After checking in online, how do I know whether I need to go show my passport at airport check-in?












4















Most airlines these days offer online checkin, complete with digital boarding passes downloaded to your phone. However, on international flights, you're often -- but not always -- required to go to airport check-in anyway, so they can scan/sight/confirm your passport and any necessary visas. This is separate from the final ticket vs ID check at the gate, and if you try to skip it, frantic paging before boarding starts will ensue.



So simple question: How do I know whether I need to detour to get my passport checked?










share|improve this question























  • When I check in online, if I need documents checked, I don't get a boarding pass— I get a notice that my documents need to be checked. Is your experience different?

    – choster
    2 hours ago











  • I suspect this will vary by airport and airline and possibly by departure terminal.

    – Michael Hampton
    2 hours ago











  • @choster Yes, on several occasions, most recently Singapore Airlines yesterday, I've received a boarding pass but still needed to go to the counter.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago











  • @MichaelHampton I suspect so too, but it'd be nice to have some guidelines if they exist.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago






  • 1





    If you've received a boarding pass then why do you believe you need to go to the check-in counter?

    – Doc
    2 hours ago
















4















Most airlines these days offer online checkin, complete with digital boarding passes downloaded to your phone. However, on international flights, you're often -- but not always -- required to go to airport check-in anyway, so they can scan/sight/confirm your passport and any necessary visas. This is separate from the final ticket vs ID check at the gate, and if you try to skip it, frantic paging before boarding starts will ensue.



So simple question: How do I know whether I need to detour to get my passport checked?










share|improve this question























  • When I check in online, if I need documents checked, I don't get a boarding pass— I get a notice that my documents need to be checked. Is your experience different?

    – choster
    2 hours ago











  • I suspect this will vary by airport and airline and possibly by departure terminal.

    – Michael Hampton
    2 hours ago











  • @choster Yes, on several occasions, most recently Singapore Airlines yesterday, I've received a boarding pass but still needed to go to the counter.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago











  • @MichaelHampton I suspect so too, but it'd be nice to have some guidelines if they exist.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago






  • 1





    If you've received a boarding pass then why do you believe you need to go to the check-in counter?

    – Doc
    2 hours ago














4












4








4








Most airlines these days offer online checkin, complete with digital boarding passes downloaded to your phone. However, on international flights, you're often -- but not always -- required to go to airport check-in anyway, so they can scan/sight/confirm your passport and any necessary visas. This is separate from the final ticket vs ID check at the gate, and if you try to skip it, frantic paging before boarding starts will ensue.



So simple question: How do I know whether I need to detour to get my passport checked?










share|improve this question














Most airlines these days offer online checkin, complete with digital boarding passes downloaded to your phone. However, on international flights, you're often -- but not always -- required to go to airport check-in anyway, so they can scan/sight/confirm your passport and any necessary visas. This is separate from the final ticket vs ID check at the gate, and if you try to skip it, frantic paging before boarding starts will ensue.



So simple question: How do I know whether I need to detour to get my passport checked?







passports paperwork airports check-in






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked 2 hours ago









jpatokaljpatokal

116k18361520




116k18361520













  • When I check in online, if I need documents checked, I don't get a boarding pass— I get a notice that my documents need to be checked. Is your experience different?

    – choster
    2 hours ago











  • I suspect this will vary by airport and airline and possibly by departure terminal.

    – Michael Hampton
    2 hours ago











  • @choster Yes, on several occasions, most recently Singapore Airlines yesterday, I've received a boarding pass but still needed to go to the counter.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago











  • @MichaelHampton I suspect so too, but it'd be nice to have some guidelines if they exist.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago






  • 1





    If you've received a boarding pass then why do you believe you need to go to the check-in counter?

    – Doc
    2 hours ago



















  • When I check in online, if I need documents checked, I don't get a boarding pass— I get a notice that my documents need to be checked. Is your experience different?

    – choster
    2 hours ago











  • I suspect this will vary by airport and airline and possibly by departure terminal.

    – Michael Hampton
    2 hours ago











  • @choster Yes, on several occasions, most recently Singapore Airlines yesterday, I've received a boarding pass but still needed to go to the counter.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago











  • @MichaelHampton I suspect so too, but it'd be nice to have some guidelines if they exist.

    – jpatokal
    2 hours ago






  • 1





    If you've received a boarding pass then why do you believe you need to go to the check-in counter?

    – Doc
    2 hours ago

















When I check in online, if I need documents checked, I don't get a boarding pass— I get a notice that my documents need to be checked. Is your experience different?

– choster
2 hours ago





When I check in online, if I need documents checked, I don't get a boarding pass— I get a notice that my documents need to be checked. Is your experience different?

– choster
2 hours ago













I suspect this will vary by airport and airline and possibly by departure terminal.

– Michael Hampton
2 hours ago





I suspect this will vary by airport and airline and possibly by departure terminal.

– Michael Hampton
2 hours ago













@choster Yes, on several occasions, most recently Singapore Airlines yesterday, I've received a boarding pass but still needed to go to the counter.

– jpatokal
2 hours ago





@choster Yes, on several occasions, most recently Singapore Airlines yesterday, I've received a boarding pass but still needed to go to the counter.

– jpatokal
2 hours ago













@MichaelHampton I suspect so too, but it'd be nice to have some guidelines if they exist.

– jpatokal
2 hours ago





@MichaelHampton I suspect so too, but it'd be nice to have some guidelines if they exist.

– jpatokal
2 hours ago




1




1





If you've received a boarding pass then why do you believe you need to go to the check-in counter?

– Doc
2 hours ago





If you've received a boarding pass then why do you believe you need to go to the check-in counter?

– Doc
2 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















3














If you have a boarding pass (whether that was obtained via online check-in or via a kiosk at the airport), then you can skip the check-in counter completely and head straight to security/immigration.



If there is a need for them to sight your passport (eg, to check you have the required visas) then one of two things will happen :



1) You will not be allowed to check-in online, or you will be allow check-in, but you will not be issued with a boarding pass. In these cases you'll need to go via the check-in counter at the airport before you can head to security/immigration.



2) They will check your passport/documents at or near the gate. This could occur either as you approach the gate area, before boarding commences by them calling you by name to the podium, or as you are boarding the flight.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1





    Ryanair will happily issue you a boarding pass but still require that you validate your passport before the flight, if you're not an EU citizen.

    – JonathanReez
    2 hours ago













  • I recently had my documents checked at the gate for a flight from the US to Canada (after online check-in with no checked luggage). For reasons we could not determine, but suspect had to do with eTA, my wife had hers checked twice.

    – phoog
    1 hour ago













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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









3














If you have a boarding pass (whether that was obtained via online check-in or via a kiosk at the airport), then you can skip the check-in counter completely and head straight to security/immigration.



If there is a need for them to sight your passport (eg, to check you have the required visas) then one of two things will happen :



1) You will not be allowed to check-in online, or you will be allow check-in, but you will not be issued with a boarding pass. In these cases you'll need to go via the check-in counter at the airport before you can head to security/immigration.



2) They will check your passport/documents at or near the gate. This could occur either as you approach the gate area, before boarding commences by them calling you by name to the podium, or as you are boarding the flight.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1





    Ryanair will happily issue you a boarding pass but still require that you validate your passport before the flight, if you're not an EU citizen.

    – JonathanReez
    2 hours ago













  • I recently had my documents checked at the gate for a flight from the US to Canada (after online check-in with no checked luggage). For reasons we could not determine, but suspect had to do with eTA, my wife had hers checked twice.

    – phoog
    1 hour ago


















3














If you have a boarding pass (whether that was obtained via online check-in or via a kiosk at the airport), then you can skip the check-in counter completely and head straight to security/immigration.



If there is a need for them to sight your passport (eg, to check you have the required visas) then one of two things will happen :



1) You will not be allowed to check-in online, or you will be allow check-in, but you will not be issued with a boarding pass. In these cases you'll need to go via the check-in counter at the airport before you can head to security/immigration.



2) They will check your passport/documents at or near the gate. This could occur either as you approach the gate area, before boarding commences by them calling you by name to the podium, or as you are boarding the flight.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1





    Ryanair will happily issue you a boarding pass but still require that you validate your passport before the flight, if you're not an EU citizen.

    – JonathanReez
    2 hours ago













  • I recently had my documents checked at the gate for a flight from the US to Canada (after online check-in with no checked luggage). For reasons we could not determine, but suspect had to do with eTA, my wife had hers checked twice.

    – phoog
    1 hour ago
















3












3








3







If you have a boarding pass (whether that was obtained via online check-in or via a kiosk at the airport), then you can skip the check-in counter completely and head straight to security/immigration.



If there is a need for them to sight your passport (eg, to check you have the required visas) then one of two things will happen :



1) You will not be allowed to check-in online, or you will be allow check-in, but you will not be issued with a boarding pass. In these cases you'll need to go via the check-in counter at the airport before you can head to security/immigration.



2) They will check your passport/documents at or near the gate. This could occur either as you approach the gate area, before boarding commences by them calling you by name to the podium, or as you are boarding the flight.






share|improve this answer













If you have a boarding pass (whether that was obtained via online check-in or via a kiosk at the airport), then you can skip the check-in counter completely and head straight to security/immigration.



If there is a need for them to sight your passport (eg, to check you have the required visas) then one of two things will happen :



1) You will not be allowed to check-in online, or you will be allow check-in, but you will not be issued with a boarding pass. In these cases you'll need to go via the check-in counter at the airport before you can head to security/immigration.



2) They will check your passport/documents at or near the gate. This could occur either as you approach the gate area, before boarding commences by them calling you by name to the podium, or as you are boarding the flight.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 2 hours ago









DocDoc

74.4k4174277




74.4k4174277








  • 1





    Ryanair will happily issue you a boarding pass but still require that you validate your passport before the flight, if you're not an EU citizen.

    – JonathanReez
    2 hours ago













  • I recently had my documents checked at the gate for a flight from the US to Canada (after online check-in with no checked luggage). For reasons we could not determine, but suspect had to do with eTA, my wife had hers checked twice.

    – phoog
    1 hour ago
















  • 1





    Ryanair will happily issue you a boarding pass but still require that you validate your passport before the flight, if you're not an EU citizen.

    – JonathanReez
    2 hours ago













  • I recently had my documents checked at the gate for a flight from the US to Canada (after online check-in with no checked luggage). For reasons we could not determine, but suspect had to do with eTA, my wife had hers checked twice.

    – phoog
    1 hour ago










1




1





Ryanair will happily issue you a boarding pass but still require that you validate your passport before the flight, if you're not an EU citizen.

– JonathanReez
2 hours ago







Ryanair will happily issue you a boarding pass but still require that you validate your passport before the flight, if you're not an EU citizen.

– JonathanReez
2 hours ago















I recently had my documents checked at the gate for a flight from the US to Canada (after online check-in with no checked luggage). For reasons we could not determine, but suspect had to do with eTA, my wife had hers checked twice.

– phoog
1 hour ago







I recently had my documents checked at the gate for a flight from the US to Canada (after online check-in with no checked luggage). For reasons we could not determine, but suspect had to do with eTA, my wife had hers checked twice.

– phoog
1 hour ago




















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