What does "check-in" mean nowadays?
 

It used to mean you handed over your ticket and luggage and in return received a boarding pass and a receipt. It used also to mean you were actually at the airport and there was a very high chance you would be taking the flight.

But now?

Most of the check-in is done by apps or software, even automated these days. This way, checked bags might just need to be "dropped". The legally relevant moment is when you pass the gate checkpoint, presenting your boarding pass. This is the moment your "flight" officially begins and when your ticket is considered to be used.

That's worth knowing, I suppose. And the significance of "dropping" bags had escaped me.

Make sure to label your bags before you drop them sometimes you have to print the label and attach it yourself,

Am I missing something here?

I never check in on line when taking a bag that needs to go in the hold as I have to check the bag in anyway and so don’t see the point of checking in on line.
Even if I “drop” the bag off I still have to queue up, and get a label for it.

So it takes no longer for me to check in at the airport and let them do it all for me.

depends on so much, what airline you’re on, the airport, where you are going, the time of day, the Passenger service agent you see.

for example I used to do bag drop for Virgin at LHR T3. If it was quiet and you come to me not checked in with a US passport going to the states, it’s quicker to check you in then explain/persuade you to go use a self self kiosk to checkin. At rush hour, a family of 5 with UK/Nigerian/china etc going to the states it takes so long with Visa/ESTA, covid, hotel address, next of kin etc to check you in I’d tell you to go use a kiosk. If you are nice and have little baggage I might let you jump the queue when you come back.

if the queue for bag drop is long and taking a long time, often it’s because people haven’t checked-in in advance and the agents are doing it for them which normally they shouldn’t be

It is true that Check-In can now mean anything the carrier wants it to mean.

It's true that checking in on line seems silly if you have to speak or drop a bag but I wonder if on overbooked flights those who have checked in on-line and printed their boarding passes are less likely to be bumped at the last minute.

If no-one volunteers for offloading, normally the passengers last to check in are offloaded, easy to know and your boarding card has your sequence number on it. Frequent flyer status, even entry level might help but not always.so many variables

but checking in last minute will risk getting a pick of the worst seats, and for groups sitting apart. Used to deal with it daily. Ironically checking in right at the last minute the economy cabin was sometimes full and then they’d get put into business. Just luck on the day

Hello V_2 and welcome to the cabin. Your feedback on this topic is appreciated. I am aware that it can be 'Last In = First Out' and since on-line check-in began, have always tried to do so as early as possible. Perhaps because I started travelling in the era of phoning the airline three days before to 'Confirm' your flight!

IF this is "thread drift", apologies in advance.....!! I have not flown on a airline since 2017.... No immediate plans to do so but would like to at some stage.
Does the fact I do not possess a "Smart" 'phone preclude me from flying?? If I did possess one, I would not have a clue what to do with it!! I have no interest in having one as I am not in the least "techie". If I decided to book a flight I would do it through a travel agent... What are my chances of being able to be a passenger again???

OH BTW, I can read and write and hopefully understand the King's English. Also possess a valid UK passport so please do not write me off completely....LOLOL !!!!

Tried to check in online with BA last week - total fail (site wouldn't move on). BA agent finally said "check in at the airport tomorrow", which I did, quicker & easier!

I used to use the smartphone app for the boarding card/pass until I realised "what if I was mugged, lost my phone or it ran out of battery or broke?" (Also applies to train tickets now as well). So I then bought a £5 second hand smartphone and just used it for tickets and boarding cards, downloading them via WiFi at home and so needing no SIM card or contract. But it's still a faff swioing it to wake it up, password etc. Now I've changed and check-in on-line on the computer and print the boarding cards and fast-track passes on a single sheet of paper. That way my phone is now my backup to my paper.
Air travel has become a nightmare and you need to learn all the tricks/rules regarding check-in, seat booking, baggage, hand baggage, forbidden items, liquids in small amounts in a sealable plastic bag (?) etc.
I fly every month so I've learned relatively quickly, but it's all domestic day trips so no bags and no passports.

Planemike. Not a problem. Just turn up with your case and documents. Allow a little more time than in the old days as there are now fewer check-in agents (saves money) as a fair number will go through the machines. If concerned about not having a physical ticket to hold - you might ask a [dare I say?] younger relative to print things out for you. I have worked in IT since I was in my mid-20s so am happy to do this but, I understand, Grandchildren do have their uses in these matters!! :ok:

And if you're flying with a LCC, Ryanair for example, then arriving at the airport without a previously printed boarding pass is definitely a bad idea.

Its far faster with paper - by the time you log in , unlock the phone , try and find the App or the Code, try and present it to the reader - which never works first time................

Some airports like Marrakech don't accept electronic boarding passes so you need to have them printed off before arrival or check in at the airport. If you don't have a smart phone, no problem. Log on to the airline's website, do what you need to do and print off the boarding pass. Stash with your passport and life's good. :)

One thing I found out, the printed boarding pass for the JFK-LHR leg did not have the terminal printed on it, whereas the app boarding pass did... And no, the 2 different folks checking our BP at the lounges did not twig that we were in the wrong terminal....

Thank you for the replies.......you have encouraged me no end!! I may yet live to fly another day...!! Just need to get my printer up & working again.!!!
BTW It could not be move different to my first flight, Blackbushe to Nairobi in November 1952. I was seven at the time, seem to recall Dad did most of the organising !!

Planemike
I fly quite a lot, but I can tell you I never ever get board of looking out of the window in what ever A/C I am in. There will be a day though, with either ill health or more likely insurance costs, when I will know longer will be able to do it, and I will miss it greatly. So grab the moment.

Cheers
Mr Mac

When I travel, even if I have the App and info on my phone - I still print out the details for several reasons.

1. It is true that your phone can seize up, fail to connect or just not provide the information at the critical moment.
2. When reaching an agent, it is far faster to slip the paper under the plastic face guard, or across the counter. Then they have all the info they need in one place and can read the particular items in the sequence they need. If you hold the phone - it may be too far away for them to see clearly. If you pass the phone to them, they may acciendtally touch the screen in such a way as the information vanishes.
3. When you have to ask anyone for information, or respond to a request from ground or cabin crew - it is much easier and faster to hand over the paper than put your hand case down and fish out your phone!

When I print my boarding pass at home, I sometimes tweak the key parts of the image to print on a 1/3 sheet of A4 180gsm, so that it is the shape, and almost the size, of a printed boarding pass. Some fellow pax have asked me how I do that.