Document check on a back-to-back - gate staff OK?
May 25, 2016, 3:35 am
#1
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Document check on a back-to-back - gate staff OK?
Just checked in for a back-to-back at PRG tomorrow morning, which I'm led to believe is a pretty foolproof location. However I'm being given this message on ba.com:
"Your passport and/or visa(s) must be checked at the airport
We are required by certain countries to check your travel documents before you fly. Please see a British Airways representative at the airport."
for the PRG-LHR leg (and LHR-LAX after). Am I safe to assume the staff at the gate are OK to do this? Better yet, would lounge staff at T3 be able to perform the check and make whatever change is required to the booking to let us board the return leg? It's not my first back to back but I've never had this message for BGO. It is my gf's first, though, and I've been telling her since I booked it that it'll be simple We are required by certain countries to check your travel documents before you fly. Please see a British Airways representative at the airport."
May 25, 2016, 4:02 am
#3
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If that is the case a seemingly sure b2b could become the next FT horror story...
May 25, 2016, 4:06 am
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Indeed. Incidentally people should remember that there is always a risk that one won't get their BP for the US if they are one of the random selectees for the day (all f us frequent BA flyers to the US have had that dubious honour at some point of other, and it can be on o/d or connecting itineraries alike).
If that is the case a seemingly sure b2b could become the next FT horror story...
If that is the case a seemingly sure b2b could become the next FT horror story...
May 25, 2016, 4:14 am
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- Try OLCI
- Try check in on the app
- May be worth phoning BA if 1 & 2 don't work just to check there is no obvious issue like it is awaiting a ticket re-issue
- If 1/2 don't work try ask the check in agent at LHR or the BA lounge staff to check you in for your XXX-LHR and issue a bp.
- If 3 doesn't work ask the BA staff to call XXX and check you in with the intention to collect your bp at the gate - although if you have time once checked in try downloading the bp on the app or at ba.com
- TO ONLY BE USED IN EXTREME CASES - if you are not checked in by the time you board your LHR-XXX ask the BA cc to call ahead to XXX and get you checked in, again you can collect your bp at the gate at XXX
May 25, 2016, 4:34 am
#6
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Thanks for the responses. Mind(s) now at ease 
(though not helped by the ESTA website telling my gf she didn't have a valid application, until we put the middle name in the "do not put your middle name in here" box...)
(though not helped by the ESTA website telling my gf she didn't have a valid application, until we put the middle name in the "do not put your middle name in here" box...)
May 25, 2016, 12:14 pm
#8
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I did a doc check at LHR for my SFO flight recently, before flying to OSL - still had to do doc check at OSL again for some reason... (Though I had BP)
May 28, 2016, 7:44 pm
#9
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Indeed. Incidentally people should remember that there is always a risk that one won't get their BP for the US if they are one of the random selectees for the day (all f us frequent BA flyers to the US have had that dubious honour at some point of other, and it can be on o/d or connecting itineraries alike).
If that is the case a seemingly sure b2b could become the next FT horror story...
If that is the case a seemingly sure b2b could become the next FT horror story...
May 29, 2016, 2:24 am
#10
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That's interesting. I know that the online BA.com boarding pass will still come out, it just prints the text in the middle section of the page. This is for FLY departing locations (i.e. pretty much everywhere from August 2016). If the App doesn't come out at all that would be very much a nuisance and actually I think we would have seen more reports here - was it an unusual ticket? So I wonder: if you had (e.g.) emailed the boarding pass to yourself, whether the App version would then have downloaded?
May 29, 2016, 2:24 am
#11
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Airports where arrivals and departures are mixed, and the gate can issue a BP?
The main thing is you need to be checked in - if that is done then yes you can get your bp at the gate. For a b2b you should go through the following:
- Try OLCI
- Try check in on the app
- May be worth phoning BA if 1 & 2 don't work just to check there is no obvious issue like it is awaiting a ticket re-issue
- If 1/2 don't work try ask the check in agent at LHR or the BA lounge staff to check you in for your XXX-LHR and issue a bp.
- If 3 doesn't work ask the BA staff to call XXX and check you in with the intention to collect your bp at the gate - although if you have time once checked in try downloading the bp on the app or at ba.com
- TO ONLY BE USED IN EXTREME CASES - if you are not checked in by the time you board your LHR-XXX ask the BA cc to call ahead to XXX and get you checked in, again you can collect your bp at the gate at XXX
So for minimum risk use an airport like SVG where arrivals and departures are mixed, and the gate can issue a BP. Can BA gate staff at all airports check you in and issue a BP?
May 29, 2016, 2:30 am
#12
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No, they can't.
It's not usually the equipment but it's sometimes the case that differently trained staff operate the gate from check-in. So the person on the gate simply doesn't know what to do.
Smaller airports such as SVG aren't a problem as you highlight, since it is invariably the same staff. So you may have 2 people on check-in, then at one hour before departure when the queue has typically gone, one person works their way over to the gate, followed by the other one after check-in has closed at T-45 minutes. But in larger airports you sometimes get the check-in staff fixed in place for the whole shift and another team of staff at the gate.
It's not usually the equipment but it's sometimes the case that differently trained staff operate the gate from check-in. So the person on the gate simply doesn't know what to do.
Smaller airports such as SVG aren't a problem as you highlight, since it is invariably the same staff. So you may have 2 people on check-in, then at one hour before departure when the queue has typically gone, one person works their way over to the gate, followed by the other one after check-in has closed at T-45 minutes. But in larger airports you sometimes get the check-in staff fixed in place for the whole shift and another team of staff at the gate.
May 29, 2016, 2:59 am
#13
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[QUOTE=gormless;26695702]That (not being able to get your boarding pass) happens to me often enough to be annoying, including on purely US domestic flights. As in one flight out of four.. which is why I signed up for Global Entry/PreCheck. No more hassles.[/]
Is this the same check as needing the passport scanned at the desk next to south security at t5? I just go there automatically bp or not as i rarely get a us bp - even with Ge. Typically i am transiting the us though. Am i being daft and wasting my time when i do get a bp (in the past the bp scanner at security would throw a hairy fit it i didn't get the pport scanned). I always wondered why there was never a queue at the desk...
Is this the same check as needing the passport scanned at the desk next to south security at t5? I just go there automatically bp or not as i rarely get a us bp - even with Ge. Typically i am transiting the us though. Am i being daft and wasting my time when i do get a bp (in the past the bp scanner at security would throw a hairy fit it i didn't get the pport scanned). I always wondered why there was never a queue at the desk...
May 29, 2016, 3:22 am
#14
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You probably do need to do this if going to the USA, but as FLY rolls out - it's already in place in EDI for example - if you print the boarding pass it will say if you need the check or not. And they can do it in EDI, the Gail ladies can help you there. DUB I think isn't yet FLY (?) but will be shortly, and should be able to do it, but typically they don't if you just pass by the gate and don't check-in.
May 29, 2016, 3:31 am
#15
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Thanks CWS, i've never noticed anything saying a scan is needed (i of course recall the dreaded SSSS, but not seen that in years), it will be a case of me not paying enough attention as ever. I'll keep wandering to the pport desk, no harm done for me!