US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Question re: using online checkin before clearing F

I still have questions about what happens if I have not yet cleared my upgrade to F, but opt to check-in 24 hrs prior to departure.

In the experience of those of you who have done so, will the system release F seats at that point on line? Or must we all still wait until airport checkin/gate to clear?

I am on a DCA-FLL leg next Wednesday that shows inventory: F4 G1. There are 2 of us travelling together (we're both US2s).

I'm just curious as to if we'll clear 24 hrs in advance if we are the first to checkin using the web. (i.e. will US begin to release F inventory at that point once G is gone?)

Many thanks --

If you are gold preferred you will know 72 hours in advance. If you still have not cleared after the window opens, you will not know until you are at the gate whether or not you will cleared for F Class.

Webcheckin early and often as it will help promote you on the airport check-in list. BUT web checkin will not clear you unless reservations has upgraded you

On a recent flight from LAS-PHL, I was not upgraded at the 7-day window. Looked online a couple of days before the flight and saw F1. Checked in online about 20 hours prior to the flight. I was the only one upgraded at the gate.

When I was upgraded, the gate agent asked me when I checked in and how. Told him I used web check in and he smiled and said that he's noticing more and more people do this in order to snag the upgrade if they are not upgraded at the 7/3/1 window. Good story, eh?

And one more thing...when I checked in online, I did not have a printer handy, but I did it anyway. When I got to the airport, I had to get an actual pass. This did not impact my check-in time.

Did you do that second check-in from a Gate Agent or a kiosk? I don't have a functioning printer, but would like to get the early timestamp from the online checkin. I figured they'd have a fit when I did online checkin but didn't have the printout when getting to the airport.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by StSebastian:
Did you do that second check-in from a Gate Agent or a kiosk? I don't have a functioning printer, but would like to get the early timestamp from the online checkin. I figured they'd have a fit when I did online checkin but didn't have the printout when getting to the airport.</font>

Along with the "no printer is handy" issue I've occasionally had it blow up between checking me in and getting to the point were it offers to print the BP. Leaving me checked in but paperless.

It doesn't matter. The only fit they seem to have is when you don't want to use the kiosk -- then you get the granny lecture about how easy to use it is... I just tell them that I don't like the flimsy paper http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

They sometimes do a double take when they see that I'm already checked in but never an objection.

I've checked in on-line without a printer many times, usually due to Web Checkin not being available all day when I'm at work and finally being available at the hotel. I had one agent joke that they had institued a surcharge for re-printing a BP (I told him that it wouldn't surprise me), but no one else has batted an eyelash at it.

I've never done web check-in before, but since I didn't clear the upgrade at the 3-day window, I'm going to try it on Sunday. I will not have access to a printer. Has anybody ever encountered any resistance from a check-in agent when they requested a boarding pass at the airport after checking in on the web?

I presume we can still check bags even if we do web check-in? Just request a baggage tag prior to turning our bags over to our friendly TSA agents?

You need a printer to use web checkin. Without a boarding pass you will not get past security.


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SS255:
I've never done web check-in before, but since I didn't clear the upgrade at the 3-day window, I'm going to try it on Sunday. I will not have access to a printer. Has anybody ever encountered any resistance from a check-in agent when they requested a boarding pass at the airport after checking in on the web?

I presume we can still check bags even if we do web check-in? Just request a baggage tag prior to turning our bags over to our friendly TSA agents?</font>

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by rd7242:
You need a printer to use web checkin. Without a boarding pass you will not get past security.
</font>

Web check-in isn't just about getting through security. It's also a powerful tool when positioning yourself in the upgrade queue.

Once you check-in that time sorts you within your elite category -- so using web check-in even without a printer has value to the flier without a confirmed upgrade.

If you don't have a printed BP that's ok -- just walk up to the ticket counter (or a kiosk) and check-in normally. They'll "re"-issue a BP to you. Occasionally they do a double take when they see that you've already checked in but the process is no different then losing your BP between flights or something. It does not, for instance, reset your official check-in time. You just get a new piece of paper.

Just another note to assure you that you do NOT need to have a printed BP when you arrive at the airport check-in. The agent will gladly reprint for you and the time stamp remains the same as the one you did up to 24 hours earlier. If you want to get through security, however, you will -- of course-- need a BP.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SS255:
[B]I've never done web check-in before, but since I didn't clear the upgrade at the 3-day window, I'm going to try it on Sunday. I will not have access to a printer. Has anybody ever encountered any resistance from a check-in agent when they requested a boarding pass at the airport after checking in on the web?
B]</font>

I've had lots of problems trying to check in on the web - maybe works half the time. If you check in online (or as often happens, partially check in) you can't use the kiosk, but the TAs have checked me in as if nothing was wrong. I've also had Club agents offer to reprint the bording pass because I usually crumple/nearly destroy my printed-at-home copy going through security. I don't think it's a big deal.

I've used web check in without a printer at times when I know I will be running very late, and want to get a descent seat e.g. on the shuttle. Again, the ticket agent can reprint the boarding pass.

Also sometimes when I use web check in at a hotel I will send the boarding pass to a fax printer in my laptop and fax the document(s) to the hotel. You can either do this through a connection to your corporate faxing software or even with Windows an an ordinary fax modem. I then present the fax bp at security and when boarding the plane and have never had a problem.

Has anyone though done web check in, and then gotten the kiosk to re-issue a boarding pass? The kiosk has been mentioned, but can anyone verify that the kiosk would re-issue the pass?

I don't know about the kiosk, but if you manage to get a successful web checkin done and you don't have a printer, you can go back later (say the next day) and go through the web checkin process again. It will recognize that you've already checked in and give you the option to reprint your boarding passes.

I've used this a couple of times - I can login from my laptop (from anywhere) at exactly 24h before departure and do the checkin, then print the boarding passes from work the next day.

I've tried to reprint via the kiosk all it will do is give you a receipt.

Thanks, everyone. I had no trouble getting a printed boarding pass at the airport. The only trouble I had was when I tried to check my parents in from my computer, it let my father check in, but it kicked me out when I tried to check my mother in. When we got to the airport, I stuck my DM card into the kiosk & it pulled up my parents' itinerary, which was on a totally different PNR. But that was also easily resolved at the airport.

I think the web check-in helped tremendously. F was full, but the friendly gate agent told me to "definitely check in with her before I boarded." I told her I was going to the club in the B concourse, and sure enough, about 15 minutes later she had the club page me to give me my new boarding pass.

Web check in worked great to put me higher on the upgrade list. I forgot to check in 24 hours ahead but managed to remember 12 hours ahead to try and switch from a middle seat to something better. Snagged a window near the front. I got to the airport and asked about an upgrade and was told there were 6 CPs for 2 seats but I was second. I was asked did you check in on line and was told that was smart to do. (thanks to my fellow cockroaches for the tips). I got my upgrade.