sj oldfield

Mick has had to fly back to the UK, taking Jake with him as his brother is seriously ill.
So I am 'Home Alone' for the next 3 weeks, all over Easter and have been left to deal with the swimming pool imbeciles!!!

About 4pm last night I checked him in online, and changed both their plane seats.
We got to Perth Airport at 7pm for the 10.30pm Emirates flight and there must have been 200 people in the queue for check in.
Mick and Jake promptly joined the back.
I waited near the entrance when I noticed that next to the business and first class check in was another entrance marked "online check in'. There was not a single person standing there.
I called Mick and Jake over, they went straight to the desk and were checked in within 5 minutes!!!
All the other poor buggers were standing watching us as if to say 'who the bloodyhell are they?'

Has anyone else checked in online. Its bloody marvelous!!!
Just got to remember to check them in for the return flight!!

Hutch

Sorry to hear about the family probs, hope it all works out okay.

As to online check-in - yes - every time. Depending on the airline and whether you're a member of their frequent flyer club or not you can check-in 48 hours, three days, a week or even a month ahead of flying and bagsie your seats. Well worth it.

sasbear

Is this something that is open to all flights?? I am booked to fly next tueday with Emirates from Sydney.

Hutch

Yep - Emirates definitely do it - just go to the airline website. My parents-in-law just arrived from the UK with Emirates and they checked in online.

Muzza04

Yep, we are flying Emirates next week. Must remind the missus to check in online.

Thanks

Dorothy

Same today with my husband flying from ADL to PER. When we got to the airport I couldn't believe the line ups for Qantas! Then saw the online check in desk and headed straight to the front of the line. I'll never check in at the airport again.

sasbear

Thanks - will check this out later when I get home

themerlin

Yes I have done it a few times for local flights.
It lets you get on the plane without anybody checking your ID.

sj oldfield

Yeah definately go for it!!!
Mind you give it another couple of months, and the queue for online check in will be longer then the normal check in!!!!!!!!! LOL LOL

gedge

we were all set to do this with Virgin until they told us we couldn't as we were travelling with a bub so had to go through the normal channels
but it's a good service when you can use it

Hutch

Really? That's a bit off - if anyone would benefit from it, you'd have thought parents coping with a young kid would. We talking toddler or baby?

gedge

baby.. something to do with having to organise who gets the bulk head / bassinet seats.. fair enough i suppose

Hutch

Yea, suppose so, they're gold dust those seats in front of the bulk-head.

moneypenny20

yup because it's great having the galley behind the bassinet with the cabin staff crashing and banging and rushing past all the time - not to mention all the random odds using that spot for standing next to you to stretch their legs

worzel

I had 12 internal flights last year and did it for the last 8 of them (after Qantas introduced it). My trips were all short so I managed to cram anything I needed into a piece of carry on baggage which is when it is even better - go through security and then wait to board

Even with bags, there are express queues for dropping them off.

Best of all is choosing your seat. I found being new to their Frequent Flyer program I ended up at the back of the plane, near the smell of the loos and galley by default. So I changed my seat to an aisle one as near the front as possible with a good view of the tv screens (you can do it up to 24 hrs in advance and you should try and do it as soon as that window opens for the best seats). Oh, and I made sure I moved myself away from my boss-from-hell when we went together