Bar-Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP) Implementation guide - IATA

BCBP technical implementation
Figure 26 - Boarding pass with a proprietary 1D bar code courtesy of American Airlines
Alaska Airlines started putting 2D bar codes on their web boarding passes in 1999, and these
passes allow up to four segments to be printed on one piece of paper, all in one bar code.
IATA approved a standard for 2D bar codes on boarding passes in November 2004. Resolution
792 is known as the Bar Coded Boarding Pass standard.
5.3.2. Check-in data
When the boarding pass is issued at check-in, the IATA standard requires the input of some
specific data. Here is a typical flow of data introducing the PNR code (see fig. 22).
Operating Carrier
Carrier or
Ground Handler
2
Print BCBP
Reservation process
(inventory system)
1
PNL / ADL
Check-in process
(Carrier or GH DCS)
3
Read BCBP
Figure 27 - Data flow of passenger information at check-in
1. The reservation process of the operating carrier sends the Passenger Name Records
(PNR) to the check-in process
2. The check-in process enables the printing of the BCBP, either at check-in desk, kiosk or
on the web. Once the passenger is checked-in, a message is sent back to the check-in
process
3. The BCBP are read at the gate, messages are sent back as flown
The content of the Passenger Name List (PNL) and the Additions and Deletions List (ADL) are
described in the Recommended Practice 1708.
5.3.3. Layout of the boarding pass
Unlike Resolution 722c for ATB (see fig. 26), Resolution 792 for BCBP does not define a
standard layout of the boarding pass. However the BCBP layout does have some constraints in
order to guarantee readability. As layouts may vary from one airline to another, staffs need to be
trained to read and accept the new documents.
4 th edition - June 2009 - www.iata.org/stb/bcbp 45/128