'I can't check you in without your reference number'!
 

This is the frequent refrain at check-in desks, particularly with no-frills airlines. Once I politely enquired if it wasn't at all possible to check me in with just my passport for a domestic flight on a no-frills carrier, to which the answer was an emphatic no. Well a fortnight later there was a monster long queue at check-in and the staff were clearly trying to check people in as fast as possible. Did they ask for my reference number when I presented my passport? No - rather the lady was happy to confirm from presenting my passport that I had a pre-allocated seat and had booked for hold luggage.
I am more than happy to present my reference number at check-in, hence why I carry it every week. Yes, I appreciate it's probably easy to have a standard method of checking people in. Just don't see why the check-in staff had to tell a porkie-pie in the first instance.
Bit of a difference when travelling BA/BMI domestic and all I take is my FF card - no passport/drivers license/reference number required or asked for.

I am not too sure why it is essential to have the reference number, it is useful to have in case of problems.
In all the check-in systems that I have used you are able to pull up a passenger by name, no problem. If there are several passengers with the same name the reference number will speed up the process.
The reference number used to be preferable for the self-service machines, but in these days of APIS details being needed for nearly everywhere, your passport and flight number should be better.
Why the staff are so insistent on the number will either be because they have a system that doesn't work on names, or maybe you are encountering the few whose power-craze is giving the whole check-in community a bad name.

It depends on whether staff actually work for the airline or are contracted by ground service agents with a statement of requirements of what they are supposed to do.

The slightly different variety of this scenario that irritates me goes as follows

F3G arrives at check in (for multiple flights), hands over passport with eticket recipt in it

Agent hands back eticket receipt without looking at it and keeps passport

Agent then asks "where are you flying to?"

F3G replies politely with destination, but feels like saying "why didn't you read the ticket, dork?"

This must happen 3-4 times every month.

If you present to checkin in good time, with a confirmed reservation, and documents proving beyond a reasonable doubt your identity (passport), and they don't let you on because you don't know your reference, then surely that is "denied boarding". So airline gets to pay immediate compensation, give you your money back/transport you later after having looked after you until the later flight, plus any extra damages to cover losses and which you might claim in a court.

Scumbag - Nice idea, but I bet there's something in the small print which will mean you haven't got a leg to stand on.

If this happened to me I would scream, "I am not a number, I am a free man!!" and be carted off to a secure place gibbering.....:}

Scumbag

Interestingly enough, easyJet carriers regs say "Passengers must be able to quote their booking reference."

Ryanair now have online check in, so presumably if you turned up and said you had lost your BP, they would be quite happy to trace your reservation and reissue for 40€ or whatever they charge.

I know that secutiy and also immigration occasionally check tickets (it has happended to me a very few times), so personally I always print and carry a copy of the etkt receipt with me.

I prefer to have as few bits of paper as possible with me so I sometimes write reference numbers in my diary.

When I quoted one to an officious Servisair check in agent at LGW he said he needed to see it in writing, I just thought he'd misheard me, so I handed my diary across to him so he could read it. He thought I was trying to be funny, in fact I wasn't, and said he meant he needed to see the print out. When I told him I didn't have one he puffed himself up like a fat little toad and told me he 'had the right' (I think he actually said : "I am empowered") to deny me boarding.

"Go ahead, this will be interesting" I said and stood there. 'Just this once ....' he let me through. I took it up with the Servisair senior agent on duty who said that he was 'possibly being excessively rigorous.'

Had the same "problem" at Malaga recently...

Thomas Cook flight...."where is your reference number and print out" barked out by some English woman - I assume being a Thomas Cook Rep standing beside the check in desk while the Spanish lovely behind the desk actually continued to process the boarding card while checking my passport.

Naturally a few strong words was given to the "rep" and boarding card issued with a rather sympathetic smile from Spanish check in girl. Jobsworth Thomas Cook - and rubbish flight to!

Nivsy

Airline small print is often, maybe even usually, worthless. If they won't let you on solely because you cannot give them your reference then I reckon compensation and everything that goes with it is due.

The reason you are asked to quote the reference number is for identification. The airport I work at has flights perated by bmi and flybe and you would be amazed how many people do not know the difference.
There are some routes that both airlines fly and there have been a number of occassions when passengers with the same name were booked to same destination and have gone to the wrong airline counter, therefore the only sure way is to ask for the booking reference to ensure the correct passenger travels with the airline they have paid their money to.
F3G
In the days of paper tickets the information was printed on the coupons in the same format no matter where the ticket was issued, you coild glance at the coupon and within seconds have the information needed to begin the check-in process. With the introduction of e-tkts every printout is in a different format and it is often easier & quicker to ask the passenger where they are flying to rather than wade through pages of hotel,carhire,weather forecast info etc,etc before you get to the flight details.

frontcheck: A very informative (and polite) response.

frontcheck

Whilst appreciating the tone of your mail, the irony of it is that the potential flaw in your para 1 is exactly what I am describing.

The check in agent is removing a layer of scrutiny, by using my name to check me in, not the PNR/locator.

As to para two, when I say e-ticket receipt, I mean the eticket receipt from the Amadeus or Sabre GDS, not some waffling 20 page print out from Expodobookers.

Sorry, from my perspective, it just looks someone working around the process.

At Paris, last year, the check in agent asked me whether I would like a window or aisle seat and I said I had 1F pre-reserved. "But that is in business class" she replied, looking rather surprised.

I refered her to the eticket receipt that she had not looked at, to confirm that it was a 'D' class ticket and then I got my seat - but it does make one wonder what reservation she was viewing.

Perhaps you are saying that you ask for the destination and then check the reference #, if so, that seems sensible.

These "waffling 20 page print out from Expodobookers" things are a menace for a number of reasons, but some online travel agencies do not provide, or make it hard to access, the official ITR from the GDS. This can be for a multitude of reasons but is often simply to hide the fare details from the passengers. I know that IT/BT, nett remit fares, and so on, do not show the fare paid on the pax coupon, but the reality is that there are a number of things going on in the industry whereby the agent does not want the client to see the fare, or it is simply that the ticketing parameters have not been correctly set up.

Good point from F3G, and it should be obligatory for all OLTAs to provide the ITR from the GDS or CRS.

Frontcheck, you are absolutely right.
I suspect that some of the other posters have never been behind a check-in desk in their lives.
They should stick to flying the things where they can use as many acronyms as they like!!
"PNR"s, "Locators" etc, what a load of tosh. All I want to do is get you from A to B with the least possible hassle. It is much easier to ask you where you are flying to rather than plough through piles of paper to look for a reference number.
With regards to different airlines going to the same destination, one should surely know who one is flying with! Although, on second thoughts, that may be an assumption too far I suspect!!
:ugh:

I always assume I am given a reference number for a reason. Therefore I am prepared to pruduce it, without complaint and readily for whichever *member of staff* who might wish to see it.
Then, I say to myself....'That didn't hurt, did it'! :ok:

Malone

I am pleased to nominate you for the "oxymoron of the year award" :}:}:}:}:}

Thank-you kindly!!
I am afraid that my speech will not be long as I was not expecting such a prestigious award.
:)

You haven't won it, yet.

I'm sure that someone else will be along to snatch it from your hands ;)

Some folk can't even manage to get to the correct terminal where an airline flies from two at the same airport.

Gatwick North last year, Easyjet fly from both North (Ex GB routes) & South
Couple checking in at north (after having been stood next to a large sign explaining which terminal to check in dependant upon flight number, and no doubt with South Terminal printed on their voucher) were rather shocked to find they were at the wrong terminal and had little time left to get to south to check in correctly!!!!!

As for the reference number some have asked for it, some want to see the voucher, some are happy with the passports only! Depends on the airline, the Airport (handling agent or airline staff) and I suspect the experience/helpfulness of the actual person on check in.