Guide

The Secret Code on Your Ticket: How to Identify Any Airline by Number

Jan 11, 2026 IATA Codes Team

Have you ever looked at your plane ticket and seen a long string of numbers? The first 3 digits are the key: they are called the Accounting Code Prefix.

Why does it matter?

Sometimes you book a flight on a site like Expedia, but you need to know who actually issued the ticket to claim miles or manage a change. The IATA code (e.g. IB, AA) does not always appear on credit card statements, but the ticket number never lies.

Common Examples

  • 001: American Airlines
  • 075: Iberia
  • 176: Emirates

Free Lookup Tool

You do not need to memorize them all. We have indexed all global prefixes in our database.

👉 Try it here: Airline Prefix Lookup Tool

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