Recently, my mom attempted to check-in using a pre-paid check-in but the person at the counter said that they no longer accept paper passes and have to use the app. This was at ORD airport in Chicago at United. I was wondering if this was some sort of new policy? Is this just at ORD or at United?

My tech phobic mom has trouble with the self-service kiosk, but if the human line requires an app, that would be even worse. What would be the best way to avoid tech. during the check in process? What if we select "required assistance" when booking the ticket?

Thanks.

Welcome to FT, agmpower!
I typically use the self-service kiosks without difficulty, but there are normally agents in the kiosk area to assist passengers if they need help checking in there.

Are the curb facing luggage station same as the agent in the kiosk area? They do not appear to be skycap. They did help but required us to use the United smartphone app. Previously I just needed to print out the QR code for them. To scan but they said we now need to use the app. At the counter there was a QR code we can scan and an nfc panel to bring up the United app.

As this is specific to using UA to avoid tech, we'll move this to our UA forum.

~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk

Sorry, not entirely clear. Your mom had pre-paid for checked luggage? And she had checked in from home and had printed paper boarding passes? UA accepts printed BPs - they may discourage printing them at counters, but they sure are ‘accepted’. So what did UA refuse to do here? Where (what counter) was ‘what’ not accepted?

The whole event was puzzling. I had help her print a boarding past ahead of time and prepay for luggage checkin.

we arrive and there was a glass enclosure with a check in station by the curb. We got in line and hand over the luggage with an id and the printed pass with the QR code. In the past the rep would scan the QR code and check in the luggage. Instead the rep said paper passes are no longer accepted and point to a sign on the counter and that we need to use the app.

the counter had a QR code and a nfc. I touch her phone to the nfc and it launch her UA app. She did not know her login so we use guest mode on the app to authenticate and check in the luggage.

inside I call for wheel chair assistance. The rep arrived with the chair and asked for id and ticket. When she was presented with the paper pass the rep said this won�t do and went to a self serve kiosk and use our printed pass to generate an official printed pass.

The whole interaction didn�t make sense. Is this a new UA policy? New policy at ORD? New policy in general? I search on the UA site and didn�t find anything. Previously a paper pass and id was all that is needed.

Sounds like bag drop off shortcut area. Skip the Line and Check a Bag in a Minute or Less: United Debuts New 'Bag Drop Shortcut' Service - Mar 3, 2022

I think what this is referring to is that TSA no longer accepts home-printed BPs. You need either an airline-issued printed BP (kiosk or from GA), or use the airline's APP.

This is the first time I heard about the policy. I see a thread on this and appears to be apply inconsistently. Is this even on the tsa website?

There is a long thread on the flyer talk forum about this. Several poster pointed out that their home printed boarding pass was rejected and was told to go to a kiosk to print an official one, which was what the airline rep suggested. The post indicate that the policy appears to be apply inconsistently. Post about this is started in 2023.

To be safe, I will setup my mom�s airline app ahead of time and instruct her to print out a pass since she may mess up using the app.

UA print at home BP no longer accepted by TSA? Multiple airports? Mobile BP OK?

This seems like a bad idea. A lot of people like my mom is tech phobic and can barely use the self service kiosk. I notice that the UA app had problems logging in often. Would TSA accept passes in Apple or Google wallet?

I always use the BP in my Apple wallet. No problem at all.

so curbside check-in would not accept pre-paid luggage with an ID and printed BPs? That sounds wrong. Pretty sure that would have not been a problem desk-side. Whether the TSA is accepting home-printed BPs should not matter for a UA bag check

is there a difference with curbside? I am confused that they would implement different rules for different counters

Curbside check-in staff is often outsourced. Not sure about this specific case, but generally a common situation.

I recall that they used to be skycap but back then it was some person who gathered luggage at the curb and cart them inside. I thought they got rid of that years ago.

The chief reason the curb was used is because my mom is elderly and she wants to offload the luggage asap.

This. I have been told the same thing at EWR, and was first told months ago.