Online Check-in. Whats the point?
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Online Check-in. Whats the point?
I recently took a Vueling flight from LHR to PMI with my wife. I was able to check in for the flight upto a month before departure even though I was taking hold baggage.
I do wonder though, what is the point when I have to que at the airport for the bag drop and the attendant at the desk pretty much goes through the whole typical check in procedure again just like they used to in years gone by and before the invent of online check in??
On this particular flight I had already chosen and paid for my allocated seat and suitcase.
I do wonder though, what is the point when I have to que at the airport for the bag drop and the attendant at the desk pretty much goes through the whole typical check in procedure again just like they used to in years gone by and before the invent of online check in??
On this particular flight I had already chosen and paid for my allocated seat and suitcase.
Last edited by Leftofcentre2009; 13th Aug 2013 at 11:09.
I am sure that unles you check in online in some manner, they can allocate a poor seat to you.
I agree however that in many cases it seems pointless if you pay to choose your seat.
I always check in online particularly if I only have hand luggae as I can skip that stage competely and 'avoid the scales'
Whoever decided 7kg for hand luggage was the limit when I can have 50+kg in the hold ?
I agree however that in many cases it seems pointless if you pay to choose your seat.
I always check in online particularly if I only have hand luggae as I can skip that stage competely and 'avoid the scales'
Whoever decided 7kg for hand luggage was the limit when I can have 50+kg in the hold ?
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Like it or not, some of us have to take a suitcase. Now that the majority of pax check in online or the airport self check-in kiosk, what is becoming the norm with some of the airlines I use, is that the bag-drop queue is way longer than the full check-in queue. Since, as mentioned above, the bag-drop procedure can often take as long as the full check-in procedure, I'm not quite sure what gains are being achieved by the airline with all the automation. Sure, it is handy if travelling with hand luggage only, but that is about it. As for seat allocation, many of the better airlines already offer that option at the time of booking.
Last edited by Hotel Tango; 13th Aug 2013 at 13:59.
If you fly with an airline that has its processes sorted, you DO have advantages from online check-in.
Firstly, you've got a wider choice of seating
Secondly, having confirmed that your travel documents are valid, you front up at the baggage drop-off counter, the agent scans your boarding pass, prints the baggage tag and you're away.
And thirdly - if your airline's really clued up - you can check in your bag yourself. Put your bag on the belt, scan the boarding pass, confirm your flight, attach the baggage tag (self-adhesive, no backing to remove), confirm on the touch screen, get your baggage receipt and you're done.
Firstly, you've got a wider choice of seating
Secondly, having confirmed that your travel documents are valid, you front up at the baggage drop-off counter, the agent scans your boarding pass, prints the baggage tag and you're away.
And thirdly - if your airline's really clued up - you can check in your bag yourself. Put your bag on the belt, scan the boarding pass, confirm your flight, attach the baggage tag (self-adhesive, no backing to remove), confirm on the touch screen, get your baggage receipt and you're done.
Whoever decided 7kg for hand luggage was the limit when I can have 50+kg in the hold ?
Add all the limits, divide by the number of pax and it comes out at 7kg. Roughly.
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I do wonder though, what is the point when I have to que at the airport for
the bag drop and the attendant at the desk pretty much goes through the whole typical check in procedure again just like they used to in years gone by and before the invent of online check in??
On this particular flight I had
already chosen and paid for my allocated seat and suitcase.
the bag drop and the attendant at the desk pretty much goes through the whole typical check in procedure again just like they used to in years gone by and before the invent of online check in??
On this particular flight I had
already chosen and paid for my allocated seat and suitcase.
Whoever decided 7kg for hand luggage was the limit when I can have 50+kg in the hold ?
Paxing All Over The World
The point of on-line check in is for the carrier to save money and make more profit. Simples! 
Last edited by PAXboy; 14th Aug 2013 at 02:14.
Originally Posted by RevMan2
The people who certify the aircraft bin capacity determine the maximum load per bin
Add all the limits, divide by the number of pax and it comes out at 7kg. Roughly.
Add all the limits, divide by the number of pax and it comes out at 7kg. Roughly.
@ Tarq57
No, that would be because the maximum bin load has probably been exceeded...
Ah. So that's why the overheads always seem to collapse in the event on an 'unmentionable'.....
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It's normally cheaper to pay for your luggage online.
The point of on-line check in is for the carrier to save money and make more profit. Simples!
Personally I enjoy all these do-it-yourself check-in options, but I do remain unconvinced about cost savings.
Originally Posted by RevMan2
No, that would be because the maximum bin load has probably been exceeded...
Paxing All Over The World
Had my cabin bag weighed and tested for physical size many times - both legacy and loco.
I agree that we still see many check-in desk staff and so I also wonder if the savings are as big as they hoped. But certainly agree that time will take care of it - certainly over the next 10-15 years.
I agree that we still see many check-in desk staff and so I also wonder if the savings are as big as they hoped. But certainly agree that time will take care of it - certainly over the next 10-15 years.
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I always find it quite odd that the rucksack I tend to use (not sure of the volume, but it's about the size of a "standard" suitcase) is effectively invisible at airports. I've been in airports where all the drag-alongs etc have been weighed and checked for size, yet my rucksack has not been mentioned!
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I think the general idea is that a rucksack is pretty soft around the edges and can usually be squashed a bit to fit in to an awkward space (such as a full overhead bin or under a seat) whereas most trolley bags cannot. Hence why a blind eye can occasionally be turned to rucksacks. I, personally have seen plenty of them being checked in though, so really it boils down to the airline/airport/agent.
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Interesting you should say that - I've only flown a couple of times since we moved to where Edinburgh is our local big airport, but my rucksack has been already been checked once. I'll see what happens in the next couple of months when I fly twice more.
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Quote:
It's normally cheaper to pay for your luggage online.
Perhaps I wasn't clear. I was referring to airlines who DO charge for checked baggage who will charge more at the airport than prepaid online.
It's normally cheaper to pay for your luggage online.
Depending on the airline of course. Yes, I know that even some of the legacy carriers have now also adopted the seperate charge policy but there are still plenty that continue to include a free checked bag allowance including, strangely enough, the original lowcost airline, Southwest.
Travelling alone or accompanied ie 1 bag per person?
46kg in the hold and 7kg on board kind of thing. never even got close before and have always taken two bags maximum.
Interesting about the 7kg overhead locker limit - I rarely see anything as light as that going up, in this part of the world (Middle East)