I printed my boarding pass, now what??
 

This is my first time flying so don't call me stupid! What do i do when I get to the airport with my printed boarding pass?

Not a stupid question. Assuming this is not an international flight and you are flying from the US. Two choices - if you are not checking luggage, you go directly to the security line. This is in effect your "ticket" - so you do not have to stop at the ticket counter.

If you are checking luggage, you go towards the ticket counter - but there will be a line or place where you will just check your bag, not go thru the entire check-in process again. There are always lots of people around who will direct you to the right line.

Since you have not flown, some unasked for advice/info about security. Go to the TSA website and make sure you understand what you can and cannot carryon, especially the liquids rule. At security, there will be a TSA person to whom you will hand your boarding pass and govt issued photo ID (drivers license, state ID, passport). Then you continue on to a conveyor belt with bins. You must take off your shoes, jacket, belt and put them in a bin. Also in the bins go laptop, liquids in a qt ziplock bag, keys and other metal. The bins and your carryon go onto the conveyor belt and you proceed to follow directions from TSA person - either thru a metal detector, X-ray/scanner type thing. You may possibly be "patted down" - and this is sometimes random, so don't take it personally.

At the end, you collect your stuff so you can re-dress. Don't forget your stuff - people do all the time. And have a good trip.

If you have luggage to check, there will be a luggage-drop counter, where they'll tag your bags and then it's off to security.

If you only have carry-on, you can take your boarding pass and ID straight to the security line. Don't forget the 3:1:1 rule - nothing liquid, gel, lotion etc in your purse/backpack/carry on, unless it's in 3oz or smaller containers, in a one-quart platic ziploc bag, and you only get one bag.

Have a great trip!

Posted while gail was posting - glad to see consistent advice, it makes me feel like I might even know what I'm talking about sometimes!

We fly internationally 2-3 times a year, but have never printed out our own boarding passes. I've thought about it, but it sort of intimidates me. I guess it's fear of the unknown. Gail-You wrote to Dobby,"If you're not flying internationally... ." Does that mean that I shouldn't consider printing our boarding passes on international flights? Like Dobby, I sure hope this isn't a stupid question. Thanks.

The only unknown about printing out your own boarding pass is how much time you'll save not waiting in line... Sometimes it's nothing, since most airlines and airports now have self service kiosks. Sometimes it's longer, if there is a queue. If you misplace your boarding pass you can always reprint one at the airport. QED.

I actually no longer print out boarding passes myself - I just use my mobile phone.

If you are flying internationally the airlines are required to verify you have a valid passport, so that usually means an agent has to check it personally. Some airlines don't allow online checkin for international flights, but many do.

To 1965 - there's no reason you shouldn't print out boarding passes for international flights. We've taken international flights on many of the major airlines and have always been able to print out our boarding passes on line - right now can't think of any that didn't let us do that but I suspect there may be some that don't. For us, there's always a section where you enter and verify your passport information and then it's a simple smatter of printing out the boarding pass. Lately, we've been doing what J62 does and have the boarding passes sent to our iPhones.

I got on a United flight to Hong Kong with my home-printed bp. At HKG, I had to go through a security check to get to my connecting flight and the agent there didn't allow me to go on with my home-printed by to Singapore. He pointed to a United counter just steps away from the checkpoint. I got a copy of my bp there. I went through the security check showing my airline-printed bp. That was 3 or 4 years ago and things may have changed.

There is a chance the OP may face extra <i>scrutiny</i> . . . just sayin' ;)

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...get-a-visa.cfm

jan- no need for your comments. I make new thread to get advise on my trip not fight with 40 year olds who act 10 >_>

gail- Thank you! I made it past TSA very quickly and the pat down wasn't bad either. I thought they were going to grab at my privates :( As for liquids, I had them in a baggy in my suitcase. Not sure if I was supposed to take them out but they didn't seem to mind. It was so quick and easy :D

Printing out your boarding pass should mean you have also checked in. That could help avoid bumping if the plane is overbooked.