Originally Posted by
Dr. HFH
Well, this does raise an interesting (to me) point, and not limited to MX.
If you are told that you must check-in xx minutes before departure time, shouldn't it suffice if you present yourself at the ticket desk xx minutes prior to departure? Seems to me that the fact that there's a line at the ticket desk isn't your problem, it's the carrier's. Perhaps the carrier needs to increase the number of check-in desks, or the number of minutes you are required to arrive prior to departure or both. However, it's your job to get yourself to the airport when you're told to be there, and the carrier's job to have resources available as necessary to make the rest happen.
I'd be interested to hear both supporting and opposing opinions.
Check-in Deadlines mean you must be checked in by that time. It is your responsibility to leave enough time and plan for time waiting in line.
Think about what you're saying. If the check-in deadline was 90 minutes before departure and 150 passengers all showed up 90 minutes prior, they would never get the flight off in time in the case of this MX flight.
That is why MX recommends showing up three hours before. It is also one of the benefits of flying premium class or having status that enables one to use a priority check-in line. You can generally plan on arriving with less time to spare before the deadline, and sometimes the deadlines are shorter for premium cabins.
Pro-actively, the MX Station Manager should have been monitoring the lines and trying to arrange extra agents or have helped out to get as many pax checked in, but then again, these days there may not be incremental staff to call on and he/she may have had other Ops duties to perform.