Your Boarding Pass Could Hold Some Secret Privileges

Conde Nast traveler by KATHERINE LAGRAVE April 4, 2018

A boarding pass is good long after it's been used to get you onto the plane.

I was recently in Singapore, and upon attempting to purchase a ticket to the National Gallery, was asked by the museum employee if I'd flown to the city-state on Singapore Airlines. Yes, I had. Did I have a boarding pass to prove it? Why yes, yes I did. Seconds after I produced it, 25 percent had been knocked off my ticket price, and I waltzed into the museum, happy to have that much more money to spend on laksa and murtabak in the world's most expensive city. I wasn't just lucky, and the employee wasn't just looking for a reason to give me a deal: Instead, it was all thanks to Singapore Airlines' generous boarding pass privileges, which get you various discounts for retail, attractions, dining, and more in Singapore and select other destinations, all within a month of your date of travel.

Singapore Airlines has one of the most generous boarding pass programs, but even if you aren't flying the award-winning carrier anytime soon, don't stop reading just yet—it isn't the only airline to offer the benefit. Book Emirates to or through Dubai until March 31, and your boarding pass will serve as a "My Emirates Pass," which enables you to exclusive offers and discounts across the city. Fly Korean Air from an overseas region to Korea, and you'll get an "Excellent Boarding Pass" that grants you deals on attractions like Jeju Folk Village, performances at the National Theater of Korea, and food and drinks at restaurants Jinsadaek, Woonsan, and yep, even Shake Shack.

The list continues: Thanks to Turkish Airlines, you can get 15 percent off the $70 entrance fee after presenting your boarding pass at the historical site of Petra; in Rome, just show your Alitalia ticket to or from the Eternal City to access a number of rotating discounts facilitated by the airline. Flying Alaska? You can ski free at 12 resorts that the airline partners with. You get the picture.

Not all airlines offer these perks; sadly, most American carriers do not. Still, it's worth asking an airline when you book a flight if your boarding pass comes with a bonus: As we've said before, you shouldn't be throwing it away, anyway...