I think it's a combination of things. In many cases, passengers aren't sure how to use it. I use online check-in when available as it's much easier than checking-in through the normal channels and use self check-in when available. Once you've used it, you find out how easy it is but for many, if there's a choice of using a machine or speaking to someone then they'll take that route. There's a lot of technopobes still. I also think passengers are so used to going to the check-in desk that they do so automatically. Self-service check-in is relatively new to charter travel so I'm sure it'll get more use as passenger become aware of it. I bet if you asked many, they wouldn't be aware the likes of Thomsonfly offer self-service check-in. I hope it doesn't do people out of jobs though so there are advantages of passengers not using it!

Darren

I didn't know Thomsonfly offered it!! I haven't flown with Thomsonfly for 9 years and definately don't have self check in at my airport. I would have to say I find BA's self check in probably the best though.

bmi passengers are encouraged to use self service check in at Aberdeen Airport. However the reason I don't like to use it is that we fly ABZ-MAN and then MAN-LAS. I want to be sure that my bags are tagged correctly and trust a human being to do that.

There was a member of staff directing people to the machines last time, but I got away with going to the desk as I have a silver Diamond Club card.

I have used self service on a domestic flight when there was no connection and thought it was good.

luci

BY-TOM-AMM-FCA,

I think TOM have self-service check-in available at East Midlands, Manchester and Gatwick .

Darren

I think it is probably fear of the unknown. My wife has had an ATM card for 17 years and finally used the ATM machine at the bank last year after I nagged her to do so. Up to then she used to go to the bank each week, stand in a queue before cashing a cheque for money.

Non-frequent travellers may be afriad that they are going to somehow mess up their reservation/booking if they do it themselves.

I've just received a link from Swiss telling me I can check in online for my flight this afternoon. I all I have to do is reset my browser options for cookies, SSL and Java then reboot the PC and hope the printer isn't sulking like it was last night! I don't think I'll bother....

Last year this option wasn't available but I could use the self service machine at Basel to avoid the queue. Unfortuantely having done that I found that due to staff shortages the bag drop wasn't open and I still had to stand in a queue (the shorter Business Class one admittedly but still no overall time saving).

I have used BA self service at Manchester and Zurich quite happily.

That's another good point. Last week I flew back from the States on Virgin and had checked in online from the hotel that morning. It should then have meant me just doing "DIY Check-in/Online Bag Drop". Once at Washington airport I stood in the bag drop queue for 15 minutes as only one check-in desk available for this service. The normal check-in queues had 4 counters open and the shorter queue was moving much faster. People in the queue who arrived after me were checked in first. Despite asking the floor walker I was not allowed to join the other queue. So this so called quicker service took longer.

British Airways "Fast Baggage Drop" at Gatwick is much the same. You can check in at a kiosk in minutes then stand for 20 minutes waiting to drop off your luggage!

As people have said it is just a habit to go to a check in desk and/or a fear of using the self service check in.

I work for a large Building Society and it never ceases to surprise me the number of people who would rather stand in a long queue (although they do moan about it) to draw cash from a card based account rather than use an ATM. When tackled they say they would rather come to the counter. For me if it saves me waiting in a queue I will use the machine, that goes for ATM's, self service check in at the airport and buying railway tickets at the station (another place where there are queues at the ticket offices, and no queues at the self service machines!), but then we are all different.

However the reason I don't like to use it is that we fly ABZ-MAN and then MAN-LAS. I want to be sure that my bags are tagged correctly and trust a human being to do that.

We are flying BA GLA - Gatwick- TPA and hope to do check in online , however the statement above worries me .... who puts the luggage tags on when you do online check in , is there someone at the bag drop who does it or checks that it has been done correctly ?

The bar coded luggage tags are put on at the fast bag drop desk - just like they would be if you checked in the old way.

Online check in with BA is really simple.

Pippa

Thanks Pippa , that's good to know . Have flown BA before but never done online check in .

hi, i think this is going to sound a really silly question, but to use the online self check in service, do you first have to pre book your seats online first.? If not how do you get your seat numbers. I've booked flybe flights, southampton to palma but didnt want to pay for pre booking our seats. I did this once with thomsonfly, bournemouth to ibiza, for the very back row of the plane, but when it came to it, we couldnt have the seat numbers booked as the plane we were to fly in was smaller than the online plane planner that i originally chose from. we ended up sitting in the middle, which we didnt really mind, it was a seat after all, but i couldn't be hassled with going through the process of getting a refund. - ta

When I used self service check in with BA, there was a map of the layout of the seating plan and you could choose or change your seats at the check in machine.

luci

Likewise with BA's online check-in - you are presented with a seat map and you choose the seats. This way we bagged the emergency exit row seats when flying to Gran Canaria in March with GBAir (RIP).

Cheers,
Jet

hi luci and jetnoise, thanks for your replies, i'm guessing flybe at southampton will have a similar procedure at check in then. Tried searching their site to find out, but couldn't find anything. cheers - dotty

Since discovering online check in, I would never go back to normal check in. What took us so long to use it is we do not have a printer, however we discovered that didn't matter you can get your boarding passes at the airport. We are off to Mittenwald this weekend flying from ABZ to LHR and staying over and then on to Munich on Monday morning. We have just checked in our BA flights on line. We do have a printer now so have printed off the boarding passes.

When we did a cruise in February we were flying ABZ-LHR then LHR to Dubai and again checked in right the way through on line. When you drop your bags off that is when they put the labels on for the transfer. However coming back from Dubai, we checked in 24 hours before as there were 2 seats we wanted on the plane (got up at 4.00am to do it!) When we got do Dubai airport it was total and utter chaos. There was no fast bag drop and we had to queue for 1.5 hours with the mass of other people who were waiting to check in. We spoke to the BA member of staff who was walking around and she told us even though we had already checked in we still had to wait in the queue. I asked her what was the point of online check in, which she ignored me and walked away!! We were not best pleased to say the least.

When you use the flybe on-line checkin and you have not paid for the pre booked seats the system will allocate you seats automatically. You get the option to choose prebooked seats again at a price of course.

I always check in online, since I'm flying twice a week its saves me hassle and time. The less time spent at the airport the better as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks to Darren, I have found the right thread to post this on!

I have just found out about the express check in at MAN. I'm travelling in a party of 6 with Thomas Cook. We haven't pre booked seats but was wondering if we checked in at the kiosk instead of at the desks, will we be able to get seats together, or will we just be put wherever in the plane.

If we went to the desk I would ask whoever checked us in, but is there a similar option with express check in?

Thanks for any info anyone may have

Hi can anyone self check in i am flying from manchester to palma on a monarch flight and cant check in online because there is ten of us and we have pre booked our seats already