Often1

1. These facts are different than what OP originally posted and may well wind up with him being denied IDB.

2. It all hinges on the time of check-in and whether UA by its own policies defines that as the time at which OP contacted UA to obtain a BP -- we call it OLCI -- or the time at which OP actually presented himself for a BP.

3. If it is the later time, OP might have been close to the counter at T-62, but may have missed the cut off because of the "shuffling." Again, under the DOT rule, UA gets to set the deadline and one has to be early enough to make it to the counter by the cut off.

4. If OP missed the T-60 cutoff, he is SOL under the DOT rule. It's that simple. UA won't blink on this because if it denied IDB when it owed it, UA faces penalties from DOT and also gets dinged in its public statistics.

So, all of this comes down to whether OP met the UA T-60. Period. If OP missed it, he can complain to UA and then to DOT, but UA won't budge and DOT will follow-up, but as soon as UA produces the record showing the T-59 check-in, DOT will simply let OP know he's SOL (perhaps in different language).

villox

I went looking for the specific language on United.com, and their wording is actually quite tricky and definitely in their favor.

http://goo.gl/38rMr

The key is this: "Check-in and baggage check completed:"

So it doesn't matter whether you present yourself prior to 60 minutes, it's whether or not the check-in is completed by T-60. Even if you take the wording from my previous link which says you have to "present your passport" even though you're actually checked-in, you can arguably say that your check-in is not yet completed.

Both of the posters in this thread who showed up with just 5 minutes to spare arguably weren't leaving enough time for paper shuffling or any computer-issues. You might have some success arguing with United if you ran into some 20 minute check-in snafu but showing up 5 minutes before cutoff probably won't win much argument and certainly won't get you IDB.

arcticbull

Don't get me wrong, I acknowledge that I would have arrived earlier had I known that my check-in was not complete and that I would be denied boarding by not showing up with my THIS IS NOT A BP. If you read both the email and the PDF, nowhere does it say that. The closest it says is "Your boarding passes should be printed by 60 minutes prior to departure" and suggestion that you arrive. It does not say anywhere that failure to meet this window will lead to off-boarding. In fact, it says in a number of places that check-in is complete (including on the website).

That said, I did arrive at desk at T-62, and even though there was just the one flight departing, and they all knew it, they refused to assist me until it was too late, and I'm 90% certain they closed early in order to accommodate two AC pax (which caused an oversell no less) based on what the second check-in agent told me.

I accept that I should have read further into what it means to have a THIS IS NOT A BP. That said, the email is absolutely unclear about my responsibilities regarding arrival at airport.

villox

If you can find wording on the website (like a printout) that show your checkin is "complete", using exactly the same wording they use about it needing to be completed by T-60, then I agree you have a case.

They need to update that "this is not a boarding pass" with "your checkin is not complete!!!" and language about the T-60. I agree this is too ambiguous for comfort for most people who think the system has actually done anything to check them in.

LilAbner

In 20 plus years of flying I have NEVER needed to argue with UAL or write to the DOT because of a CHECK-IN SNAFU. But then, I have NEVER expected the computers to remain unlocked while I'm standing in front of a ticket agent, all the while looking at my watch, which btw has not been synced to "Shares-Time". I guess I'm ol' fashioned, cause I get to the airport earlier than others apparently do, so it appears!

PV_Premier

this is very true and my experience also. however, to the OP, it is a bit asinine to get to a very busy airport like SFO only 65 minutes before departure for an international flight and expect to make the known 60 minute cutoff. even at the GS kiosks, there are regularly lines to wait to check in. T-75 is about all the excitement I can tolerate, even at SMF on the AM departures bank. SFO I'd be aiming for T-90 I think.

LilAbner

BY T-90 I'd would already have HIT the bar @ the U/C!

arcticbull

The only wording on the Not a BP PDF is:
"You will need to complete your check-in at an airport kiosk." and
"Your boarding passes should be printed at least 60 minutes before departure." -- not that they have to!

And the email says:
"Thank you for checking in at united.com." and
"Please note: Minimum required check-in and boarding times vary by airport. If you are not in the immediate boarding area at the required minimum time before departure, your reservations are subject to cancellation..." [again, it says you have to be at the boarding area, not the check-in desks].

Plus, I was there on time, at the check-in counter, if by the skin of my teeth...

Not to mention when I went back later, I was told the flight was oversold by 1, and that they closed the flight at 6:35 AFTER I showed up, and they added 2 pax re-accomodated from an AC flight creating an oversell by 1. So the flight was either not closed on my arrival, or they had closed it early to accommodate the AC pax.

villox

Check-in and boarding time are two different things and both referenced in the link I presented earlier. On the "not a BP" it says "You will need to complete your check-in at an airport kiosk" and if you look at the website it says check-in must be completed prior to T-60. Put these together and they have an out.

Then, there is also a 30 minute cutoff for when you need to be AT THE GATE. Both of these must be satisfied for you to get on the flight.

pinniped

Maybe I'm missing something here... Did the OP attempt to check-in at T-24 hours and get denied by the system because of something?

I have had this happen myself on United for international flights. It's frustrating and honestly a bit unsettling because there is never a coherent reason WHY I could not OLCI 24 hours ahead of time. When this happens, I get myself to the airport 2 to 2.5 hours in advance, perhaps more if I feel like there's a good reason to, knowing full well that the system may have kicked me out because I need to show a passport or visa to an actual human being in order to get my BP.

There's no way that I'd roll into SFO barely over an hour prior to an international flight that I was not already checked in on and expected to take.

If it comes down to he said/she said on 62 minutes vs. 59 minutes, I don't think you will win.

WineCountryUA

*** there are two different situations in this thread, posted within a few hours of each other -- the first posting which was at SFO and the second at Ottawa (YOW). The times are similar but different and the airports are different. Might be best to note which situation your are replying to.

UnitedFlyGuy

All the details are a moot point. T60, t62, who cares.

Fact of the matter is: arrive early for any flight. OP cut it close and learned the hard way. Lesson learned.

roberton

I something similar happen to me about ten or fifteen years ago: I wasn't checked in yet, I arrived at the airport a couple of minutes before the check-in deadline (though still with plenty of time to get on the plane), the flight was oversold, and the agent stalled until the check-in deadline passed and then told me I was too late. The problem is that there's no way to prove that you were there on time: it's your word against theirs. And the airline has a big incentive to say you weren't there on time.

Since then, anytime I'm not already checked in (which these days is quite rare, but still occasionally happens), I make a point of getting to the airport early.

Often1

Because IDB is governed by law, not a UA policy, there's no "out." Either OP completed check-in no later than T-60 or he didn't. Although OP doesn't expressly say so, it would appear that he didn't make it to the head of the line by T-60, so there's no IDB. Anything else is simply a CS gesture by UA.

Phoenixtinct

In terms of the SFO story, which started this thread, I don't agree with Often1 and the others that say this is NOT IDB. Clearly, the OP stated that an agent saw him/her arrive prior to the cutoff and thus, received an apology from the UA supervisor and a voucher. Therefore, I consider this to be an admission of IDB. United can clearly see that passengers were accommodated prior to the 60-minute cutoff (since the OP and the friend's seats were given away when they arrived), so it's obvious they jumped the gun. Now, whether accepting the $200 vouchers means they won't get anything else is another matter.

In terms of the Ottawa story, there things get tricky. No one saw the passenger arrive (or probably wouldn't admit to it) and when he/she was processed, it was beyond the cutoff point, so out of luck. The fact that the flight was closed at 6:35, which is after the poster admittedly made it to check-in area really means nothing as if it was after the cutoff point, the agents are not required to do anything. By denying boarding and adding 2 more displaced AC passengers resulting in an oversold situation by 1, United clearly showed they considered this late arrival. However, they did re-route to YYZ and promised a hotel, so I'm not sure any further compensation is warranted but I would give it a shot.

I have been in this situation many times over the past 6 months. As a non-US citizen (EU citizen), I always get the "This is Not a Boarding Pass" PDF in my e-mail. And even though I've gone through the Check In steps, I still see the Check In option on my reservation in the United app. Also, I didn't appear on the Upgrade list. Thus, I never thought this PDF meant I checked in. Unless I get an actual boarding pass, I won't consider myself checked in. And since I always check luggage when I fly to Europe, I try to get at the airport around hour-and-a-half before the flight despite having access to the much faster Premier line. I really hate this about United's OLCI because no other airline does that. I've flown LH, BA, US, etc. and I've always gotten a BP after going through OLCI. As a Premier Gold, I have my passport added to MP and it's valid until 2015 and thus far, it has been verified by United 4 times over the past year. What more could they possibly want? Unfortunately, this is the way their process works, so we have to work with it. Luckily, since I get lounge access, I can justify getting to the airport earlier and using it until boarding starts. In the past, when I didn't have status, I would always try to get to the airport as late as possible as I hated hanging out in the gate area.

Good Luck to both in getting everything resolved!