emcampbe

Had this happen to me departing YYZ- again! Not surprisingly, when I got to the counter, had the famous 4 letters on the bottom of my BP - SSSS. Despite TT number (have had Nexus since almost day 1).

This trip was last minute, and booked both directions separately as one way awards - outbound from the US the night before departure, the direction from YYZ a couple of days prior to departure.

Sick and tired of this - happens every 2-3 trips out of YYZ and under various circumstances - could be a one way or return half of round trip. Could be booked well in advance or last minute. My favorite is when I’m traveling with my family (wife and two young kids - all who have Nexus and its always just me) Never happens ex-US - only out of Canada.

I’m pretty sure CATSA just hates me (although to be fair - the extra check this time was pretty easy - the security folks actually told me what was happening (even though I am well-aware) - which isn’t normal, and even voluntarily gave me back my BP at the end (often have to ask - often multiple times). I’ll try and see if CATSA can investigate why this happens so often - though I’m pretty sure it won’t help. [/rant].

Barcky

On a UA trip in August 2019, travelling SNA-SFO-CDG with a CDG-ORD-SNA return, my wife and I (both with GE) got our normal TSApre boarding passes for the outbound legs. On the return I was able check in but my wife could not. She had SSSS for the CDG-ORD leg and the additional screening was done just after the security screening in T1. Upon arrival at ORD we asked to have her ORD-SNA boarding pass reprinted with (hopefully) the TSApre indication included. The agent at the transfer desk tried diligently but was unsuccessful.

On the other hand, last week I had SSSS for the LHR-SLC part of a return trip from London on DL and was successful in having my SLC-SNA pass reprinted with TSApre at the DL SLC transfer desk.

J S

Last month (January 2020), did OLCI for the return leg. Flight was UA from Europe to the US.
4 pax: 2 adults, 1 child, 1 lap infant
Received an email saying:

"Boarding documents for the following traveler(s) are included with this email:
[Adult 1]
[Child 1]
Boarding documents for the following traveler(s) are not included with this email. Please go to an airport check-in kiosk or see a United representative at the airport to receive these boarding documents:
[Adult 2]"

There was no mention of the lap child.

BUT, when I opened the attachment, there were all four boarding passes and all four worked perfectly at the airport. I thought was pretty odd.

aoumd

Flying from the USA to HND tomorrow. Since it's T-24 I tried to OLCI. We are flying with a lap baby, who is on the reservation. Also, between when I made the booking and now, my TSA Precheck was renewed (same KTN).

I provided all requested passport info/scans in the Travel Ready Center on the United app, and all travelers listed show travel ready (the lap baby is not listed in the list of travelers in the travel ready center, but is on the booking on the website and in the app).

Tried checking-in on the app, and when it gets to the page where it verifies passport info entered for all travelers, just keeps getting hung up on my passport. I will tap the box that my passport info is valid, and it will simply pop up the exact same screen again. Even if I try to select the option to not verify passport information now, it simply refreshes that same screen again and again. So I cannot advance through check-in on the app. It never asked for the lap baby's passport info, but notes I am traveling with the lap baby on the first screen of the check-in process.

Tried checking-in on the website, and made it past passport verification (again, never asked for the lap baby's passport info), all the way to the last page where you verify you are not bringing hazardous items, and clicked the "complete check-in" button. The next page tells me "You are not checked in" and then tells me that the reasons are (1) United does not have passport information for all travelers and (2) That not all travelers have valid TSA Precheck credentials. Checked TSA KTN lookup and my wife and I both have our KTNs valid through 2028, just renewed.

I see no reference on either the website or the app indicating that the lap baby is the reason we cannot complete check-in, I see no place in the Travel Ready Center to add the baby's passport info. The Travel Ready Center says we are all good, and the KTN site says we are all good.

Anyone else have experience with this? Any idea what is going on? I mean, I assume we'll need to get to the airport early to verify the baby's paperwork, check bags and the like, but is there a reason it won't let others on the booking OLCI? The baby is attached to my name on the booking, any idea why my wife and older son cannot check in?

Further compounding the issue: At check-in United is asking for volunteers to switch flights. I'm very worried that since we scored very affordable Saver Award seats a while ago and are nonstatus, if we are among the last to check-in that we might get bumped to another flight, or not be able to sit together despite having seats picked out since time of booking and still showing on reservation now. Is this a legitimate worry? We plan to get to the check-in counter 3+ hours before departure tomorrow morning.

Edit to add: 6yo son, wife and my dad, all on my confirmation/booking, were able to check in. So I guess whatever UA's app and website don't like, it has to do with myself and the lap baby.

lincolnjkc

I don't think it's likely that you have an issue that will prevent travel as long as you get to the airport with sufficient time and make sure all of your documentation for everyone in the party is in order (double check Timatic on UA's website for example)

Are any of the names anything unusual? (Spaces, hyphens, accents, ...)?

I have a hyphenated surname (e.g. SURNAME1-SURNAME2) I had a issue last month as a single-traveler adult to MAD where the clients travel agent booked the ticket and somehow botched it in such a way that in every tool I could see it looked exactly the same as every other UA trip I've ever booked (SURNAME1SURNAME2/LINCOLNMIDDLE) but UA's automated passport verification barfed all over it [as did CLEAR and Global Entry it later turned out] -- Agent On Demand has a option for document verification but after wasting 2 hours on hold the agent told me they couldn't actually verify any documents and I should get to the airport "extra early just in case there are any other problems with [my] reservation" -- not loving the sound of that and being close enough to the airport I just buzzed over the night before and an agent verified everything and printed a paper BP, though he did seem to have to do a substantial bit more typing than I'm used to (had I had my suitcase with me he would have tagged it too since the bag tag got printed but alas I was not that prepared)

WineCountryUA

Having seat assignments significant lowers this risk, as those without seat assignments and no status are generally the first to be selected if needed.

Also I frequently get that message & volunteer and in the end, no one is needed. It is a proactive move to meet the DOT requirement to have asked for volunteers prior to deny boarding.

Your plan sounds sound and would not worry.

aoumd

Thank you both WineCountryUA and Lincoln. Will be there 3+ hours early but also know not to worry too much! I’m guessing the issue is that United’s website and app are not set up to have lap babies included in the Travel Ready Center to accept documents. I get wanting pax with lap babies to check in at a counter, just wish they would clearly explain so during the OLCI process on the app/website!

emcampbe

So many carriers have hiccups with lap babies. Don’t even ask me about the time when we werent able to check in online with AC, then hit a ton of unexpected traffic on the way to YYZ, got there barely before check in deadline, and AC somehow had our lap infant listed down twice. Was shocked we were actually able to get checked in on the flight while they tried to sort that mess out. Also had problems with DL (they won’t allow, or at least didn’t) any reservation with a lap infant to check in via app, online or via kiosk - only by agent, and let’s just say some of their check in areas aren’t exactly designed to accommodate any non-status pax from using an agent!

UA is in general better than most, but I recall being able to check in on domestic itineraries no issues, but not being allowed to get mobile BPs. Pretty certain for international, they require verification of travel docs at airport - even if it’s just passport and no visa required. Interestingly enough, usually was able to get emailed [paper] BPs for parent that the lap infant wasn’t listed under, but the parent that the lap infant was attached to got the ‘this isn’t a boarding pass’ thing. This was all pre TRC, though.

suspect they just want to manually verify passport at the counter.