boarding pass

Free stuff from airlines? Look for it on the ground

Courtesy UW Digital Collections

Don’t throw out – or delete – your airline boarding pass once you tough down.

Here’s a story I recently put together for CNBC about all the hidden perks airline – and railroad – boarding passes can provide.

Bonuses for air travelers include everything from free ski lift tickets, to complimentary wine tastings and discounts on meals, ground transportation and adventures.

Some of the deals below are offered for limited times or only during certain seasons. Others can be used multiple times. Read the program details and, of course, don’t be too quick to delete your boarding pass image from your phone or crumple up that paper pass after your trip.

Ski free

Skiers can score a free lift ticket and, in some cases, free or discounted gear rental by showing an Alaska Airlines boarding pass at a dozen ski resorts in Alaska, California, Canada, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Utah. Most of the deals invite travelers to hit the slopes on the days they arrive or depart and can represent a savings of up to $200.

At some resorts, such as Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in North Lake Tahoe, California, guests who show a same-day boarding pass from any commercial airline receive a complimentary lift ticket for the day they arrive.

Sip and ship wine for free

In Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of California, an Alaska Airlines boarding pass is a win-win for fans of wine.

Through the airline’s “Wine Flies Free” program, members of the airline’s Mileage Plan frequent flyer plan may check a case (12 bottles) of wine for free when flying domestically on Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and SkyWest flights from 29 west coast cities, including San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Boise, ID.

In the wine regions of both Oregon and Washington, hundreds of participating wineries also offer complimentary tastings to anyone showing an in-bound Alaska Airlines boarding pass and proof of Mileage Plan membership.

And as part of Washington’s Taste and Tote program with Alaska, the drop-off fee will be waived for one-way Hertz rental cars picked up in Yakima, Pasco/Tri-Cities or Walla Walla and returned at one of the other two cities in the program.

Boarding pass deals from international carriers

Turkish Airlines passengers with layovers of between six and 24 hours in Istanbul can show their boarding passes at the Hotel Desk and join a free highlight tour of the city.

Korean Air’s Excellent Boarding Pass program offers a full week of perks in Korea to passengers who hold onto their international boarding pass from an overseas region. Passengers traveling from Korea to an international destination can take advantage of boarding pass offers for a full month.

In Korea, the perks include discounts on everything from meals, attractions and cultural performances to cell phone rentals, rail tickets and medical services. Worldwide, the perks range from discounts at outlet malls in the United States and 30 percent off single visits to the aquarium, zoo and other attractions in Sydney, Australia. 

Singapore Airlines’ Boarding Pass Privileges program offers Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers a full month of discounts on hotel stays, car rentals, meals, purchases and attractions, including the Gardens by Bay, the Singapore Flyer, and the Singapore Zoo. Deals are updated every six months and include discounts on shopping, dining and spa services inside Changi Airport as well.

The Magic Boarding Pass program from Asiana Airlines offers passengers discounts on tours, transportation, hotels, restaurants, shopping, theater and attractions around the world for up to a month after a flight. In Korea, the perks include discounts at Seoul’s Lotte World Aquarium and JeJu’s Teddy Bear Museum. In the U.S., Asiana Airlines passengers get a discount when riding the Hawaii’s Waikiki Trolley. And in Rome, pass holders gets a free gift with purchase at the Hard Rock Café.

Train travelers get boarding pass perks too

The boarding pass perks aren’t limited to air travelers. Amtrak and Eurostar riders get bonuses too.

In California, Amtrak has a discount offer on Disneyland Resort theme park tickets for passengers with reservations on the Pacific Surfliner. Many transit providers along the route also provide free bus or shuttle rides to passengers who show their Pacific Surfliner ticket. Train passengers may also purchase discounted day passes for the Los Angeles Metro and San Diego MTS buses and trolleys in the Surfliner’s Café Car.

A “Car Free” promotion in Santa Barbara  offers discounts on tours, attractions and meals to Amtrak ticket holders as well.

And Eurostar boarding passes entitle passengers to 2-for-1 tickets on entry and special paid exhibitions at museums in destination cities including London, Brussels, Paris and Lille, France.

Have you found a hidden perk in your boarding pass? Let us know!

On-the-ground perks in your airline boarding pass

Ticketing office

Courtesy San Diego Air & Space Museum archives via Flickr Commons.

Airline tickets may no longer come with meals, pillows or much legroom on planes. However, on some domestic and international flights, paper or electronic boarding passes come packed with a wide variety of on-the-ground bonuses.

For example, travelers on Virgin America can present their boarding pass for a free scoop of Humphry Slocombe’s ice cream at the San Francisco Ferry Building. Sadly, that sweet offer expires at the end of this year (so hurry over), but there are plenty of other boarding pass perks that extend into 2015.

Ski – and taste wine – for free

Passengers who show a boarding pass from any airline can score complimentary entry at some ski or snowboarding locations in the U.S.

For example, at Steamboat Ski & Resort in Colorado, passengers can use their boarding passes for a free night of skiing on the evening of arrival. Those who arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday can get a free skiing night on Thursday.

Several ski resorts participating in the Alaska Airlines Ski the West promotion are offering a free day of action on the slopes. Among the offers are a free day-of-arrival pass for out-of-state travelers at Alaska’s Alyeska Resort, and a second-day-ski-free offer in Taos, New Mexico.

Passengers who show an Alaska Airlines boarding pass (paper or digital) in the wine regions of Oregon, Washington and Sonoma County, California, may check a case of wine for free.

Boarding passes also make Alaska Airlines passengers eligible for free wine-tastings at more than 300 participating tasting rooms in Oregon, and more than 200 wineries in Washington state. In addition, under the Taste and Tote program in Washington, Hertz offers car rental discounts and waives the drop-off fees at three regional airports—Pasco/Tri-Cities, Walla Walla and Yakima.

International airlines offer boarding pass perks

Austrian Airlines introduced its “World’s most valuable boarding pass” program in 2006, providing passengers with free access to museums and galleries and discounts at shops and restaurants for up to 10 days after they land.

Although the program is expiring at the end of 2014 for a reboot, an updated version will be offered in 2015 “with the same goal, to offer our passengers interesting benefits,” spokesman Wilhelm Baldia said.

Korean Air offers two boarding pass programs. Those flying from an overseas region to Korea can access the Excellent Boarding Pass Korea perks for seven days, and receive discounts on a host of attractions. These include tours, performances, meals, cellphone rentals, shopping, currency exchange fees, rental cars and airport ground transportation.

The Excellent Boarding Pass Worldwide offers a wide variety of perks outside of Korea, and is valid for up to 30 days from departure.

Through the Magic Boarding Pass program on Asiana Airlines, passengers have access to a wide variety of special offers.

An international boarding pass presented in Korea offers discounts on exchange rates, at shopping outlets, tourist destinations, concert halls and on ground transportation. An international Asiana Airlines boarding document also provides perks at premium outlets, hotels, restaurants and attractions in Japan, the U.S., Europe and Hong Kong.

In Singapore, passengers who fly on Singapore Airlines have a full month from the date of travel to use dining, shopping and other deals offered with their boarding passes.

“Tangible benefits for services that every passenger needs, such as the discounts on airport transfers offered by Korean Air and Singapore Airlines, offer the most value,” said Raymond Kollau of Airlinetrends.com. “Overall, I quite like the idea of thinking beyond the flight by offering all passengers, especially those in the economy cabin, boarding pass perks that let them make more of their stay in a city,” Kollau said.

(My story on airline boarding pass perks first appeared on CNBC Road Warrior)