Missing a plane is a very annoying problem. Such a start can overshadow the entire upcoming vacation. But it is much more unpleasant to arrive at the airport when your plane is still at the gangway, and they do not let you in, saying that the check-in period has expired. What do you need to know to avoid such situations? How long does it take to check in for a plane? And what is this strange procedure called "check-in"? They say that now it can be done online, a few days before the flight. How to be and where to give luggage to those who "checked in" on the Internet? We will cover all these issues in our article.
What is air ticket registration
Passengers boarding a plane is fundamentally different from the placement of people in ground transport. The ticket only indicates the cabin class (business or economy), but not the seat. This is due to the fact that, depending on the filling of the cabin, passengers are distributed so that there is no load on any one part of the aircraft. Thus, places are indicated already atregistration. In addition, oversized luggage is taken from the passengers of the aircraft, which is transported not in the cabin, but in the cargo compartment of the liner. Quite often, airlines have weight restrictions on such suitcases and bags. Unaccompanied baggage is weighed at check-in, passengers are charged a surcharge for excess weight. The plane ticket is exchanged for a boarding pass. It indicates the time of boarding and the gate through which it will be carried out.
Registration process
As you can see, "check-in" is troublesome. Unaccompanied baggage must be loaded into carts and transferred to the cargo hold of the aircraft. And passengers should go through the inspection of personal belongings at the control point for flight safety. And for those who travel abroad, also check in with border guards and customs officers. So what do you need to do to check in for a plane without any hassle? Arriving at the airport, you will immediately see an electronic scoreboard, which lists all flights, their numbers, destinations. There is also the time of registration and the counter where this procedure is carried out. If you're flying business class, you don't have to queue. The airport clerk at the check-in desk can be approached by several people at once if they are flying together (families, friends). Thus, they are given places nearby. After checking in your oversized baggage and receiving your boarding pass, you can proceed to the security checkpoints.
Online registration
Sincethe Internet appeared, this service became available to advanced travelers. By checking-in electronically, you can not only avoid long queues, but also choose your favorite seat in the cabin. After all, there is a difference between how much the check-in for an airplane starts online and directly at the airport. Airlines compete to provide this kind of service. Aeroflot, for example, allows you to check in online twenty-four hours before departure. Pegasus - in seventy-two hours. And the air carrier Ryanair allows you to virtually “check in your luggage” and very realistically book a seat in the cabin even fifteen days before the expected departure. What should such a passenger do? Print out your boarding pass and present it with your passport at the airport. What to do with luggage? Leave it on the drop-off stand. If you didn't find one, then check in your suitcases without a queue at the place of registration of your flight.
When to arrive at the airport
Of course, you shouldn't run to the front desk right before the curtain. But it makes no sense to wait thoughtlessly in the departure hall for several hours until your flight is displayed on the electronic scoreboard. It is necessary to find a golden mean - that time period when the passage of all the necessary procedures will not be fraught with hassle. To do this, you need to know how much the check-in for the plane starts. It depends on several factors. First, from the airport. Secondly, on whether it is a domestic or international flight. AND,finally, from the carrier company itself. If passengers are forced to go through passport border control, then, of course, the check-in time for the plane increases by half an hour. For domestic flights, check-in is announced two hours before the start. And in international, respectively, two and a half hours before departure.
How long does it take to check in for a plane
But many passengers are more concerned about something else. After all, even if you arrived much earlier than the announcement of registration, you can wait for it. Although it will be somewhat boring - after all, there are no duty-free shops in the check-in hall. But it is much worse to arrive at the airport after the check-in desk is closed. Late passengers are no longer allowed on the plane. When does this time come? The answer to the question about closing check-in for a flight also depends on several factors. And, above all, from the airport. Usually, registration ends when passengers start boarding the ship. It is important that all travelers go through the “sleeve” or get to the gangway on special buses. On regular flights, you need to wait for passengers who have checked in but are stuck in duty free. Check-in usually closes forty minutes before the departure time indicated on the ticket.
Low-costs
Low cost carriers operate in a simpler mode. For cheap tickets, passengers receive spartan service and are forced to adhere to the extremely strict requirements of the companies. And it's not just about the lack of food on board. This is the weight limit.unaccompanied luggage, and the fact that seats in the cabin are taken up, as in a bus: whoever sits down first gets a seat. Low-cost flights are usually delayed, and they arrive late at their destination. But ticket prices are so attractive that you can put up with such inconveniences. So how long does registration for a low-cost plane end? It depends on the company. But usually this time varies within forty-five minutes before departure. The online check-in deadline is usually three (Pegasus) or four (Ranair) hours before the ticketed start.
Charter flights
These aircraft, chartered by travel companies to transport passengers on the specified route, have their own characteristics. Charters, like low-cost ones, have less comfortable seats in the cabin. But this is not the main inconvenience. Charter planes take off between scheduled flights. And if there is any failure, it is they who are detained. But charter passengers still need to be fully prepared for departure. Usually the ticket itself is handed over to the tourist a few days before departure - it does not matter that the ticket was paid for a long time ago. This flight cannot be canceled or rescheduled to a more convenient time for you. Information about how much the registration for the plane ends in is provided by the travel agent who sold the ticket.
Airport features
If the hub is small, with one or two lounges, then the time frame for the check-in procedure can be shifted closer to the departure time. But at big airportsa longer check-in for the aircraft is provided. Domodedovo announces check-in two hours in advance for domestic flights and two and a half or three hours in advance for international flights. Check-in closes 40 minutes before departure. The same time frames are set at Sheremetyevo. In the capital Vnukovo, check-in starts two hours and ends thirty to forty minutes before the flight.