When is Online Check-In Off the Table?

March 28, 2014

Have you ever experienced a mild panic when you discovered that you could not check-in online for a flight tomorrow?

Has my flight been canceled?

Has my travel agent screwed up my booking?

Am I booked on another (read: wrong) flight?

If you have any of those questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch – client or not, we’ll help you out!

We want to make sure none of our friends, clients, and readers experience that panic of thinking your flight plans are out of whack!

While each airline may have slightly different policies, generally speaking online check-in is available only on domestic flights.

If you are flying internationally, you will need to check in at the airport and in person.

There may be other reasons for this, but one important reason is that the folks at the airline need to see your passport before you board.

AirTran has a nice explanation of all the cases when online check-in is and is not available – see that second bullet point. Of course, those only apply specifically to AirTran flights, but it will give you a general idea.

So, if you’re headed to another country – say Jamaica, or Bermuda, or the Bahamas, or Barbados, or somewhere else warm and sunny, you will not be able to use online check-in.

You will have to make a stop at the airline’s counter before heading through security.

Just remember to get to the airport early, and

Relax…you CAN get there from here!