SOUTH CAROLINA- A pro-Trump passenger posted his first class boarding pass online, bragging he could afford it “because of Trump” and that “Trump made America great again.”
The image revealed his full name and record locator for a flight to Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) in South Carolina.
In a divided America, someone used those details to access the reservation and cancel the booking before he arrived at the airport.
According to View from the Wing, many airline manage-my-booking systems require only the confirmation number and last name, making such interference possible.
Stranger Cancels First Class Ticket
Boarding passes contain critical details, including the passenger’s name, a six-character record locator, and often a barcode that encodes the same information. Even redacted images can expose data if the barcode remains visible or screenshots circulate.
Airlines design these portals for convenience, authenticating users with minimal information. Some systems demand extra verification, like date of birth, but most prioritize ease of access.
Air travel already frustrates passengers so stricter controls could worsen the experience. Tampering incidents are rare overall, and extra security would not help most travelers.
However, taunting the internet while invoking Trump’s name significantly raises the odds.
An X user shared the story. This post quickly spread, illustrating the risks of combining political boasts with sensitive travel documents.
Examples of Booking Interference
In 2011, a caller contacted American Airlines (AA) and altered travel blogger Ben Schlappig’s itinerary.
The original booking featured business class from Tampa (TPA) to Paris (CDG). The tamperer downgraded it to coach from Raleigh (RDU) to Los Angeles (LAX), intending for Schlappig to arrive at the airport out of luck.
Schlappig fixed the ticket but revealed it wasn’t the first time someone targeted him. That nearly 15-year-old incident explains why many frequent travelers, including the View from the Wing author, avoid posting specific itinerary details in advance.
Another case involved a woman who shared her Qantas (QF) booking on TikTok for a flight from Cairns (CNS) to Singapore (SIN).
Someone canceled the reservation, triggering an email from Qantas with an $800 AUD refund on a $1,200 AUD fare.
The airline initially kept the $400 AUD cancellation fee. After she proved the cancellation was unauthorized, Qantas waived the fee.
Advice for Protecting Reservations
Travelers should never post boarding passes or booking confirmations online. Political or celebratory posts amplify risks in polarized environments.
Monitor bookings regularly and enable change notifications. Airlines bear limited liability when details become public through passenger actions.
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