Not everyone wants email on their phone. Not everyone uses a phone wallet. And that is absolutely fine — you are not doing anything wrong, and you are not behind the times. But if you want to fly, you still need a boarding pass. This article shows you exactly how to get one without needing email on your phone, without a digital wallet, and without any apps you’re not comfortable with.
There are three reliable ways to do it. Read through all three and choose the one that suits you best.
Option 1 — Print your boarding pass at home
This is the simplest solution and the one most people in your situation find easiest. A printed boarding pass works exactly as well as a digital one at every South African airport. The scanner at the gate reads the barcode on the page — it doesn’t matter whether that page came out of a printer or off a phone screen.
What you need: A printer and access to a computer — yours, a family member’s, or a friend’s.
How it works:
When you book your flight, use a computer rather than your phone. Enter a family member’s or friend’s email address at the time of booking if you don’t have email on your phone — someone you trust who can receive the confirmation and forward it to a printer.
When online check-in opens (usually 24 hours before your flight), the person whose email was used logs in to the airline’s website, completes check-in, and downloads the boarding pass as a PDF — a document file. They then print it on any standard printer.
Hand the printed page to you before you leave for the airport. That’s it. One A4 page with your name, flight details and a barcode on it. Tuck it into your bag with your ID and you’re ready.
Important: Print at least two copies. Keep one in your hand and one in your bag as a backup. Paper is cheap — peace of mind is worth it.
Option 2 — Print your boarding pass at the airport
Every major South African airport has self-service check-in kiosks — standing machines in the departure hall that look a little like an ATM. These machines allow you to check in and print your boarding pass yourself, on the spot, without needing email or a phone at all.
What you need: Your booking reference number (the 6-character code from your confirmation) and your South African ID.
How it works:
- Arrive at the airport with enough time — at least 90 minutes before your flight
- Find the self-service kiosks for your airline — they are usually clearly marked near the check-in counters
- Touch the screen to begin
- Enter your booking reference number and last name, or scan your ID barcode if the machine has a scanner
- Follow the on-screen steps — confirm your details, choose your seat
- The machine prints your boarding pass automatically
- Take the printed slip and proceed to bag drop or security
If you find the kiosk confusing, look for an airport staff member nearby — there is almost always someone stationed close to the kiosks to help. Don’t hesitate to ask. They assist people with this every single day.
Airline check-in counters: If the kiosks feel too daunting, go directly to the airline’s staffed check-in counter instead. Tell them you need to check in and get a printed boarding pass. They will do it for you. There may be a small fee for counter check-in on some budget airlines — FlySafair charges around R60 for this — but it is a straightforward and completely legitimate option.
Option 3 — Have a family member manage it from their phone
If you have a son, daughter, or grandchild who is comfortable with smartphones, they can manage the entire check-in process from their own phone and either:
- Show you the boarding pass on their screen if they are travelling with you
- Screenshot the boarding pass and send it to you on WhatsApp so it lives in your photo gallery — no email or wallet needed
The screenshot method is particularly useful because it saves the boarding pass as a plain photograph in your phone’s gallery. You open it exactly the same way you’d open any photo — no app, no email, no wallet required. Just show the screen to the scanner at the gate and it will read the barcode.
How the family member sends it to you:
- They complete online check-in on the airline’s website or app
- When the boarding pass appears on screen, they take a screenshot
- They open WhatsApp and send the screenshot to you as a photo
- You open WhatsApp, find the photo, and save it to your gallery
- At the airport, open your gallery, find the boarding pass photo, turn your brightness all the way up, and show it to the scanner
This works reliably and has the added benefit of someone you trust handling the digital side while you handle your physical travel documents in the way you’re comfortable with.
At the airport — what to show and where
Whichever option you choose, here is what you’ll need to have ready at each point:
At bag drop (if you’re checking in a suitcase): Show your boarding pass — printed or on screen — and your South African ID. The staff member will take your bag and attach a label to it.
At security: Your boarding pass and ID again. Place your bag, phone, belt and any metal items in the trays. Collect everything on the other side.
At the boarding gate: Hold your boarding pass in front of the scanner — printed side facing outward if it’s paper, screen facing the scanner if it’s on a phone. Your ID may be checked here too.
That is the complete sequence. Three checkpoints, two documents, no surprises.
A note on phone wallets — you don’t need one
You may have heard people talk about adding a boarding pass to their “wallet” on their phone. This refers to an app called Google Wallet (on Android) or Apple Wallet (on iPhone) that stores digital cards and passes.
If you don’t use your phone wallet — and many people don’t — you are not missing out on anything essential. The printed boarding pass, the kiosk, and the screenshot method all work just as well. The wallet is a convenience for people who are already comfortable with it, not a requirement for flying.
A note on email on your phone — again, not required
Email on a phone is useful but not compulsory for flying. The booking confirmation email is sent to whatever address you provide at the time of booking — which can be a family member’s address if you prefer. The only thing to ensure is that someone you trust can receive that email and either print the boarding pass from it or help you through check-in.
If you eventually decide you’d like your own email on your phone, our article on setting up Gmail walks you through it step by step. But there is no pressure — the options above work perfectly well without it.
The most important things to remember
- Book using a trusted family member’s email if you don’t have your own, or don’t want email on your phone
- Print two copies of your boarding pass if you go the printing route
- Airport kiosks and staffed counters are always available if you need to get a boarding pass on the day
- A WhatsApp screenshot of your boarding pass works at the gate — save it to your gallery before you leave home
- Charge your phone fully the night before — even if you’re using a printed pass, your phone is useful at the airport
- Carry your ID on your person at all times — not in your checked luggage
Try this now
Before your next flight, decide which of the three options suits you best — printing at home, printing at the airport, or the WhatsApp screenshot method. Tell a family member which you’ve chosen so they know how to help if needed. Having a plan before you arrive at the airport removes almost all of the stress.
Travelling soon? Share this article with whoever is helping you prepare — it will make the whole process easier for both of you.
