🛂 🛫 Departing | What's the Point of Online Check-in?

[Poundsand]

@justintaiwan

@Poundsand

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.

They can’t 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.

You say that, but I’ve done it lots of times.

[dancing_tiger]

@Andrew

@CTaitung

I’d recommend checking your luggage in at Taipei main station near MRT to airport (which we’ve done a few times), as you’re likely a night flight to US, from my travels with Eva.

I never saw the point of this. Don’t you have to go there 3+ hours before the flight to use it?

I don’t usually bother either, but I did use it once when I had an evening flight. I had business in town in the morning so I dropped off my luggage and then went about my day: it saved having to go back home later. It was pretty cool.

[dancing_tiger]

@Steve4nLanguage

@Shaozhi

There is a “Baggage drop-off” line for people who have checked in online.

Knowing my luck, that line will be longer than the regular check in line

I’ve never waited longer than 10 minutes for EVA. The check in line is ALWAYS much longer. Checking in online is just so much more stress-free.

[Shaozhi]

@dancing_tiger

I’ve never waited longer than 10 minutes for EVA. The check in line is ALWAYS much longer. Checking in online is just so much more stress-free.

I totally agree.

[comfy123]

@Steve4nLanguage

However, this time I’ll still need to stand in line to check in my luggage.

Really? I usually just scan my mobile barcode and use the automated bag drop off. No line at all.

The only line I have to worry about is the annoying airport security that was implemented after 9/11.

[Steve4nLanguage]

Well, the luggage drop off line was much faster, waited less than ten minutes!

[Suziepie]

I wondered about this last week when my husband and I were doing online check-in… and his gender was showing as female and couldn’t be amended. He suggested we just skip online process and fix it at the airport, but I didn’t want to risk any problems so soon before flying. I had to ring the airline to get them to change it. So I think that might be kind of worth doing the online check-in, just to confirm all details are correct.
Also, at the airport we were able to go through the faster queue for luggage drop off, whereas the queue for people who hadn’t checked in online was much slower.

In another anecdote, my friend didn’t check in online with Ryanair and therefore didn’t print her own ticket, and Ryanair charged her £55 to print it out for her!

[afterspivak]

An excellent example of a dodgy company—caveat emptor!

Guy

[qwert_zuiop]

@Suziepie

and Ryanair charged her £55 to print it out for her!

Printer ink is expensive these days

[comfy123]

@Suziepie

my friend didn’t check in online with Ryanair and therefore didn’t print her own ticket, and Ryanair charged her £55 to print it out for her!

Well they haven’t been exactly quiet about it. Also they have been steadily raising the paper check-in price.

Ryanair passengers face £100 check-in fee if they miss important deadline

@qwert_zuiop

Printer ink is expensive these days

It’s more about wanting to completely get rid of the whole paper check-in line so they don’t need to pay to staff the booth.

Very soon the cost will be the whole flight… as in you will miss your flight.

[tommy525]

apparently RyanAir is the Spirit Airlines of Europe. How is EasyJet? They still around? good?

nvm browser to the rescue. seeems EasyJet may be a bit better? More like the Southwest of Europe.

Southwest treats everyone like cattle, equally (almost, except you can pay more to board earlier…whats the point you say,you dont get to take off earlier…and there are no welcome drinks).

I always board last (unless i fly First, which is almost NEVER)

[bojack]

@tommy525

apparently RyanAir is the Spirit Airlines of Europe. How is EasyJet? They still around? good?

nvm browser to the rescue. seeems EasyJet may be a bit better? More like the Southwest of Europe.

Southwest treats everyone like cattle, equally (almost, except you can pay more to board earlier…whats the point you say,you dont get to take off earlier…and there are no welcome drinks).

I always board last (unless i fly First, which is almost NEVER)

I got a little monkey on my back for watching yt videos of rowdy Spirit ticket holders. Frontier, too. Some wild shit. Some of their flyers might not even be housebroken.

[tommy525]

Entitled Family Think They Own The Plane, Start Fighting Everyone

Sad situ here really
Some people don’t understand that there are times you just have to listen and shut up and not continue to escalate especially when police are here

Things can get real ugly

Don’t mess with American police

French or not lol

Entitled French Tourists Learn the Hard Way About American Laws

[DKaoshuing]

@tommy525

https://youtu.be/Uo4zBGPEm2Q?si=ZuTqMhtEa8JQzjf_

Sad situ here really
Some people don’t understand that there are times you just have to listen and shut up and not continue to escalate especially when police are here

Things can get real ugly

Really bad people. Also why in USA boarding takes so long, in japan 10 minutes, maybe 15 minutes out of FUK (my home port).

Many times arrive at the airport less the hour before departure, still enough time for a beer in lounge (or sake if night)

Japan Airlines' Amazing 15-Minute A350 Boarding

[slawa]

@tommy525

Don’t mess with American police

They were drunk and a nuisance. But police guy here clearly escalated on purpose. The police guy went physical with the women without any reason when she was just talking back, then arrested her for pushing his hand when he went forward to grab her without any need in the first place. They have all kind of tactics to force an arrest like in this situation, which escalated to multiple arrests. There was zero attempt to deescalate by the police. They were there to find any tangible reason to take them away.
Only in America one can get arrested for resisting said arrest.

Then the process is designed to be slow to release. People get jailed and stay multiple days in jail. This is because many jails are for profit and its a huge business where police benefits from donation kickbacks.

Just watch this channel and you will see a pattern. Even if one gets justice after a false arrest, it is many years later and the offending officer does not get punished, only tax payers must foot the bill. Even more difficult to get justice if you are not a resident in US.

Audit the Audit

Unfortunately police in US has very weak processes to sort out bad apples from service. Abusive people can stay in force for too long and ruin people’s lives, who did not do anything illegal. Multiple policies like qualified immunity prevents legal action in so many cases, until it gets really bad. This is how people end up dead when being arrested by US police.
Also use of deadly force is so easily justified in US. Many killings by police are not necessary, but legally allowed. Just compare statistics about firearm use by police with those from other countries per capita. It’s appalling.

How often do police kill people? (2024)

United States: 3.6 / million
Germany: 0.26 / million

[tommy525]

the first instance the woman was given so many opportunities to avoid issues and an arrest but she carried it on and on.

The one with the french woman she only brushed his hand aside, that does not constitute assault. so she should not have been taken in for that. Now if she had attacked the officer thats a different manner.

they were drunk off their butts.. motto dont be drunk off your butt.

[marasan]

@Steve4nLanguage

Tomorrow I’m heading to the US. In the past I’ve 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 I’ll 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 I’m missing.

I’m flying with United and got an SMS asking me to do the online check-in. I’m at work and my passport is at home so I couldn’t finish the online check-in (I have to upload a copy). I called them and they told me just to show up early (I always show up 3 hours before the flight) and just things in person.

I asked Chat GPT and was told that there is no benefit to online check-in as they will still need to physically verify my passport and because I have baggage. Chat GPT also told me:

From people who’ve tried online check-in for international flights:

“They have to verify you actually have your passport … Before they let you board the plane.” Reddit

“Even though I’d uploaded the picture … I still had to show an agent my passport.” Reddit

How absolutely confusing can they be with that SMS? Why not say in the message something like, "If you are traveling internationally, you may need to complete check-in at the airport even if you start online. Online check-in may be skipped.”

[Van]

Might save you a step on the return journey. iirc was able to use my digital boarding pass to create a luggage tag for self luggage check at sfo and the line for dropping off was much much shorter. Had to present passport at security and that was it.