) are additional charges.
  • Fee — examples may include:
    • charges for changing a ticket or cancelling a journey, resulting from the terms and conditions of the fare;
    • Transaction fee for handling the booking and issuing of the ticket. The fee may vary depending on the sales channel, ticket issuer (contact center, airport office, agency office). Contact Center, airport office, agency office?
  • Total — the sum of all components listed above.
• 2. FARE BASIS —  is an individual fare code set by the airline.
  • It defines the type of ticket purchased, the class of travel and the services to which the passenger is entitled (the type of fare determines the flexibility of changes and modifications to the booking).
  • For example, each fare has different conditions attached to it: among other things, minimum and maximum stay, conditions for rebooking or refunding a ticket in case of cancellation of travel and the like.
• 3. PAYMENT DETAILS. 
  • Fare Calculation — this field represents system data for the financial settlement between airlines that share in the passenger's carriage.
  • Form of payment — information on the form in which payment for the ticket was made. The purchaser of the ticket may pay, for example, by cash or credit card. If payment is made by credit card, the credit card number is masked to make it invisible to outsiders and to protect sensitive personal data.
  • Endorsement — this field may contain brief notations informing of restrictions on the ability to make changes or receive a refund for the ticket.

Why are electronic tickets secure and widely used by airlines?

• No risk of losing your ticket: electronic tickets cannot be lost or destroyed, unlike traditional paper tickets.

• Data security: storing tickets in digital systems allows for advanced encryption methods that protect your personal information.

• Verifiable identity: electronic tickets are linked in the database to passenger identity documents, making it difficult for unauthorized use by third parties.

• Easy access and management: passengers can easily access their tickets via email, mobile app or the airline's website, allowing them to keep track of their travel details and make any changes.

• Automatic notifications: booking systems send automatic notifications of flight changes, allowing passengers to quickly update their travel plans.

• Reduced risk of fraud: electronic tickets contain unique codes and are impossible to forge, unlike the paper tickets once used.

• Improved airline control: airlines have full control over the distribution and verification of tickets, increasing the overall security of the booking and check-in process.

• Integration with other services: electronic ticketing can be integrated with other services such as online check-in, loyalty programs, further enhancing the convenience and security of your trip.

• Environmental protection: electronic tickets eliminate the need to print paper versions, which has a positive impact on the environment by reducing paper consumption.

No. At our LOT airlines, we do not require you to print out your booking confirmation and e-ticket purchase*. When you traditionally check in at the airport, show our employee the confirmation on your mobile device or provide, the booking number. This is enough for them to prepare a boarding pass for you with your seat indicated.

 Alternatively, you can use the website or mobile app to check in yourself without queuing.

* Exceptions are flights from India. Current legislation requires that you have printed flight documents. 

A boarding pass is a document issued to passengers upon completion of baggage and ticket check-in, which entitles them to board the aircraft. It can be issued in paper form or electronically, accessible on mobile devices. The boarding pass contains key travel information such as:

• Passenger name: identification of the person entitled to board.
• Flight number: a unique number assigned to a specific flight.
• Date and time of departure: details of the date of travel.
• Seat number: the assigned seat on the aircraft.
• Gate number: information about the boarding location.
• Barcode or QR code: allows you to quickly scan and verify your boarding pass at check-in and at boarding.

Note: Obtaining a boarding pass is necessary to pass the security check and to board the aircraft.