FlyWorld

+1

Got an email this morning to check-in for international flight.

Try to check in, and they say I can check-in but I won't get a BP b/c they need to verify my documents. This, despite the fact I've flown already more than 200,000 international miles on the same passport with the same company over several years and, have done so on SHARES in the past multiple times as well.

So, what's the point of going through that check-in process?

Then, three hours later, they call me, and tell me to check in.

Sigh.

emcampbe

Do you mean agents can't print them either? That sounds strange. Funnily enough, (I mentioned this in another thread recently, too) I flew CVG-ORD-NRT-BKK in Dec, with the ORD-NRT on NH. Agents at check in(this one was from Eagle, who handles PMCO flights at CVG), was able to print BPs for the NH flight, but not for the last UA segment to BKK. Tried again at the Club in ORD, with the conclusion being the issue was that 881 is a through flight ORD-NRT-BKK, and because I was only on the second segment, it isn't able to print them. No big deal, as the tranfer desk in NRT had no trouble, but still...

As for the transfer instructions, depends on destination, at least with AC. If you are connecting in YYZ, for example, with your final destination domestic in Canada (or, connecting from International with a final in Canada/US), then you do indeed need to pick up your bags, go through customs, drop your bags again, and then reclear security, so that is indeed correct. However, you are correct that transferring at YYZ from transborder/international to a non-US international destination does not require baggage pick, or re-clearing security, as well as just a cursory immigration check (so long as you are connecting from a T1 flight to a T1 flight).

Mats

Yeah, the agent couldn't print them either. In each case, the flight had a United codeshare number, same PNR, no unusual routing, revenue business or first, etc.

The only snag is that one needs to present an onward boarding card for a connection in Canada. In both cases, the immigration agent was okay with a printed itinerary or "This is not a boarding pass."

Perhaps SHARES just prints "blanket" instructions for Frankfurt and Canada transfers. In my case, I was transferring in Toronto or Montréal to a transatlantic flight, so it would be incorrect for United to tell me to go looking for my baggage in Canada.

The T1/T1 connections in Toronto are really easy for eastbound transatlantic (it's even easier in Montréal), but United prints out complicated instructions.

star_world

There may well be certain circumstances where a Lufthansa boarding pass will not print, but I can assure you that it worked on an itinerary last week. Flying ORD-FRA-DUB, the agent at ORD handed us the ORD-FRA (UA) boarding pass and FRA-DUB (LH) one too.

So the capability certainly does exist.

qvzn

Are you talking about MUC when you say no lounges and no duty free? Once you get there, you should be able to check in and get a BP one way or another. Are you saying there's no way to check in up until an hour before your flight? There's no kiosk, UA desk is closed, and an LH transfer agent can't help you?

The agents at the lounge can see your PNR, and if you're supposed to have lounge access they might let you in even without a BP. They might even be able to check you in!

FLYINGCAGATOR

Well, there is no way to get around the system. My flight is tomorrow (SFO to EWR to DEL) so I went to SFO to check in this afternoon. The Kiosk recognized my passport but needed the agent to swipe her card, I showed my visa, then I was checked in and printed out my boarding passes. I was good to go.

Interesting thing was that since I requested the seat changes, I tried to use the same Kiosk again to print out the new boarding passes. It asked the agent to swipe the card again! You would think that once you already checked in, you checked in, as your documents were validated! After done with the second time, I went to another Kiosk, scanned my passport and went through the process without being asked again. Maybe even if you change seats, you may have to show your travel documents to get new boarding passes...

Hope this helps

PS. By the way, I got my upgrades. I guess the trip was worth it!

thomwithanh

First post-merger TATL UA flight coming up in about three weeks - trip originates at my little local airport (Binghamton, NY)... no upgrade list to worry about - I'm confirmed in BusinessFirst (I) on the IAD-LHR segment but after hearing about this incident I'm wondering if I should go the night before to complete the doc check and get my BP's early just to be on the safe side.

FlyWorld

As has been noted in other threads, you should not over-react. That incident is my incident, and I promise to you that every word I wrote in that thread is the truth, despite efforts of certain CO-flag-wavers to discredit me. That said, it is also true that this doesn't happen to everyone, and it doesn't happen all the time. So you need not assume it will happen to you.

If you are confirmed in (I), then this means you're traveling on an award, right? And, you have a seat?

If you were on the wait-list to upgrade, and if it's true (as I believe it is) that position on wait-list at T-24 is determined by check-in time, then, I'd suggest being very aggressive to get on that list as soon as possible.

However, if you have a confirmed and paid for seat, then that seat should generally be yours, unless there is a down-guage and they have to start picking people for a downgrade, which does happen, but is clearly not a daily event.

Some might suggest calling to check that all is OK, if you want to spend more time on the phone. I would be hesitant to do that, because if you allow another agent to touch your record, you also introduce risk of it going "pear shaped" in the process.

Since you are starting ahead of IAD, I am guessing that you are probably naturally checking in 4-6 hours before the IAD flight. With that, you should be fine. Just get to the airport 45 minutes earlier than normal to give them time to work through shares snafus. That's my advise. But, if you get screwed, I'm not responsible. ;-)

brazilianflyer

This is unacceptable. I am never able to check in online for my outbound flight, always get the message "This is not a boarding pass". Things always work well to my friend in the same PNR though. I have already had my passport scanned at the airport a number of times, talked to UA agents, but nobody is able to give me a reasonable answer. If this is random, as people say in some threads, I am in a very very very long string of bad luck. If this is a system glitch, I cannot imagine why UA hasn't figured it out yet. Sorry if my English is not good enough to express all my frustration right now.

mduell

If anyone knows, they aren't saying. The problem plagued COs systems for years before the merger and continues.

WineCountryUA

A couple of potential causes.

Are you traveling to a location the requires a visa?

Do you carry a USA passport? if not there will be an issue.

Either of the above appears to reliably cause the problem you are experiencing.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...e-checkin.html

brazilianflyer

I fly GRU-EWR, GRU-IAH or GRU-ORD most of the time. I don't carry a USA passport and I am required to have a visa to enter USA. This would be a reasonable explanation if my friend in the same PNR in those exact same conditions could not check in as well, but he can. All the time. Thanks for the link above, I will certainly read the entire thread.

thomwithanh

Exactly, confirmed BF award booked with US miles.

Indeed, I actually have a six hour layover at IAD (it was either that or 1hr45 and I don't want to chance a short layover, especially with Upstate New York weather this time of year). I'll just plan on getting to BGM a few minutes early in case anything goes awry.

FlyWorld

With those facts, I think you are fine on this level. No telling what other surprises they will throw at you.

thomwithanh

let's just hope there's no last minute equipment swap to a 763 or a 752, but as you correctly pointed out, down-gauges like that are not a daily occurance.

Didn't some of the TATL's out of IAD used to be operated with 744's? What happened to that - according to flight stats it seems like they're all pmUA 772's and 763's now.