Tomorrow Iām heading to the US. In the past Iāve always taken just a carry-on, but this trip is longer so I have a suitcase to check.
I got an email about online check-in, which I usually do. However, this time Iāll still need to stand in line to check in my luggage. Does online check-in help me in any way in this case? Please help me understand what Iām missing.
Do you have a seat assigned in advance?
If yesāand if you are dealing with a reputable companyāthen no need to worry about online check-in.
If noāor if you are dealing with a dodgy company that oversells their planes and regularly kicks people offāthen itās probably best to check in online at the earliest possible time.
Guy
I wonder as well what industry professionals like @justintaiwan would have to say . . .
Guy
Itās with EVA. When I bought my ticket I was able to choose my seat. But I guess maybe itās not āguaranteedā until I check in? I went ahead and did the online check-in anyway. Thanks!
Are you insane?!?!? 
There is a āBaggage drop-offā line for people who have checked in online.
No real benefit to online check in, people just freak out about it.
Actually itās probably a net negative as as soon as you check in travel agents and airline customer service staff have limited to 0 ability to assist with delays and cancellations. You will be stuck with the 3km queue at the airport.
I am also in the US at the moment and arrived on Monday. I could not check in online as I booked an AA flight number QF operated. 0 issues or delays by checking in in-person
If you are travelling with no checked luggage and domestically (within any country) - it doesnāt make much of a difference. Just nice to skip the kiosks to check in
Each flight segment ācouponā on a ticket is assigned a status. The default when you first purchase is āopenā - this can be used towards other tickets, checked in, refunded, whatever else the fare rules allow
Immediately upon checking in this switches from āopenā to āchecked inā which from an airline and travel agents perspective is the same as āusedā(flown).
You can have it moved from checked in/used to open but it can take MONTHS. About 6 months ago a Malaysia Airlines plane was diverted to Alice Springs and didnāt fly on to KL. It took me about 3-4 months to get the ticket changed to āopenā so I could have it refunded. It is not possible to do anything with a ticket in āchecked inā or āusedā status
***low cost carriers do their own thing
Super helpful and informative. Thanks! 
Guy
Bec they lazy to input your info hence online check in
Knowing my luck, that line will be longer than the regular check in line 
Yes, if ticket coupon has seat #, youāll get it.
Iād recommend checking your luggage in at Taipei main station near MRT to airport (which weāve done a few times), as youāre likely a night flight to US, from my travels with Eva.
If the airport has good lounges, sometimes I early check-in, scan myself in with the mobile ticket, and spend all day working in the lounges. Taoyuan airport T1 and T2 are connected and walkable after you check-in so you can switch between the good lounges.
Most budget or low traffic airlines do not open in-person check-in counters until about 3 hours before departure so the only way to get in earlier is through online check-in.
If youāre taking a budget airline (i.e. Scoot, HK Express), the check-in attendant will sometimes get you to weigh all your carry-ons and charge you ~1800 TWD for anything overweight that needs to be checked in. With online check-in you can skip this step, and from my experience they havenāt checked weight during boarding because they are too busy.
When you talk with people thereās more possible points of friction, so I prefer a contactless experience (online check-in to select my seat, use mobile ticket, take e-gate).
I would, but I live in Taoyuan 
Online check in is only useful if your airline allows you to skip the check-in counter entirely, or give you a shorter line for luggage drop off.
Good lounges either have entry time restrictions or belong to full service carriers with check-in counters almost always open.
But Iād argue TPE has no good lounges other than EVA Star (diamond).
I usually fly with Cathay Pacific or Turkish Airlines. If you check in online, you donāt have to queue for general check in. There is a separate queue for online check in. You go there and the entire process is quick and effective as nearly all passengers are in the other queue.
If you fly OneWorld and not Star Alliance, the CX Lounge in TPE Terminal 1 is a nice space.
Guy
send me a guest pass 
Iām handcuffed to star alliance
Maybe a travel agent has limited access, but airline customer service can definitely deal with delays and cancellations (or if you just change plans) with checked in tickets.
You can still get in the regular line. ;D
probably, but not exactly guranteed.
I never saw the point of this. Donāt you have to go there 3+ hours before the flight to use it?
Sure, it saves you the minor hassle of taking your luggage from the airport MRT station to the check-in desk, but thatās not a big deal when youād still need to get it to the main station anyway. Then it just means more time pointlessly waiting around at the airport.
They canāt with checked in tickets, it is not possible. Only airport staff can assist to reroute/book you with delays and cancellations after check in.
Some airlines make it easier to uncheck than others though. And some have better service than others.It depends on the situation.