Online check in times
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In the event of a flight cancellation though there would be no gate. In the event of a delayed flight then the airline could rely on who actually boarded to decide who was a genuine claimant, but in the event of cancellation, no one would be boarded!
Rerouted people can be traced and see they actually got on their flights, those who make alternative travel plans separate from the airline staff can provide proof as well. Those who abandon their trips totally and go home can ask for a letter from the airline stating they have had their flight cancelled and as a result there is no point in them travelling, which they can use for compensation (most airline ticket desks should provide this on demand).
The ones who can abuse the system would still be those who don't bother turning up at all and simply checked in but decided they didn't want to travel long before the cancellation was announced. They would still have nothing to prove that's what they did, but because they held a boarding card they can still claim compensation.
Rerouted people can be traced and see they actually got on their flights, those who make alternative travel plans separate from the airline staff can provide proof as well. Those who abandon their trips totally and go home can ask for a letter from the airline stating they have had their flight cancelled and as a result there is no point in them travelling, which they can use for compensation (most airline ticket desks should provide this on demand).
The ones who can abuse the system would still be those who don't bother turning up at all and simply checked in but decided they didn't want to travel long before the cancellation was announced. They would still have nothing to prove that's what they did, but because they held a boarding card they can still claim compensation.
Paxing All Over The World
My guess is that, the number of people who:
Mostly, you only know about the delay once on site. The carrier usually wants to get you airside without telling you about the delay - as discussed in here many times.
The times when you have a bulk cancellation, such as Gatwick last Xmas, are few and far between.
- are booked
- decided not to travel and to bin the ticket
- know before leaving home that the flight is cancelled
- successfuly claim compensation
Mostly, you only know about the delay once on site. The carrier usually wants to get you airside without telling you about the delay - as discussed in here many times.
The times when you have a bulk cancellation, such as Gatwick last Xmas, are few and far between.
but in the event of cancellation, no one would be boarded!
As a passenger I can only think of one cancellation that I had warning about before I'd left for the airport (Mass cancellations, snow, Christmas a few years ago
).
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edilocal seems to be the only one who has picked up on the precise meaning and implications of "check-in" for the EU regs.
I only raised the issue of compensation being payable on delay/cancellation to point out how ridiculous the term "check-in" has become.
EU legislation has enshrined the term, but it was clearly aimed at a time when check-in meant check-in at the airport. Let's face it, there is, in pragmatic terms with so many carriers, no longer a meaningful check-in, its just a ticket/boarding card print at passengers expense.
I only raised the issue of compensation being payable on delay/cancellation to point out how ridiculous the term "check-in" has become.
EU legislation has enshrined the term, but it was clearly aimed at a time when check-in meant check-in at the airport. Let's face it, there is, in pragmatic terms with so many carriers, no longer a meaningful check-in, its just a ticket/boarding card print at passengers expense.
Paxing All Over The World
I agree with Hipennine, that 'Check-in' is a moveable feast. Some of us recall when, for long haul, you used to have to do a telephone 'Reconfirmation' a few days before travel. so, now, you do it on-line.
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those were the days!
and try phoning in to do that at Lagos Ikeja.....................
You had to send someone in a car to do it otherwise they'd sell your seat to someone else
TBH they might do that even if you'd reconfirmed but it put you a bit further up the ladder.......................
and try phoning in to do that at Lagos Ikeja.....................
You had to send someone in a car to do it otherwise they'd sell your seat to someone else
TBH they might do that even if you'd reconfirmed but it put you a bit further up the ladder.......................
Surely you still have 'check your baggage in' for weight purposes. The carrier may need to charge excess baggage where necessary.
Whilst you can check in online with most carriers, some still require visa checks prior to departure, depending on the passenger and the country they're going to. Australia springs to mind as a friend of mine who was told he had an electronic visa in his passport, on checking in found he didn't have one. The travel agent had cocked up and he was charged extra by the carrier prior to departure.
Whilst you can check in online with most carriers, some still require visa checks prior to departure, depending on the passenger and the country they're going to. Australia springs to mind as a friend of mine who was told he had an electronic visa in his passport, on checking in found he didn't have one. The travel agent had cocked up and he was charged extra by the carrier prior to departure.
Surely you still have 'check your baggage in' for weight purposes. The carrier may need to charge excess baggage where necessary.
Whilst you can check in online with most carriers, some still require visa checks prior to departure, depending on the passenger and the country they're going to. Australia springs to mind as a friend of mine who was told he had an electronic visa in his passport, on checking in found he didn't have one. The travel agent had cocked up and he was charged extra by the carrier prior to departure.
Whilst you can check in online with most carriers, some still require visa checks prior to departure, depending on the passenger and the country they're going to. Australia springs to mind as a friend of mine who was told he had an electronic visa in his passport, on checking in found he didn't have one. The travel agent had cocked up and he was charged extra by the carrier prior to departure.
'Baggage Drop Off' is the term in vogue, and even that is being automated by some carriers (e.g. Easyjet at Edinburgh). The horror of having to stick on your own baggage label. Presumably if your bag is overweight, an alarm goes off and the harassed-looking member of groundstaff looking after 4 baggage points has to deal with it.
Don't often travel outside Europe, so visas aren't usually an issue, but passport and/or ID checks are done at gate, unless you are checking baggage with a human being.
Flights to USA still have pre-check-in ID and Visa checks
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A number of EU countries require APIS information. If you didn't do this online, or if there's a problem with it, the airline will not issue you a boarding card. Same if you don't have a US ETS or an Ozzie whatchamacallit
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There's a lot of talk about printing boarding cards and indeed I see many people at airports waving around their printed andcrinkled A4-sheets. I've always thought of this as a temporary work-around rather than a solution - and indeed, I've not printed a boarding pass in years I think - apart from flights to exotic destinations. I fly weekly as a passenger, mostly within Germany, sometimes Europe.
I usually check-in online via smartphone and to me, this is no more and less than picking my seat. And indeed I've wondered may times why I can only do this 24 h before the flight. The boarding pass gets issued within the app (or sent to the passbook app on the iPhone, to be instantly ON the home screen in due time for the flight). Why do people print?
There is no connection whatsoever between me having a boarding pass/bar code and me being at the airport.
Apart from the immigration checks (which have nothing to with the airline) there are usually no ID checks involved in boarding an airplane here. I remember AirFrance does it and I've always wondered what for. On Lufthansa and AirBerlin and the likes, I can let anyone fly on my boarding pass, it's not of the airline's concern who that person actually is... (Doesn't apply to flights to the US, obviously).
I usually check-in online via smartphone and to me, this is no more and less than picking my seat. And indeed I've wondered may times why I can only do this 24 h before the flight. The boarding pass gets issued within the app (or sent to the passbook app on the iPhone, to be instantly ON the home screen in due time for the flight). Why do people print?
As to claiming for delayed flights you were not on, you do still have to present your boarding pass (bar code) and that says who actually turned up at the airport. Unless, I'm missing something?
Don't often travel outside Europe, so visas aren't usually an issue, but passport and/or ID checks are done at gate, unless you are checking baggage with a human being.
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Rhino,
Perhaps within Germany and/or the Schengen area some airlines may be a little laid back on ID check. But not elsewhere. In the UK, for example, one is required to have some form of picture ID on all flights, domestic or International.
The airlines do care about ticket transferability. Security is one aspect but tariff integrity and maintaining control on their sales are others. (I'm not defending their reasons)
Some of the LCCs may permit transferability, provided it is done through a ticket reissue (e-ticket included), but many of the network airlines do not.
For example AirBerlin:
Perhaps within Germany and/or the Schengen area some airlines may be a little laid back on ID check. But not elsewhere. In the UK, for example, one is required to have some form of picture ID on all flights, domestic or International.
The airlines do care about ticket transferability. Security is one aspect but tariff integrity and maintaining control on their sales are others. (I'm not defending their reasons)
Some of the LCCs may permit transferability, provided it is done through a ticket reissue (e-ticket included), but many of the network airlines do not.
For example AirBerlin:
3.3.1 The Airline or an Operating Air Carrier will only transport the Passenger upon presentation of a Ticket made out to the name of the Passenger.
6.3.2 The Airline or the Operating Air Carrier will only transport a Passenger upon presentation of complete and valid travel documents and a valid passport/identity card/visa or, in the event of loss …
Lufthansa:6.3.2 The Airline or the Operating Air Carrier will only transport a Passenger upon presentation of complete and valid travel documents and a valid passport/identity card/visa or, in the event of loss …
3.1.1. We will provide carriage only to the Passenger named on the Ticket and only on presentation of a valid Ticket …
3.1.2. A Ticket is not transferable.
3.1.6. ... you shall not be entitled to be carried on a flight unless you present a valid Ticket issued on your name
Right to refuse carriage
7.1. In the reasonable exercise of our discretion, we may refuse to carry you on your journey or onward journey… if ...
7.1.8. ... you cannot prove that you are the person named in the ticket,
In the case of Lufthansa these provisions have been tested in the courts.
3.1.2. A Ticket is not transferable.
3.1.6. ... you shall not be entitled to be carried on a flight unless you present a valid Ticket issued on your name
Right to refuse carriage
7.1. In the reasonable exercise of our discretion, we may refuse to carry you on your journey or onward journey… if ...
7.1.8. ... you cannot prove that you are the person named in the ticket,
I usually check-in online via smartphone and to me, this is no more and less than picking my seat. And indeed I've wondered may times why I can only do this 24 h before the flight. The boarding pass gets issued within the app (or sent to the passbook app on the iPhone, to be instantly ON the home screen in due time for the flight). Why do people print?
Or, in my case, the airlines don't support my (company's) chosen phone operating system! (Windows 8 Phone)
and when you turn your phone over to scan the bar code, it decides to rotate the screen, flip the image, go black or do all sorts of other things to confound the system and make you look just ever so slightly stupid.
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@ExXB: Thanks for those insights!
That used to be the case with the boarding passes sent as a JPEG attachment in an email. Now, with the Passbook feature on the iPhone in any case, it just simply works.
and when you turn your phone over to scan the bar code, it decides to rotate the screen, flip the image, go black or do all sorts of other things to confound the system and make you look just ever so slightly stupid.
That used to be the case with the boarding passes sent as a JPEG attachment in an email. Now, with the Passbook feature on the iPhone in any case, it just simply works.
Paxing All Over The World
One of the reasons I still use paper is that, it's easier to get the item out of your pocket and show it to the person answering.
The current generation of people asking to see your pass have grown up with paper and started their current job looking at printed boarding passes. Some have already had to adapt from the flimsy carbon coupon to the ATB ticket and then to home printed A4 on dodgy ink jet with the page 2/3 full of advertising and now have to adapt again. So they are not always quick at recognising where on the screen to look for the information. Lastly, the information on the screen may be shown small, so as to give maximum space to the QR code.
I print my home receipts on a laser (or a high quality inkjet if the colour is crtical) on a 250 gram card that is not dissimilar in look and feel to an ATB - but is the same size. Although setting up the margins to get the best result took a few tries (each carrier formats the A4 page differently
) it's now very easy and I get a boarding pass that is not flimsy, is easy to read and has the QR code.
The current generation of people asking to see your pass have grown up with paper and started their current job looking at printed boarding passes. Some have already had to adapt from the flimsy carbon coupon to the ATB ticket and then to home printed A4 on dodgy ink jet with the page 2/3 full of advertising and now have to adapt again. So they are not always quick at recognising where on the screen to look for the information. Lastly, the information on the screen may be shown small, so as to give maximum space to the QR code.
I print my home receipts on a laser (or a high quality inkjet if the colour is crtical) on a 250 gram card that is not dissimilar in look and feel to an ATB - but is the same size. Although setting up the margins to get the best result took a few tries (each carrier formats the A4 page differently
) it's now very easy and I get a boarding pass that is not flimsy, is easy to read and has the QR code.
I do check in on line but I go to a drop off counter and ask for a "normal" boarding pass - the thick paper type rather than the thermal one printed on a machine or the A4 used in the office because I like to keep it as a souvenir.
I know an A4 is better in long term since it is not thermal printed but I like the standard boarding pass.
Rwy in Sight
I know an A4 is better in long term since it is not thermal printed but I like the standard boarding pass.
Rwy in Sight
