How long do you keep boarding passes?
 

I track my trips in a spreadsheet and keep all boarding passes until the miles have posted. In fact, I've kept all my boarding passes stapled to their corresponding itinneraries since last November. Is there any reason to do this? Can I clean out my files now? :-)

I keep my boarding passes until my miles post online (with the exception of the boarding passes I use for bookmarks; they can linger in my library for a lifetime!).

I keep the whole current year's worth in an envelope and track postings on a spreadsheet. At year's end they join the big boarding-pass collage that surrounds the world map in our kitchen/family room... with push-pins denoting everyone's lifetime movements.

Similar to BearX220, I also throw my BPs into an envelope (which usually tears after several months, so I put the first envelope into a second one, and so on). I begin the process anew at the beginning of each calendar year. Since even thousands of BPs take up little space, and provide potential for future nostalgia (an oxymoron?), I save them in a drawer.

Other than for sentimental reasons, I see no need to keep BPs once the next status year begins (which may be either the beginning of a calendar year, or a membership year). Note that this practice generally maintains BPs beyond the date when miles post because, IME, on occasion status and bonus miles can be deleted from an account - and would then have to be argued with supporting docs - but rarely after the new membership period begins.

I keep them with all my completed itineraries for about a year. So far this year i have flown over a 100 segments so if I put them on a wall... it would just look ugly. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Throw them out after my miles have posted (correctly) AND after I have printed out my latest MP account summary.

I love the boarding pass/wall map idea.

Forever And A Day!

I regret UA's fade away after some time.

UA has used a variety of paper stock through the years, but IME, most seem to hold up reasonably well, although a few have lightened up a bit.

Usually until after the last posting of the year's trips, though on some of my less frequent airlines, I toss them after they've posted when I'm being super-organized.

I keep my boarding passes forever. I use them as wallpaper in my office. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Opps! I guess I'm in the real minority, sometimes I keep them until I see my flight posted on CO's web site, but generally I just leave them in the seat pocket of my flight. I figure if I need proof of my flight (which 'knock wood' I have rarely ever needed), I can get it from my travel agent.

As any businessman should, we keep them for the six years that the IRS can go back to audit. Of course they've never been needed and probably never will, but this procedure makes the accountant comfortable.

Note that I said "boarding passes" not "receipts". I keep the receipts for 7 years according to IRS guidelines.

Once I see the miles post online, I give them to my children. They play games with them such as going on a work trip, going on vacation. One of the more humorous things I overheard was my daughter asking for a seat in front...but that's another story