hiyo

I have award tickets SAN-LGA for tomorrow morning, my son and I on one PNR, my wife and her mother on another. Ticketed in December 2004.

When I attempted to check in online this morning, I got this message for both PNRs:

We are unable to locate an electronic ticket for this itinerary. Please return to your original place of purchase for assistance and return to united.com for check-in.

I called reservations and they said when this flight changed from a direct (stop in DEN) to two connecting flights, SAN-DEN and DEN-LGA, new tickets were not generated and the res agent was now locked out from generating new e-tickets, as it is within 24 hours of departure.

I am someone who checks my itins a lot, both online and by calling. I hate surprises like equipment changes that lose me my seat assignments. Well, now I know there is another thing to look out for.

It seems like a Catch-22, the problem was not apparent until under 24 hours to check-in and under 24 hours the res agent can't change anything.

I'm sure this is nothing new, but I missed it somehow. Live and learn. So, it's ticket counter check-in for a 6:20AM flight.

allisonflyer

On a flight a couple of weeks ago, Mr Chicken couldn't find my itinerary - I had a brief moment of panic, wondering if I had booked the wrong date for my return flight, but as it turns out, the ticket issued was a paper one, not an e-ticket. Strange, since I booked it on united.com (OAK-SYR-OAK), and the flight out was an e-ticket.

hiyo

As an update on this, the fourth time I called, I got an angel named Sasha, who said, "Oh, no problem, I will request a re-ticketing with a priority, and you should be able to check in online within an hour."

Done and done. ^

You all know the moral of this story.

UnitedFFinAsia

Whenever Mr. Chicken can't find the itinary it is always an Uh oh scenario. Usually, when you pick up the phone it gets sorted out quickly but it is those times it doesnt that can be really a big problem.
-UFFA

Sneezy

Mr. Chicken says this at the "EasyCheck-in: Check-in status" screen:
I'm flying IAD-DEN-LAX tomorrow morning and can't check in online.

I called the 1K line and the CSR said my e-ticket is just fine.

UncleJed

This doesn't sound at all like your problem, but twice now I've been unable to checkin either at the kiosk or online. Both times, my upgrade to C had cleared, but my Y seat was still listed in addition to the C seat. I've been told that I can call res and get this fixed, but haven't tried that yet.

This 'glitch' has only happened twice though, normally upgrades clear and the Y seat disappears.

qasr

It could be a number of things. SSSS would be one, it could be an upgrade clearing (as UncleJed pointed out, or an equipment change... etc. Basically, I have found that if anything changes to your res, that Easy Chicken online (and sometimes the kiosk) can't check you in.

You probably won't know until tomorrow--you could ask the check in agent and let us all know here!

CMK10

The last time this happened to me it was because I'd gone from a 757 to a 767-300, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.

Sneezy

The problem doesn't look the same as it did when I've gotten the SSSS, so I don't think that's what's going on.

It might be upgrades - they did clear in advance. Wonder of wonders.

Or it might be the way I booked the ticket using multi-city to get T fares to LA.

SoManyMiles-SoLittleTime

Last time to me: Dreaded SSSS.

Expect it, or use the Frequent Traveler Program (if you signed up for that).

Intrepid

I remain unconvinced that checking in at home has any advantage.
You can always get late to the airport for any number of unforeseen reasons.

someotherguy

That's precisely when checking in at home helps the most: get to the aiport a bit late with your home-printed boarding pass in hand and you can still try to make it to the gate in time. Get there late without, and the machines and staff at the airport will refuse to check you in for that flight because you are past the cutoff time--you'll be forced to standby for a later flight.

ff100

Happened to me last week. At the airport easy checkin gave me SSSS.

FlyahDrone

Those SSSS's are supposed to be random, but are there instances where you are more likely to hit one? Say, online checkin at the 23 hr mark versus when most people check in closer to departure, etc.

Keep thinking that if you checkin too early, there is less of a pool to grab from and the SSSS makes a beeline for the early birds.

Any sample of percentages in how or when you checkin.

l etoile

I tried to use online check-in for a flight tomorrow and got this message:

"We are unable to locate an electronic ticket for this itinerary. Please return to your original place of purchase for assistance and return to united.com for check-in."

A call to web support tells me it's because the itinerary was changed and the computer is "confused", but that I should have no prob checking in at the kiosk. I'm hearing: arrive at the airport very early because we don't know what's wrong with your ticket and an agent's going to have to futz with it.

Am I predicting correctly that this is likely to cause some hassles, or is it true that an itinerary change can leave me unable to check-in online, but should cause no problems at the kiosk?