Here's a newbie question...

How does curbside check-in work? Are they just like the ticket counters? ie, Do they issue you the boarding pass, processing upgrades, etc? Why use them? Aren't your luggage more at risk at being stolen?

Thanks.

It depends on the airport and the airline.

Generally they just check your baggage, letting you avoid the long lines at ticket counters and proceed directly to the gate to get your boarding pass there. They can be a big time saver. As for the risk of baggage being stolen, I would think it would be minimal. When flying on an E-ticket, I like curbside checkin for my bags and the E-ticket machines for boarding pass. Very quick process.

At IAH you can check bags and get boarding passes at curbside. They even check ID's. Now that ELTC upgrade certificates are almost over, I must admit that I have called and used an ELTC to upgrade and then checked in at curbside and they never have taken the certificate.

P.S. I wouldn't want the Catman to think bad of me, so I will not do this again. (I'm also out of ELTC certificates).

[This message has been edited by JAWS_II (edited 02-22-99).]

Jaws:

What a sport you are, ELTC's are no more in 7 days

I have used Curb Side check-in with DL, but it has its limitations. You can't check-in for international flights curb side and if your flight has been cancelled you get bounced to the check-in counter.

[This message has been edited by JayJ (edited 02-22-99).]

For UA, they just let you check your luggage and you can check in at the regular counter, gate or in the Red Carpet Club if you have a membership.

One warning, last month I was in Las Vegas and a guy had used curbside check in for his luggage. By the time he got to the gate to get his boarding passes, there weren't any confirmed seats left for him since the plane was very overbooked. His friends who had decided to go to the regular counter got confirmed seat assignments with no problem.

When to use curbside:
If you are non-elite and the regular check-in line is long.
If you have lots of heavy bags and no skycaps are around.

When NOT to use curbside:
If you are seeking an upgrade.
If you are changing your itinerary.

Curbside check-in is often handled by glorified skycaps, who may or may not have a firm grasp of the nuances of your particular travel habits and/or needs. In my experience, they have always been able to check bags, assign seats and produce boarding passes. Also, curbside check-people will expect a tip of either $1 or $2 per bag.

Have to admit... never used curbeside check-in. Always thought it could slow me down.

As PremEx on U-A: simply go to the shorter line and wait a few minutes to check in.

The Business trips: Simply go to the gate, no bags to check in.

Although the skycaps are somewhat aggressive at some airports like EWR and SFO> They approach me and say "Oh you can check in it." I simply say no thanks and go in.

I always wondered with all the bags there: could there be a risk that someone could walk off with a bag? Probably a very minor problem.

And OMNI for JAWS: IN the spirit of a good Parrothead: I could never ever think back of you. We're buddies right??? CATMAN

If you belong to an airline club...

I use curbside check in always if I am checking bags on UA. It is very fast and convienent to check bags and then return the rental car. They do not issue boarding passes and I can go straight to the RCC to get boarding passes (and at the RCC you will get to know the check in agents and often get free upgrades and other perks). I believe you should avoid the regular (even Premier lines) at the airport as they see many more people, hear many more complaints and are generally not as nice. Obviously, this works only in cities with a RCC.

And, NO curbside is not the reason my bags get misplaced. That is due to 5 minute connections at O'Hare.

As does auh2o, I often use curbside UA baggage check, then go to the RCC to get my boarding pass. It's lovely to be unencumbered as I stop in the bookstore and browse the shops (if there's time) and use the potty. However, I have learned it pays to make a quick detour INSIDE before using curbside baggage check to the monitor to ensure my flight is actually scheduled to depart more or less on soon (although usually not on time). During winter and almost always when one is flying to LAX, it's not unusual for flights to be canceled. I want to make sure my bags get on the same flight that's carrying me.

I like the curbside baggage guys at SFO/UA. They're fast, smart and don't take their tips (which they earn!) for granted.

At some airports, the curbside check-in has monitors outside which the skycaps reference. STL comes to mind as one that has them outside.

When I travel with lots of demo equipment I like dropping it off at curbside check in. Since the extra airport security hit about three/four years ago, now at major airports I am unable to leave the rental car long enough to move the boxes to the curb. What am I supposed to do? Drop it off on the curb to go return the car before I give it to someone?

Since I don't seem to get any cooperation from the security personnel, now I lug it out of the car, onto the rental shuttle, then out again to the skycap. A couple of the boxes are close to 70 lbs (just light enough to meet the airline weight cut-off).

It should be noted that the FAA does not allow curb-side check-in for international flights on any airline.

Very weird scenario - when you use Avis at IAD, if you're flying United, you can check your luggage (and I think actually check in) at the little Avis house - so you take the bus to the terminal sans luggage - I couldn't take advantage of it last time (was flying NW), but it would have been cool.

I just can't resist to repeat here one of the "guerilla" tips (how to beat the airline's system" from early FlyerTalk-Times (last year):

How to double park next to another unloading car beat the traffic-warden when double-parking:

1) park just before the crosswalk (also for traffic-wardens it seems natural, that cars stop before crosswalks)

2) than you and your driver leave the car: your driver unloads the luggage and you move in front of the car peering intently at the pavement

3) the driver complains to the traffic-warden: "that person is blocking my way"

4) you explain to the warden that you just lost your contact lenses

5) when your driver has finished his unloading-job, by miracle you have found the lenses.

Hey Rudi, that's nice but what if you travel alone?