Athena53

I'm posting this in the UA Forum even though the flight is on Air Canada since I booked the flight as an award on United and that may be the issue.

I'm taking an Air Canada nonstop from the US to Toronto tomorrow morning (Sunday). It's now within the 24-hour departure window and I can't check in on-line. UA provided the AC Booking Reference and said to check in with AC. The AC site accepts the booking reference and other info but says I cannot check in "at this time", with a boilerplate list of conditions under which I CAN check in on-line. All seem to apply. I've even created a profile on Air Canada and signed in but that doesn't help.

Any idea what else I can try? Fortunately the flight leaves around 10 AM so I won't have to get up insanely early to check in at the airport but it's just something Id rather do beforehand if I can.

Thanks.

transportprof

You really should be asking about this in the AC forum, because even though you have a booking made through UA, your reservation and check-in are accomplished through AC.

The AC reservation's software and OLCI procedures have their own tricks and the AC forum is the place to diagnose and solve your difficulty.

FWIW I have made several UA award bookings for AC and been able to OLCI on each one - following the AC procedures - which differ from UA's.

WineCountryUA

One thought, as this is an international flight and your travel documents for entry into Canada will need to be checked by AC before travel.

Athena53

Thanks- I'll repost on AC forum. It did occur to me that they might need a human to look at my passport- I know some airlines will let you store the info but I don;t see a way to do that in my AC profile.

To be continued on the AC forum.

WineCountryUA

Don't repost -- will move to the AC forum for you.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

canadiancow

There is going to be a document check at the airport for every passenger. That would not block you from checking in online.

You can even check in on AC when you have no ticket (it prints COUPON REQUIRED instead of a ticket number on the boarding pass).

There are very few situations where I've been unable to OLCI.

1. SSSS
2. Two segments departing the same airport within a 24 hour period on one PNR

I actually can't think of anything else.

margarita girl

If you have a connecting flight out of YYZ, AC won't let you check in until 24 hrs before your connecting flight. Only airline that does this that I'm aware of, thankfully.

Athena53

Ah, the dreaded SSSS! (Definitely no issues with your second possibility.) Never been subjected to it before but there's always a first time. I'm planning to get to the airport extra early anyway. Better pack more carefully than usual.

transportprof

Is it a one-way award ticket? If you don't have a return from Canada on the same PNR, that might trigger extra scrutiny. You'd be well advised to have your return booking available (if it's not already included on your PNR) when you check in.

canadiancow

That is certainly not consistent.

I routinely check in for things like SFO-YVR-YYZ 24 hours before SFO-YVR.

Athena53

Thanks- I think you just nailed it. I DO have a return flight but it's all on United. Same PNR as far as UA is concerned but it's likely AC's system doesn't have access to the return trip so it looks like a one-way. I printed out copies of my itinerary to take with me.

Thanks to everyone for their fast replies- I'm a bit of a control freak when it comes to travel logistics (at least the things I CAN control) and it's great to have a group with possible answers to arcane problems.

Will update here after (I hope) I arrive in Canada.

canadiancow

I book one ways on AC to countries where I'm required to have return/onward travel, and I've never been unable to OLCI.

transportprof

These days, Canadian carriers and ports of entry could be quite sensitive to one-way arrivals from the USA. Refugee claims and sanctuary seekers are being reported regularly in our news media.

Athena53

Yeah, I wondered about that. I have hard copies of the material from the professional society meeting I'm attending and will keep that with my other travel documents- the meeting start and end dates are consistent with my itinerary. Twenty years ago when I entered Bermuda I was asked at Immigration to show them my ticket back home; I may as well have that info handy when I enter Canada.

jc94

Actually I am regularly unable to check in because AC can't provide a working website (granted I only fly like 20 segments a year). This includes the app that tells me it can't compete checkin then said I was with airport confirmed. Likewise my parents 6 attempts over 11 hours (which finally worked, by which point most seats had gone).

I know this doesn't help much, but it may not be SSSS or other issues. Most of my flights are basic returns.