Provide airline check-in/boarding pass for small fee.

Pinotlover -

Many of those things are already part of the deal on airlines in Europe and if you are not aware of them you can end up with a hefty fee for not having checked in online and/or having carry on luggage which is too heavy or large. So the message is - read the small print or the cheap flight might end up not quite so cheap!

When we were on the 10th anniversay cruise in Alaska with Mr Del Rio, he held a "town meeting" session. He asked for suggestions. I suggested, as a courtesy, that computer fees and printing fees be waived the day before disembarking when connecting to an airline to check in. For some, it might be the only time they use the computer, and it's a lot to ask for folks to pay the $3.95 setup fee, $0.99 per minute computer usage and a printing fee just to get a boarding pass.

 

Unfortunately I was laughed out of the meeting, to the point of embarrassment, that I would suggest such a trivial and old-fashioned thing. This thread is showing that I might not have been so far off base after all.

Don,

You were not off base at all. While Oceania is not "all inclusive" some of the trivial charges are an insult. I would argue charging to use the self service laundry is similarly ridiculous, but that is another thread..indeed a recent very passionate one. On the other hand, it is not productive to get upset about such charges and not worth the stress in my view, but you were completely appropriate in raising the point to Mr. Del Rio.

Ed

I believe the printing fee is there as a deterrent; otherwise some folks might print a torrent of stuff -- hard copies of the emails from home, etc., and reprint anything that didn't turn out perfectly, like they do at home. Any time you give something away, some people will find a way to abuse it. That's the only thing that would concern me about complimentary airline check-in. Same reason there is a launderette fee.

Agree 100% I have seen people on Regent conducting business via the internet and printing 200+ pages at a time. There needs to be some deterrent. It would be nice, however, if a person could print up to 10 pages at no charge.

I believe the printing fee is there as a deterrent; otherwise some folks might print a torrent of stuff -- hard copies of the emails from home, etc., and reprint anything that didn't turn out perfectly, like they do at home. Any time you give something away, some people will find a way to abuse it. That's the only thing that would concern me about complimentary airline check-in. Same reason there is a launderette fee.

Correct as usual, Don :D

Abuse is what killed the truly complimentary cleaning and pressing which once upon a time came with taking a Suite on Oceania-

Folks were insisting that the entire contents of suitcases be pressed as they arrived on the ship, and then again before departure.... :eek:

If you have a unlimited internet package the printing fee is waived.

 

 

 

 

I got charged for four pages for boarding passes on our Riviera Cruise although the printer did not work.

Another significant reason to ALWAYS check in on line even if you can't or don't print your tickets is to protect your seat on the plane. Airlines historically overbook and you can show up at the airport with a confirmed e-ticket and not get on the plane since people who fill all of the seats have checked in ahead of you. Delays getting to the airport can and do increase the likelihood of this occurring. Also, there is a minimum check in time before scheduled departure or your reserved seat will be released and you could be left standing while the plane departs.

This is why on line check-in is ESSENTIAL. If you wait until the airport to check in you run a significant risk of being bumped these days, or at least having your seat assignment summarily rearranged without your permission. Do not ever wait until the airport to check in if you can possibly avoid it. You don't need to print a boarding pass until you get to the airport.

On our most recent trip we checked in on line and printed our boarding passes for both the outward and inward flights. We also confirmed our seats. When we reached the airport there was no queue at all! This was with a very well known UK tour operator whose queues usually stretch quite a way. I considered that quite a bonus.

I can confirm that some budget airlines in Europe do charge you if you haven't checked in online and printed a pass, and heaven help you if you've bought lots of souvenirs and gone over your baggage allowance - but that's another thread.

I'm a big fan of online check in. You don't have to linger behind the folks who have to frisk themselves to find their passports :).

Since the disembarkment port is typically somewhere I want to visit also, I always stay over there at least a day if not more. Most all of the upscale hotels allows one to print their boarding passes, in the hotel, for no charge. Makes my life simpler. I do understand the problem for those that depart on disembarkment day. Another good reason to stay a day or so longer!

I got charged for four pages for boarding passes on our Riviera Cruise although the printer did not work.

You indicated above that the charge was $1.00/per page. Did you mean to say that it was $.25/per page and that you paid $1.00 for four pages?

I have found one more reason for checking in on line the day before flying....TSA PRECHECK. Let me explain. My wife and I completed 'Global Entry' (which includes TSA PRECHECK) two years ago. In the last two years we have made 9 flights. My boarding pass has printed out correctly with the PRECHECK shown. After my wife's first boarding pass printed out correctly, the next 8 occasions TSA PRECHECK was omitted. Yes I know PRE CHECK can be randomly omitted (the TSA and the airlines tell me) and the passenger must go through the long security lines ugh!.....but EIGHT consecutive times RANDOMIZED (my new word)...:rolleyes:

After loosing the argument that you can't be randomized every time, and after the first 5 occasions I started calling the airline as soon as I print the offending boarding pass and I have been successful 2 out of 3 times having my wife issued a PRECHECK boarding pass. An AA agent came up with the idea of resubmitting my wife's Global Entry number, her Social Security number and her birth date into their system, which he did and Wow! a correct boarding pass emerged. Why! he did not know and nor do I, but it worked.

We travel again in 3 weeks and I will print my boarding passes at home and see what happens...;)

UA's phone app now allows you to scan in your passport. We did this before our outbound flight to Zurich last month and then checked in. (We are Global Entry, too) We had our boarding passes on our phones. Did end up with paper ones when we checked our luggage at the airport because the Swiss air leg had to have seats changed - they had put us 6 rows apart.

The app also has an auto check-in feature for your return flight(s) if your first flight is United, so we were automatically checked-in for our return trip flights. Option is for the boarding pass(es) to go to your phone, email or allow you to print it at kisok at airport. Great feature.