Advantages of Checking In on-Line?
 

So what are the advantages to checking in on-line? I am a Premier member with United, my flight and seat assignment are confirmed when I buy the ticket.

I checked in on line once and, as far as I could tell, I saw no advantage. In fact, I noticed some disadvantages.

1) I had to remember to bring – and not loose – the boarding pass that I printed at home. It prints on a large, flimsy piece of paper of course. If I get it at the airport, I can’t forget it at home. And it prints on the stiffer, smaller paper that fits in my jacket. (I’m probably more particular about the paper thing than most, I concede.) Of course, if I lost the boarding pass, I could get another, but to me it’s just more thing to remember to bring.

2) My seat selection is, after checking in on-line, “locked.” I can’t change it. I like to look up the last minute to see if a more desirable seat opened up. All the way up to checking in at the airport kiosk in fact.

3) Saves time? It takes longer to check in on line than it does at the kiosk. At home, I have to log into my account, etc, and print. Not that it takes a long time, but not the 30 seconds at the kiosk. I have never (ever, as far as I recall) waited in line at the kiosk when doing carry-on only.

4) If I’m checking a bag, then what’s the point? I need to see an agent anyway. Even then, with the Premier service with United, I’ve never waited long.

Obviously, I’m missing something! Thanks!

I can't figure that out either. I don't have a printer at home. So while I am checked in, still I have to go to the kiosk at the airport and do the whole self-check in thing again, and usually check a bag.

I'd like to know what I am missing too because I don't see an advantage (unless you're trying to change seats maybe?)

There are several advantages, I think. Seat selection, for example, particularly if you're on an airline like united and might want to upgrade to premium economy. Another advantage: you can go straight to security if you print your boarding pass. I've never had to wait on line at my printer, and if I'm flying from a congested airport, I consider that a big plus. I don't see a down side unless your computer is slow.

For domestic there's an advantage to checking in online; just print out the pass, drop off luggage if you are checking any, get into security line and go.

For international, I've always either not been able to checkin online, or had to stand in a line to check my bag, show a passport/visa etc. Always a line for some reason, it seems.

I don't think your seat selection is "locked" once you check-in online. I once had a bad seat on United and checked the kiosk again at the airport and was able to move to a better one. Either somebody had missed a flight, or they released some seats, upgraded somebody... and I was happier.

Here's what happenened to me:

I missed my outbound flight this past Christmas, and the agent was able to book me on the next flight leaving 2 hours later. On her own initiative she also rerouted my return flight because she said the departure and connection times were better than my original booking (which they were).

When I tried to check in online the day before my return, I couldn't do it and couldn't figure out why. I called the airline, and the agent said that I needed to pay a change fee for the change in itinerary. I explained what happened, and that I hadn't requested it--the agent did it on her own. She said it didn't matter--the computer showed a change and I needed to pay before I could check in. I asked her to cancel the change and rebook me on my original return flight. She did, and I was then able to check in online and print my boarding pass.

If I had waited until I got to the airport to print my pass I would have missed my original flight and been stuck with a change fee for the new flight (or stuck trying to convince a ticket agent that I shouldn't be charged a fee).

<i>"mowmow on Sep 25, 10 at 1:20am
For domestic there's an advantage to checking in online; just print out the pass, drop off luggage if you are checking any, get into security line and go"</i>

When one checks in online, how/where does one get the luggage tags before dropping it off?

Here's my experience, mostly on AA & JetBlue

1) I did not have to remember to bring – and not loose – the boarding pass that I printed at home. I've always been able to reprint a boarding pass at the airport. The paper I use at home is less flimsy than the paper used at kiosks, and I don't find it hard to put my boarding pass with my other travel papers.

2) My seat selection is, after checking in on-line, never “locked.” I can change it when I get to the airport, all the way up to checking in at the airport kiosk in fact.

3) Hardly takes any time. Click, click, print & done. How hard is that? There are often lines at airport kiosks.

Obviously, I’m missing something! Thanks!

Here's what I think you're missing. If you check in online all you need to do is be at the gate by the time they close the door - 10 or 15min before departure. Your seat won't be given away if you get stuck in traffic and miss the airport check in time window.

to cynstalker, you just go to the kiosk, pull up your itinerary - you can usually do that by swiping a credit card that has your name, or entering your FF # or your record locator number, or even scanning your boarding pass. You'll be asked how many bags to check. Tags will print out with an agent right there who will weigh and tag your bags for you.

cynstalker, you still have to get the luggage tag from an agent behind the counter, and check your bag with them. The people saying they can go directly to security are traveling carry-on only.

All good arguments except the one about "flimsy" paper. If your printer is using flimsy paper, buy better paper! Heavier card stock is readily available for most printers.

Or you could borrow scissors from someone and cut the paper boarding pass down to size. Or fold it. Gosh, lots of solutions to that one!

I have so far shyed away from on-line check in. I am a 1K with UA, so I can go to a short(er) line than the longer regular economy line to check in. I almost always have one or two bags to check. Other than being stuck in traffic on my way to ORD, I have never really seen the benefits of doing the on-line option. And as far as traffic goes, if I'm flying out of ORD, I will drive the 3 hours to get there, the day before, and do a park/sleep/fly and take a shuttle to the airport, so no traffic problems (knock on wood).

I'm a CO loyalist and use OLCI all the time, taking advantage of the paperless system whenever possible. Get an email to my BB with a link to BP; open link, save page, use at TSA. If that is not available, print out BP at home or hotel before heading to airport. Saves having to print at a kiosk, can go right to TSA. Obviously if needing to check bags (which I rarely do on domestic travel) this is moot.

The other reason to do OLCI is if one is waiting for an upgrade (not mileage or SWU, but EUA system) - check in time is among factors used in establishing rank on upgrade waiting list.

Always check in on line, but generally do carry on. UA will send your boarding pass to any handheld device, phone, PDA, so don't need to worry about a piece of paper.

The biggest advantage is if the flight is overbooked ususally those last to check in such as checking in at the airport are the first to get bumped. I always check in as close to 24 hours ahead of time even if I don't print my boarding pass.

So - isn't anyone using their smartphone to flash their boarding pass at the agents? (no paper)

DH did that for first time on AA last week - he liked it. Something about it scares me - but when they went to ticketless tickets years ago that scared me too.

Usually by the time I board my cell phone is stowed somewhere in my carryon. I am guessing there may be a male-female thing here, since more men have garments with pockets or carry cell phone in waist holder than women - so easier for them to get to cell phone

Sure I've seen people doing that at the airport Travelnut. But I don't have a smartphone or even a cell phone ;-)

Just curious -
How do you go through security with only the bar code boarding pass on the phone?

I do the Blackberry/mobile check-in option all the time.

Things may differ in detail between here in Germany/Europe and the US, but at security I show the text e-mail (and not the attached gif/bar code) I received after checking in with my mobile which has the data of my flight in it.

At some locations boarding passes get checked before you hit security. In that case, you often have seperate aisles with scanners which scan the bar code from your mobile and unlock a turnstile for you to proceed.

Later, at the gate, the bar code on the phone's screen will also open the turnstile to the exit/jetway (like it does when you scan the bar code from your paper/online BP there).

Thanks Cowboy.

I asked because in the US, TSA checks your boarding pass against your ID, then places some type of pen marking on the paper pass.
Used to be they would check the paper pass and mark as soon as you passed through the metal detector, though I noticed this no longer seems to be done.

So I don't know how you could 'mark' the pass if its a text.

But again, this is the US only.

I also noticed that in Europe, they would always check your boarding pass before you entered from the jetway onto the jet itself. I've never had this done in the US, or traveling from Europe to the US.

Using my BB, TSA scans the bar code on the boarding pass online when u go thru security in the US. UA attendants do the same when u board the plane.