Airport Check-in Online

When Mark Hooper heads to the airport, he doesn't wait in the long lines to check-in. He heads straight for the security checkpoint. How does he do it? Our travel expert, Janet Libert with SkyGuide GO magazine tells us how.
Check-In Early
Mark is a veteran business traveler, "I travel virtually every week throughout the country as part of the job," he says. With all that traveling, Mark was excited when he found a way to minimize his time at the airport. In an effort to cut costs, many airlines have automated their check in system earlier this year, says Libert. That means you can now check-in for your flight from anywhere you have access to the Internet.
"It will speed the customer through the airport," Libert says. You can go straight from the curb right to the security checkpoint, and then on to your gate without any extra hassles. How it Works
Before you can use the early check-in feature, Libert says you must have a mileage account and pin code with that airline. The good news, Libert says many times you can join frequent flyer programs at no cost and still reap the benefit of early check-in. First, Libert says you need to log on to the airline's website and look for the check-in page. You will have to sign in using your frequent flyer number and pin code. The site will then pull up your itinerary. You will then be prompted to print your boarding pass. Just click print, and you'll have your boarding pass in your hands before you've even left home! When Can I Check-In?

"The earliest you can check-in for most airlines is twenty four hours," Libert says. Check-in times can vary across airlines, so Libert suggests checking the airline's policies on their website. If you're a procrastinator, Libert says airlines may let you check in up to an hour before your flight leaves. Some airlines even push the limit to thirty minutes before your flight leaves. Check with the airline to make sure you don't miss the cut off.
Printing Pointers

There are some important things to keep in mind when you are printing your boarding pass, says Libert. "You want to make sure…you can get the whole pass on one 8x11 sheet paper," she points out. Make sure you have the entire barcode printed on the pass, Libert warns. That barcode is scanned just as a regular boarding pass is before you get on the plane. Baggage

Libert says traveling with luggage that needs to be checked is not a problem. "Bring your luggage and your boarding pass to the curbside check-in and they'll check your bags," she says. Then you can head straight to the security point. Security

Libert says that when you get to the security checkpoint, make sure you have your identification ready in addition to your boarding pass. Since your identity hasn't been verified by anyone at the airport, they take care of that at security. "I simply present that piece of paper at security check-in, show my ID, and I'm on my way," Mark says.

Losing it

Traveling can get a little hectic, so if you lose your boarding pass somewhere between your home or hotel and the airport, Libert says the problem is easily solved. "Just go to the gate agent… and they'll replace it for you," she says.
Did You Know?
Flight delays cost airlines a total of more than $3 billion per year, according to the Department of Transportation. Unfortunately, you're the one that's left waiting for hours at the airport.To cut that time waiting for your flight, Libert says you can go online to the airline's websites to check the status of your flight. If you see that it's late, you can wait at home instead of at the gate.
You can also check the status of your scheduled flight by calling a day or two before your flight to reconfirm your reservation. Flight schedules sometimes change, so it's wise to double-check. However, most cancellations happen the day of the flight.

One more place to check, is the Federal Aviation Administration website. Click here for your airline update, plus other airline information.

Cutting Your Time at the Airport Here are a few more tips that will help you spend less time at the airport:

Departure Time

· An early day-departure is less likely to be delayed than a later flight, due to "ripple" effects throughout the day
· The last flight could be scrapped leaving you stranded you overnight

Catch your Connections

When you're booking a flight where you have to catch a connecting flight, you should pick a smaller airport. Smaller airports:
· Are less congested
· Has fewer delays
· Reduce risk of missing connecting flights

Weather Worries

Consider potential bad weather when choosing a connecting city. If your connection city is experiencing heavy rain or snow, your departure flight might not take off for a while because it can't land in the bad weather.

Read more smart consumer tips and strategies
from Fox11 Eyewitness News Online

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