– Why do airlines let passengers check-in online 24 hours beforehand? By checking in, shouldn’t they confirm a passenger is actually at the airport?
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And then there are times when your cell reception is ass or the wifi isnt cutting it at the airport. Unless something happens to you on the way to the airport, you’re pretty much accounted for.
The check-in is the final step before they issue you with a boarding pass. There is no reason you need to be in the airport for that.
Just like there is no need for a train service to confirm you are at the station when you are handed your ticket.
The airlines only need you to be at airport, with a valid pass, at their gate, at the time of boarding. How you spent your time before that moment is of no concern to them.
In fact, by not having you line up at the airport check-in counters for your boarding-pass, there is now one less delay to worry about between you arriving at the airport and making your way through the gauntlet to your final gate.
If you check in then miss the flight are you now sol?
Yet crappy companies like LOT have you online check in AND be in line for one hour to get your damn qr code.
Dont fly LOT
It’s just a matter of logistics at that point.
The airports can only be so large, and can only house so many terminals to process so many people at a time. Yes, checking in was initially intended to ensure the person boarding is who they say they are – But the multiple TSA checkpoints also accomplish that when forcing you to show ID and check your passport. (And yes, there is still a conundrum there thanks to TSA Bypass, a paid service to skip most of these lines or expedite them at minimum.) Eventually, the need for expedient service wins over the need for security – And that need for expedient service is best served prior to the customer’s arrival, rather than after.
There’s a battle being fought between the need for security, and how much tedium the populace is willing to put up with. It’s not clear exactly where the line should be drawn, but it’s clear we don’t have the right rules yet, despite mostly being complacent over them.
checking in your bag if you have one, or scanning the boarding pass at the entrance of the security queue seems good enough to know you are in the airport, in my experience theres like only 10-20 minutes between arriving at the airport and doing one of those things, if you had to physically check in it would be the same
Online checkin is great. Get to pick my seat the night before. Just show up, dump my one checked bag on the belt, breeze through security at my scheduled time, far less stress.
Online check-in is just a convenience tactic, not a security measure. Airlines use it to streamline processes and avoid long queues at the airport. It doesn’t guarantee a passenger’s presence; it’s more about managing logistics efficiently. Trusting passengers to confirm their presence online might seem naive, but it’s just another way to cut costs and keep operations smooth.
Online check-in benefits both passengers and airlines. It streamlines the process, reducing congestion at counters and allowing passengers to choose their seats early. Airlines can better manage their resources, predicting passenger load and allocating seats efficiently. Plus, it enhances customer experience, offering flexibility and convenience. From mobile boarding passes to real-time updates, technology revolutionizes air travel, making it smoother and more accessible. So, checking in online isn’t just about confirming presence—it’s about optimizing the entire journey.
what shits me is when they encourage you to check in online and then at the airport there’s no bag drop so you just have to queue to check in again.
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