novaguy30

I was at SNA last week with a ticket returning home on US. When I arrived at the airport, I called my travel agency w/ work and they could get me on a UA flight that would get me home an hour earlier. I noticed that it was 42 minutes before the flight and asked them (b/c I hadn't anticipated finishing my work earlier and not knowing the check-in time) if they had a 30 or 45 minute time. They said 45-minute and that they could not do anything for me. Right next to the UA desk is US, which has a sign for "30 minute" check-in. I spoke with the US agent and he told the UA agent that they have a 30 minute check-in time, which according to her was the first time she had ever heard of a 30-min. check-in for SNA. UA agent went on some rant about TSA and it's not UA (which I dont buy). Oh well, I just told her that she lost a probable Y-fare, not that UA really cares. I've been to other airports (big airports like IAD) where they allow people to check-in when it's 40-45ish minutes. SNA is a sandbox.

UAX_Brasilia

All (including IAD) require 45 minutes for checked baggage:

• Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
• Baltimore, Maryland (BWI)
• Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT)
• Chicago, Illinois, O'Hare (ORD)
• Denver, Colorado (DEN)
• Indianapolis, Indiana (IND)
• Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS)
• Los Angeles, California (LAX)
• Los Angeles/Ontario, California (ONT)
• New York, New York (JFK)
• Orlando, Florida (MCO)
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL)
• Phoenix, Arizona (PHX)
• Portland, Oregon (PDX)
• Reno, Nevada (RNO)
• Sacramento, California (SMF)
• San Jose, California (SJC)
• Santa Ana (Orange County), California (SNA)
• Seattle, Washington (SEA)
• San Francisco, California (SFO)
• Tampa, Florida (TPA)
• Washington DC Dulles (IAD)

novaguy30

The point is, I'm still waiting for a rational reason for UA to have 45 min. at SNA but US only requires 30 min.

czarina

Perhaps their rational reason is that they just have a different policy that US Airways at SNA. Period. Just cause US Airways is able or willing to institute a 30 cut-off doesn't mean that United is.

Or there could be no rational reason, and you'll have to live with the torture of never knowing.

There could also be other reasons: staffing, baggage tracking systems, equipment, volume, or the they just might want 45 minutes to be the cut off. Further, a 45-minute seems tobe the norm in my experiences.