How did you all get boarding passes from the airlines?

[Camelot13 63]

Sorry for the frequency with which I'm posting topics here. I'm running into so many questions! Maybe this will be helpful for others as well.

I have just gotten off the phone with United Airlines. I asked them for a copy of my boarding pass (the flight was July 6-Oct 1, 2013 - so not all that long ago) because I only have the email itinerary and receipt. After a few minutes on the phone with them, they said that all they could send me is a receipt/itinerary, which I told them I already had. They then said that's all they are authorized to do because they can't re-issue boarding passes.

From what I've read, some of you have been successful in requesting the actual boarding pass from the airlines after having lost or thrown away the original. How did you do it?? Did I just get an unknowledgeable customer service person or does the willingness to send boarding passes vary by airline?

My boyfriend is on a flight here tomorrow so assuming if all goes well we will have 1 official boarding pass to include in the packet. Will that plus itineraries and passport stamps for 2 previous trips (one for me to UK, one for him to US) be sufficient?

We also have a joint US bank account we opened in March 2013. Would that be useful as primary evidence?

Edited November 7, 2013 by Camelot13

[jaycali 415]

Hmm, I've never heard of an airline actually re-issuing boarding passes. I wouldn't worry about it. Just print your receipt/itinerary. They're not going to hassle a British citizen over missing boarding passes.

If you had 15 red flags and was interviewing in Farawayistan I'd try. But you're not.

Just use your itineraries, the bank account, add some pictures from various places, spanning the entire timeline of your relationship and you will be fine.

PS, when using pictures, remember that you're trying to prove a relationship, you're not proving that you own a camera. Backgrounds help. Different hairstyles help. Different clothes and different situations help. I.e. A picture from Christmas in London and summer in LA is excellent evidence showing you've spent time together over a big timespan. 2,000 pictures showing nothing but your faces shows that you've met at least once and have access to a camera..

Edited November 7, 2013 by jaycali

[lost_at_sea 995]

Passport stamps are better than boarding passes, anyway (since they prove the flight was actually taken and the entry into the foreign country was made). I wouldn't sweat it.

[Vinn 3]

yeah, we couldn't get a copy of boarding passes too so we sent photocopies of the arival and departure stamps on the passport. I got one too many stamps on one page at one point so i just highleted the ones that were important. Some were hard to read, so i put a note beside it and wrote the date and the name of the airport and flight number (exactly what the stamp should say). And we had no problems. Got the hardcopy of NOA2 the other day.

Goodluck!

[Vinn 3]

we also sent screenshots of our converstions through iMessage, around 2 to 3 sample conversations for each month. yes, we also sent an official bank statement of our joint account with the photocopy of the bank book as evidence.

[Avery Cates 1,141]

You're in London so I wouldn't sweat it, it's a very easy going process there. Passport stamps are fine. I sent a copy of my entire passport, means you don't have to rummage for a copy of your birth certificate as well.

[baron555 934]

How did you all get boarding passes from the airlines?

They are given to you when you register at the gate prior to boarding. If you lost yours, then you are out of luck.

[jaycali 415]

As others have mentioned, passport stamps are just as good as any boarding pass. We used passport stamps coupled with flight itineraries in our I-130 package.

Again, don't sweat it.

[MmmBlondie 8]

I wouldn't worry too much. I only showed a few boarding passes I had kept, with Eurostar tickets when we went to Paris, some photos of us from both countries, passport stamps and I believe maybe some skype/imessage screen shots. I didn't send nearly as much as some people but as long as its hard evidence and not to wishy washy then you're fine.

[Camelot13 63]

Thank you all so much! You put my mind and heart at ease. I'm going to pick my boyfriend up at the airport in a few hours.

Baron555, I had thought I had read somewhere on here where people had said they didn't have copies of their boarding passes & called the airlines for a copy, but I must have misunderstood. Sounds like the passport stamp/itinerary combo will work ok though, so I'm relieved.

[Mcbride260808 1]

Don't worry about boarding passes. another uk-us K1 here! we provided a list of all visits. Then for each individual trip we provided evidence of passport stamp photocopies, relevant emailed flight itinerary and photos from the trip of us together

[Camelot13 63]

That's really excellent, McBride. I'm glad to hear the process went smoothly for you. My boyfriend arrived last night and we'll begin the process of gathering our evidence together & I won't have to worry as much.