Check-In Online!

As the "airline dork" among my friends, I'm usually the first one to know when something goes wrong with a friend's travel. Today was no exception. A friend of mine was flying back home from school, and had trouble checking in for a couple of reasons.

First, she had an online travel agency confirmation page printed, but nothing from the airline. Second, none of the agents were very helpful. Finally, apparently many of the credit card swipes at kiosks weren't working very well, which makes paying for bags more difficult. (And, a credit card is often one way to check-in at a kiosk in the first place.)

Now, kiosks that aren't working and agents that aren't helpful are certainly the airline's fault. No doubt about it. But my friend could have made her travel experience a whole lot easier if she made the effort to check-in online. First, she would have had a boarding pass already, eliminating any confusion about her reservation. Second, she could have paid for her bag online, which would have eliminated the credit card issue. Plus, checking in the bag would've been easier anyway.

So here's my advice - check-in online when you have the change. 99% of the time it's only going to make your trip an easier one.