Way back when, perhaps 1990, often you would buy an airline ticket and the boarding passes were attached. If it was a domestic flight and you weren't checking bags, you could go straight to the gate and board without ever seeing an agent.

I guess that stopped when they started asking you those security questions (have your bags been in your control), and when they began to check ID's of all passengers.

This past weekend, I flew AA and used their "web check in". And just like the old days, I went straight to the gate, never seeing an agent. The only difference was that they checked my id when boarding; but, of course, they check everyone's ID when boarding.

So I got to wondering, what's the point of checking in? Why do I have to go through the extra step of logging onto the AA website and clicking the checkin button?

It doesn't tell them I'm at the airport, the way in-person check-in does. Yes, I printed a boarding pass, but they never scanned the bar code at the gate reader, only typed in the seat number. Sure, it serves as a needed document to get thru security, but if that's all, why restrict it to 12 or 24 hours before the flight? Why can't I print whatever is needed when I ticket it?

Just wondering...

[edited for spelling]

[This message has been edited by swag (edited 06-04-2003).]