"Your reservation requires special handling. Please check in at an airport kiosk"
Dec 25, 2013, 11:57 am
#31
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: Delta Diamond/ Hyatt top tier(lifetime)
Posts: 652
Just got this trying to check in for an international itinerary departing tomorrow. I'm a trusted traveler / Global Entry.
On OLCI, I got a prompt for TSA secure flight information (DOB, which ID was I going to use, known traveler number). This is weird because all this information is already in my reservation. On completing the form, I was given the "Your reservation requires special handling. Please check in at an airport kiosk."
Called UA, and of course they had no idea. The agent did say that a few people with international itineraries called in today with the same message, so it sounds like it's a system-wide issue with UA's TSA/DHS OLCI wiring. In the past on interline itineraries, I've been able to get through the check-in process and be sent a boarding pass that says "THIS IS NOT A BOARDING PASS." That didn't happen this time -- I was kicked out of the check-in process after the TSA secure flight info page.
Crossing my fingers that this doesn't lead to an "SSSS"!
On OLCI, I got a prompt for TSA secure flight information (DOB, which ID was I going to use, known traveler number). This is weird because all this information is already in my reservation. On completing the form, I was given the "Your reservation requires special handling. Please check in at an airport kiosk."
Called UA, and of course they had no idea. The agent did say that a few people with international itineraries called in today with the same message, so it sounds like it's a system-wide issue with UA's TSA/DHS OLCI wiring. In the past on interline itineraries, I've been able to get through the check-in process and be sent a boarding pass that says "THIS IS NOT A BOARDING PASS." That didn't happen this time -- I was kicked out of the check-in process after the TSA secure flight info page.
Crossing my fingers that this doesn't lead to an "SSSS"!
got this checking in today for a hop to AMS. Must be system-wide.. Im Global Entry also- Ill let you know if i hit any rough spots checking in tonight!
Dec 25, 2013, 2:58 pm
#33
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
Have a flight for tomorrow going to Costa Rica, and when I try to do OLCI I get a message that says:
Your reservation requires special handling. Please check in at an airport kiosk.
Am wondering if this is happening to more people, or if it's something about my profile on their new system.
Figured this might be an issue, but oh, well... Tomorrow I'll have to be patient then and go early enough to wade through "issues" at the airport.
Your reservation requires special handling. Please check in at an airport kiosk.
Am wondering if this is happening to more people, or if it's something about my profile on their new system.
Figured this might be an issue, but oh, well... Tomorrow I'll have to be patient then and go early enough to wade through "issues" at the airport.
Dec 26, 2013, 2:03 am
#34
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
I got that message when I tried to check in for SYD-SFO...I just signed out of my account, closed the browser, opened it, signed back in and was able to check in fine.
Dec 26, 2013, 3:16 am
#35
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 252
Update on my situation: it took the agent about 5 minutes to check me in at the airport. My current theory is that I was doing an EWR -> JFK connection on an award ticket, and that's fairly uncommon so naturally things are broken.
The EWR boarding pass they printed for me had pre-check, so nothing wrong with the trusted traveler portion of the checkin.
The EWR boarding pass they printed for me had pre-check, so nothing wrong with the trusted traveler portion of the checkin.
Dec 26, 2013, 3:27 am
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
Update on my situation: it took the agent about 5 minutes to check me in at the airport. My current theory is that I was doing an EWR -> JFK connection on an award ticket, and that's fairly uncommon so naturally things are broken.
The EWR boarding pass they printed for me had pre-check, so nothing wrong with the trusted traveler portion of the checkin.
The EWR boarding pass they printed for me had pre-check, so nothing wrong with the trusted traveler portion of the checkin.
Jan 24, 2014, 12:34 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: CVG
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Platinum
Posts: 361
A secondary UA MP account
For some reason, I am always unable to check in online for international United itineraries - it always spits out "special handling required, please see agent". This has happened every time I have flown international on United tickets (does not happen when I fly DL internationally). In the past, I had a different citizenship and I vaguely recall a United GA giving me the "special security/TSA/CBP/Redress" speech. I left it at that because I had one of "those" citizenship. Now that I have US, I thought it would have made life easier but not so on United.
Last weekend I flew to DUB and the check in agent took multiple calls and 20+ min to check me in. He asked me questions like TSA Redress Number which makes me think some of that "special security/TSA/CBP" crap is still somehow in my United profile and that prevents me from online check-ins etc.
Since this never happens when I fly DL, I have to imagine this is something specific to United.
So I was thinking of creating a new MP account (which would not have my old citizenship info in it but just my US one) and then linking all my upcoming international travels to this account. To keep my Premier benefit, I will see if I can do a status match to this new account since I am DL DM for 2014. If this works, I can just transfer my miles from the old account to the new one and then just close the old one out.
I have read the MP T&C and it says that while multiple accounts will be cancelled, flown miles will still be credit to the single account so its not like I would lose any miles (I think)
What do the experts say? Alternatively, if someone could tell me how to clean this "security" info from my United profile, that would be great as well.
And no, I dont get SSSS when travel so I cant really think its a true concern. With DL, I get TSA Pre but with UA, I dont (suspect because of this issue).
TIA
Last weekend I flew to DUB and the check in agent took multiple calls and 20+ min to check me in. He asked me questions like TSA Redress Number which makes me think some of that "special security/TSA/CBP" crap is still somehow in my United profile and that prevents me from online check-ins etc.
Since this never happens when I fly DL, I have to imagine this is something specific to United.
So I was thinking of creating a new MP account (which would not have my old citizenship info in it but just my US one) and then linking all my upcoming international travels to this account. To keep my Premier benefit, I will see if I can do a status match to this new account since I am DL DM for 2014. If this works, I can just transfer my miles from the old account to the new one and then just close the old one out.
I have read the MP T&C and it says that while multiple accounts will be cancelled, flown miles will still be credit to the single account so its not like I would lose any miles (I think)
What do the experts say? Alternatively, if someone could tell me how to clean this "security" info from my United profile, that would be great as well.
And no, I dont get SSSS when travel so I cant really think its a true concern. With DL, I get TSA Pre but with UA, I dont (suspect because of this issue).
TIA
Jan 24, 2014, 2:37 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: CVG
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Platinum
Posts: 361
Jan 24, 2014, 2:38 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,316
Well if you don't care about your miles in your current account I suppose there is nothing to prevent you from creating a new profile and account and rejoining...
Jul 25, 2014, 6:35 pm
#44
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: UA MileagePlus 2MM
Posts: 1,567
I had a message for my rather-complex MR itin, that said I couldn't use OLCI and had to see an agent at the airport. I called and the call center couldn't figure it out, they thought maybe it was a random screening thing, but they sent me over to web support, who also couldn't figure it out. I got to the airport, used the Easy Check-In... no problem. Who knows. Could have had something to do with being an MR and having just a 1hr connection at the return point? Maybe that flags you for special processing? But if so, there wasn't any, at least not at my check-in point. I did get some stares and questions down the road though. Fortunately, immigrations folk now seem to understand what a mileage run is.
Mar 2, 2017, 1:46 am
#45
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
I got this "special handling" message today while trying to do OLCI - any recent experiences as to meaning? I have seat assignments on flights that do not seem to be sold out (ICN-NRT-IAD).