Varying check in times prior to flight...
Varying check in times prior to flight...
Easyjet allow me to check in and print my boarding pass weeks before my flight for both journey legs but others stick to the 24 hour rule to the second?
Is this entirely up to discretion of the airline how this is handled?
Is this entirely up to discretion of the airline how this is handled?
As far as I'm aware it's up to the airline.
Why the discrepancy? Again, I'm speculating a bit here but....
The reservations systems that most "leagcy" airline use go back to the 1960s which is why, when you see the native environment, they operate in purely upper case because they use 7 bit ASCII rathen that the 8-bit we see in PCs. Why did the designers do that? Lack or memory and desire for speed.
One of the other things the designers did back in the 1960s was delete dates as we know them. They rely on a day number with today always being the same day number, the system knows the actual date today and then calculates the date for a given segment. Instead of having to store ddmmyy (or mmyydd or some other variant) they simply store nnn. Expensive storage in those days.
The resulting check in systems only knew about "today" (being a 24 hr concept creeping forward every 1 second). There are a few workarounds to allow for long haul connecting to long haul so that somone leaving Singapore tonight, checking in last night can also check in for the flight from (say) London to New York before check is open to passengers departing London as their day becomes 24 hours before departure from London.
The systems used by easyJet, Ryanair and their ilk are more modern and stores dates "properly" so they don't have the same restriction.
Why the discrepancy? Again, I'm speculating a bit here but....
The reservations systems that most "leagcy" airline use go back to the 1960s which is why, when you see the native environment, they operate in purely upper case because they use 7 bit ASCII rathen that the 8-bit we see in PCs. Why did the designers do that? Lack or memory and desire for speed.
One of the other things the designers did back in the 1960s was delete dates as we know them. They rely on a day number with today always being the same day number, the system knows the actual date today and then calculates the date for a given segment. Instead of having to store ddmmyy (or mmyydd or some other variant) they simply store nnn. Expensive storage in those days.
The resulting check in systems only knew about "today" (being a 24 hr concept creeping forward every 1 second). There are a few workarounds to allow for long haul connecting to long haul so that somone leaving Singapore tonight, checking in last night can also check in for the flight from (say) London to New York before check is open to passengers departing London as their day becomes 24 hours before departure from London.
The systems used by easyJet, Ryanair and their ilk are more modern and stores dates "properly" so they don't have the same restriction.
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In addition Network airlines need to be able to manage connecting flights, including those onto other airlines (either codeshared or not). In order for the systems to work they need to follow the industry protocols that were set up some decades ago. (And changing them is subject to the lowest common denominator principle).
In practice I think the maximum is more like 39 or 40 hours, but that is for the departure of the final connecting flight from the time the transaction is initiated. For the first departing flight it is 23 or 24 hours.
The LCCs don't interline. They don't follow the industry protocols.
In practice I think the maximum is more like 39 or 40 hours, but that is for the departure of the final connecting flight from the time the transaction is initiated. For the first departing flight it is 23 or 24 hours.
The LCCs don't interline. They don't follow the industry protocols.
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Ignore the HUD,
How about the following suggestion.....
Legacy airlines have a very mixed fleet and there may be tech reasons for one to be substituted for another. The 24 hour restriction enables them to swap toys round without having the hassle of dealing with passengers moaning about seat-swaps.
Airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet have a more homogeneous fleet ... an A320 is an A320 ..... so you can choose your seat in advance and it doesn't matter what A320 you end up on.
With BA, you might for example book your flight on something that was originally scheduled to be a A320, but when that goes tech they might brush the dust off an old 737. Or BA might swap one 747 layout for another 747 layout.
How about the following suggestion.....
Legacy airlines have a very mixed fleet and there may be tech reasons for one to be substituted for another. The 24 hour restriction enables them to swap toys round without having the hassle of dealing with passengers moaning about seat-swaps.
Airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet have a more homogeneous fleet ... an A320 is an A320 ..... so you can choose your seat in advance and it doesn't matter what A320 you end up on.
With BA, you might for example book your flight on something that was originally scheduled to be a A320, but when that goes tech they might brush the dust off an old 737. Or BA might swap one 747 layout for another 747 layout.
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being more pessimistic. they LCC's let you do it weeks in advance hoping you lose it and show up at the airport without it and therefore having to pay a fine! whereas the legacy carriers don't charge for this, they would just issue you a boarding pass at the airport, so 24hrs so you don't lose it?
On line check in ia available 30 hrs before departure with KL, 48 hrs with CX. Any advances on this for a legacy carrier? You can select your seat in advance for free with KLM with any fare. Sadly that's becoming more of a rarity.
Obviously things are more complicated with a flexible ticket & multi-sector itineraries but I wonder why you can't check in a fortnight in advance with an advance purchase non refundable ticket.
Can someone tell me if you rights change once you have checked it? For example if the airline cancels your flight after you have checked in (which has happened to me) do you have more passenger rights than if you have a confirmed reservation but have not checked in?
Obviously things are more complicated with a flexible ticket & multi-sector itineraries but I wonder why you can't check in a fortnight in advance with an advance purchase non refundable ticket.
Can someone tell me if you rights change once you have checked it? For example if the airline cancels your flight after you have checked in (which has happened to me) do you have more passenger rights than if you have a confirmed reservation but have not checked in?
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Peter47
I can't speak for all of the various regulations. (Pity governments don't have an industry organisation where they can standardise all of their rules) but under Regulation 261/94, the EU Regulation denied boarding, cancellation or delay provisions would be the same regardless of your checked-in status.
Wonder why a checked-in passenger, who fails to show up at the gate on time, isn't required to pay the airline compensation?
I can't speak for all of the various regulations. (Pity governments don't have an industry organisation where they can standardise all of their rules) but under Regulation 261/94, the EU Regulation denied boarding, cancellation or delay provisions would be the same regardless of your checked-in status.
Wonder why a checked-in passenger, who fails to show up at the gate on time, isn't required to pay the airline compensation?
Breaking news (although maybe me having a whinge).
On Monday I checked in for BA 8762 24 hours beforehand & received a boarding pass. Being the old fashioned type who doesn't use a smartphone on short leisure trips abroad (I've heard horror stories about download charges) I missed an e-mail sent by BA four and a half hours prior to departure advising me of its cancellation. Nasty shock to arrive at the airport yesterday 65 minutes prior to departure and find it cancelled. Anyway an efficient check in agent at ZRH put me on another flight 70 minutes later so no big deal.
Passengers must frequently miss connections and their boarding cards have to be ripped up and rebooked on later flights all the time.
It does give me a sense of security having a boarding card.
On Monday I checked in for BA 8762 24 hours beforehand & received a boarding pass. Being the old fashioned type who doesn't use a smartphone on short leisure trips abroad (I've heard horror stories about download charges) I missed an e-mail sent by BA four and a half hours prior to departure advising me of its cancellation. Nasty shock to arrive at the airport yesterday 65 minutes prior to departure and find it cancelled. Anyway an efficient check in agent at ZRH put me on another flight 70 minutes later so no big deal.
Passengers must frequently miss connections and their boarding cards have to be ripped up and rebooked on later flights all the time.
It does give me a sense of security having a boarding card.
