Online check-in cant cope with overnight connections?
Apr 28, 2019, 1:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,357
Online check-in cant cope with overnight connections?
Im currently partway through a SYD-BHE-SYD round trip ticket, with an overnight stop in each direction (CHC outbound and WLG on the return). The system recognises this as two journeys (SYD-CHC-WLG-BHE and BHE-WLG-SYD) but for each journey, online check-in will only work for the first sector. Waiting until less than 24hours before the departure of the final sector also didnt help, nor did waiting until the first sector was flown and then attempting to check in for the remaining sectors (the app shows those as check-in closed). Asking at the check-in desk in SYD, I was told that the system cant cope with connections of over 8 hours.
So Im now in the situation of having an early morning departure from WLG, travelling with cabin baggage only, where normally Id already be checked in and can breeze into the airport pretty late, but now have to physically check in before the cutoff. Have any of you experienced this? Any clever fixes or workarounds (other than booking separate tickets for overnights?). Im sure Ive had SYD-AKL-BHE overnight connections before that have worked with no problem.
So Im now in the situation of having an early morning departure from WLG, travelling with cabin baggage only, where normally Id already be checked in and can breeze into the airport pretty late, but now have to physically check in before the cutoff. Have any of you experienced this? Any clever fixes or workarounds (other than booking separate tickets for overnights?). Im sure Ive had SYD-AKL-BHE overnight connections before that have worked with no problem.
Apr 28, 2019, 2:20 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,146
Not really sure what the issue is though - I routinely only check in 60 mins before a TT flight at WLG. 10-15 mins to get through security and smartgate and then 15 mins in the lounge before boarding starts.
Why would you want to get to the airport any later than this?
Why would you want to get to the airport any later than this?
Apr 28, 2019, 2:27 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,357
Its more about not wanting to get caught out by a rigid cut-off time for check-in - agreed Id arrive about 1 hour prior if checked in online, but presumably check-in closes at T-60 so theres no margin for error there... which effectively means having to arrive earlier.
Not a huge deal, but still annoying - especially given that it used to work fine.
Out it interest, why dont you check in online, sbiddle?
Not a huge deal, but still annoying - especially given that it used to work fine.
Out it interest, why dont you check in online, sbiddle?
Apr 28, 2019, 2:42 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,652
It’s more about not wanting to get caught out by a rigid cut-off time for check-in - agreed I’d arrive about 1 hour prior if checked in online, but presumably check-in closes at T-60 so there’s no margin for error there... which effectively means having to arrive earlier.
Not a huge deal, but still annoying - especially given that it used to work fine.
Out it interest, why don’t you check in online, sbiddle?
Not a huge deal, but still annoying - especially given that it used to work fine.
Out it interest, why don’t you check in online, sbiddle?
Apr 28, 2019, 3:40 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Christchurch, NZ
Programs: NZ *E, QF Gold, Hertz President’s Circle, Accor Gold, PanPacific Platinum
Posts: 763
disagree, although the time spent 2-3 mins is annoying, I think of the numbers moving through security etc who have liquids in bags, laptops in bags so I get out of Dodge as fast as possible and sort things from airside
Apr 28, 2019, 5:27 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,146
Check-in doesn't close at T-60, it's closer to T-45 but can vary.
Apr 29, 2019, 3:15 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,357
Apr 29, 2019, 4:13 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,146
The thing with WLG is the queues at screening and smartgate are random - on Thursday I went from carpark to Koru in 8 1/2 mins. Last month it was just over 20 mins with security queues out to the exit and then a significant queue for the smartgate machines.
Apr 29, 2019, 5:37 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,357
In contrast, arriving into Sydney yesterday was pretty painful - ALL smart gates were down (remarkably it still only took about 20mins to get through immigration, despite being the busy morning period) and then there were signalling problems with the train so it took 45mins to get to Central. My plan to breeze into the office by around 9.30am went seriously awry...
On a random note, these days do FAs only hand out express arrival passes to Elites, not NZ*Gs in Y? It doesnt matter as they are virtually useless (in SYD, anyway) but I thought that was for golds too? (I assumed I hadnt been getting them because I was using VA or OZ for status, but am NZ*G again now and still no express pass).