djk7

Are you traveling on business? I typically check in, print the BP to PDF, and email it to the customer I am working with that day and ask them to print it for me. I realize that in some situations this might seem less professional, but in most cases my customers are people who I have been working with for a long time and have a good relationship with.

AlanInDC

Well, just pay up -- it is only a few dollars. Would you really make a special trip to a public library or someplace else just to print a boarding pass and save $3?

sfo

Use the public library in the city you are in or a public library branch if not downtown. Have used them all over the USA, with little or no charge, you might have to take out a free library card for visitors but it only takes a minute to do so. The only place I was asked a fee was in ABQ. The only charge has been a few cents for the paper to print it. Also Kinkos, if you do it fast enough computer and printer for about $2.00

Mr H

Here's an idea - no idea whether it would work but my undying respect to anyone who tries it to find out:

Check in on-line
Get the BP showing on the screen
Take a high res digital photo of the BP
Prior to security open the photo on the camera and zoom in to the bar code
Let the goon swipe the code on the camera screen
Repeat for lounge access if appropriate (but substitute dragon for goon)
Prior to boarding zoom in on the flight and seat details
Offer to e-mail the photo at a later date to reconcile the gate stubs
Show the FA the image and be directed to your seat.

That would be truly a paperless ticket.

Aviatrix

Like many others here I always print to PDF - in fact until I read this thread it never occurred to me that people would check in online WITHOUT printing to PDF. Having a PDF not only means that you can print the hard copy at some other time, but also gives you backup in case you lose the hard copy and then find you need it to retro-claim miles.

Things obviously vary from country to country and from hotel to hotel, but here in Europe I have generally found that if I go to the reception desk with my USB stick they will be more than happy to print the file for me, free of charge.

On those occasions when I've not been able to print the BP I will just go to the airport without it. If I'm checking baggage they will print it at the bag drop - this has never been a problem. If I'm not checking baggage I will print it at the kiosk. With KLM (my usual carrier) this is now no longer a problem. It was in the early days, but now the message will just come up "You are already checked, select 'OK' to print your boarding pass".

Panamajon513

Not on AA - when I tried this 40 minutes before the flight they were gracious enough to print an 'escorted' boardingpass, the kind you get when you are walking an oldster or a youngster to their flight but not actually getting on; the computer and kiosk wouldn't print a new bp less than 45 minutes prior to the flight.

Made for an interesting trip through security, but the AAngels confirmed it with TSA and I made the flight with time to spare.

3rivers

This happened to me 2 weeks ago at JFK - we got to the airport VERY late - had done the online check in but BP would NOT print out at kiosk. Had to do the "escorted" BP - first time for everything.

Credit to AA personel they were VERY helpful and TSA seemed fully prepared - things went "suprisingly" smoothly. Made the flight with time to spare.

GrantParish

No need to print BP anymore for NW flights in certain markets:

From NWA site - https://www.nwa.com/checkin/eboarding/
Effective 5/28/08

Northwest Airlines now offers E-Boarding Passes in select markets. Customers using nwa.com check-in from a PC or mobile device can receive an electronic boarding pass on a mobile phone or PDA. Simply display the barcode at the security checkpoint and at the gate to board.

E-Boarding Pass is currently offered on Northwest operated non-stop flights from Atlanta, GA, Detroit, MI, Indianapolis, IN, Las Vegas, NV, Memphis, TN and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN to cities within the U.S and is available on hundreds of devices.

How to use: When using nwa.com check-in from your PC or mobile device, select the E-Boarding Pass option from the drop down on the "Completing your Check-in" page. Simply provide your mobile information when prompted and your E-Boarding Pass will be sent to your mobile device after you complete check-in.

To provide the best quality bar code and E-Boarding Pass, the following information will be required:

* Mobile service provider (not required for e-mail delivery)
* Mobile handset make
* Mobile handset model

This information can be saved on a computer for future use or will be automatically recognized when checking in on a mobile device.


At the airport:

* Have the barcode image available on the screen of your device when approaching the security checkpoint or boarding gate. Note: if the scanner cannot read your E-Boarding Pass, a paper boarding pass will be required.
* Ensure the entire barcode is visible on the screen of your device.
* Make certain the backlight is on when the barcode is being scanned.
* At the gate, hold your E-Boarding Pass on the scanner. The agent will advise when your E-Boarding Pass has been validated and you can board

oldpenny16

I have used this method at Marriott's and Hilton's as well. I have also asked that my BP's be printed at the client site.

Soon enough we will be able to have our BP's on our cell phones and this problem will be over.

JerryFF

For some airlines OLCI at T-24 can have a big affect on what seat you get. For example, with Southwest your boarding sequence is determined by when you checkin and with open seating, your boarding sequence determines your seat availability and also overhead bin space.

For Frontier, with their lowest fares you can pick seat assignments only at OLCI. The earlier you check in, the more availability there is for seat assignments. The same is true for AirTran if you have one of their lowest fare categories and don't pay the extra fee for advance seat assignments.

Athena53

I used to do that before I had pdf writer on my computer. You check in on-line, hit Print, nothing happens since you're not connected to a printer, but you're checked in. I was at a conference with my boss once when we were flying WN back home; I got in the A boarding group and he got in B because he waited till he could get to a printer. Still, I feel better with the pdfs of boarding passes on my hard drive.

divemistressofthedark

Hmmmm. If you *really* got sick of fooling with it, and had room in your bag for a printer a little larger than a cigar box...

Google "Canon IP100". I have the IP90V and love it.

ctuttle

If I can't print it out without paying I'll pick it up at the kiosk at the airport.

I was impressed with Continental's new boarding pass to your phone/pda option. Houston is one of the airports that allows you to do this. When you check in online it gives you an option to print to your phone, which gives you a link to an electronic boarding pass.

I just showed the page which had a barcode on my blackberry screen when entering TSA. They had a device which scanned it and then I went through security. I did tell the TSA person I had an electronic boarding pass on my blackberry. She acted like it was usual, and told me to put my blackberry with the rest of my things through the x-ray.

Worked like a charm, wish more airports allowed this. Of course this would involve the cost of the scanners at the security screening area, which I imagine the airlines have to pay.

Years ago American allowed you to just scan your frequent flyer card at the gate and a boarding pass would come out. Wonderful system, but I don't think many people used it as the gate agent would always tell me I had to have a boarding pass when I put my card in the slot at the gate. I think this combined with the boarding pass being required at security stopped this paperless sytem in its tracks.