airline tickets

Where do you go to print your airline tickets or do you not have to? If not what do you need to show them at check-in ? I'm new to all this so I would appreciate your answers. Thanks in advance!:D

It depends on the airline ....

But for most airlines, you can print your boarding passes from their website no earlier than 24 hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. If you aren't checking luggage, you can take that and go directly to security. If you are checking bags, you will see signs in the airport where you can do that (or use the skycaps outside).

If you prefer, you can check in at the airport at an automated kiosk (again - airline dependent) and check your bags and print your boarding passes there. Printing your boarding passes at home really only saves time if you have no bags to check.

If you are on an electronic ticket (E-ticket), there are only 2 things you need at the airport. 1) Govt. identification (and passport, if travelling internationally) and 2) the locator code for your reservation. That code is a 6 character identifier. Any other paper documentation is backup, and for your peace of mind.

Most airlines are moving to automated kiosk check-ins, and having your code speeds up the process of the machine finding your reservation. You can use a credit card or FF card, but punching in the locator works faster for most people.

As for printing out your boarding pass in advance, that has a couple of advantages: 1) You may have the opportunity to change seats and get a better location for you. 2) With many airlines at many cities, you can skip the check-in line and go directly to a station specifically dedicated to baggage check-in for people who have already done a web-check-in for themselves. You don't mention what airline or cities, but I can attest that NW, CO, and AS have special "stations" for bag drops in many places. Likely that others do as well.

Does Continental have those special "stations" to check in your baggage in Newark? I will try to do pre-check in prior to going to the airport.

thanks,

Joanne

Yes, CO does have the baggage drop stations at EWR. Go to one of the kiosks in the baggage drop areas, enter your confirmation number from your boarding pass (this will bring up the screen to check luggage / one of the options on the screen is "Have you checked in online & checknig bags?") and then just follow the prompts. The actual bag tags will be printed behind the counter and will be put on your luggage by a counter agent.

Be careful though which counter location you are at though as CO has them split up across 2 levels in Terminal C between domestic & international, coach & first/business class, suit cases in black vs. all other colors (OK, I made that last one up).

EWR can be busy though so just be certain that you are dropping of your luggage/checking in at the right location.

Also many of the kiosks allow you to reprint your boarding pass. I do this often when I'm on the road as I don't have access to a printer but do have access to the web. I can still check in 24 hrs prior, grab my choice seat, and then just get the physical boarding pass at the airport. Yes, it does add about one minute at the airport, but it's not a bad tradeoff I feel vs. not checking in until I get to the airport and who only knows what seats are left at that point.

Yes, CO does have the baggage drop stations at EWR. Go to one of the kiosks in the baggage drop areas, enter your confirmation number from your boarding pass (this will bring up the screen to check luggage / one of the options on the screen is "Have you checked in online & checknig bags?") and then just follow the prompts. The actual bag tags will be printed behind the counter and will be put on your luggage by a counter agent.

Be careful though which counter location you are at though as CO has them split up across 2 levels in Terminal C between domestic & international, coach & first/business class, suit cases in black vs. all other colors (OK, I made that last one up).

 

EWR can be busy though so just be certain that you are dropping of your luggage/checking in at the right location.

 

Also many of the kiosks allow you to reprint your boarding pass. I do this often when I'm on the road as I don't have access to a printer but do have access to the web. I can still check in 24 hrs prior, grab my choice seat, and then just get the physical boarding pass at the airport. Yes, it does add about one minute at the airport, but it's not a bad tradeoff I feel vs. not checking in until I get to the airport and who only knows what seats are left at that point.

Thanks a lot for your response. I knew that somebody would come through for me :)

Joanne