Boarding passes are produced in the form of an infinite form, folded in a zigzag with a step of 8. Next, thermal printers stretch ticket after ticket, cutting off each subsequent boarding pass on the perforation mark at the junction of the two forms. The heat-sensitive layer of the form has a top coating that protects the ticket during the trip from accidental exposure to cosmetics or household products.
Boarding passes replaced the multi-layered self-copying forms used until the early twenty-first century. But even today, some major air carriers use multi-layered self-copying forms in their document flow.
Boarding passes are being replaced by digital technology. Electronic check-in allows passengers traveling without baggage, not to waste time at the front desk, and immediately pass into the pre-flight inspection zone. Nevertheless, the boarding pass is a popular product in the air transportation market today.