Image credit: Leonid Mamchenkov June 2007

Not very long ago I had a passenger who, despite being well on time, kept phoning from the airport to report that he had missed flight after flight.  This was deeply mysterious.  After he had missed three successive flights we realised that he did not know that he had to check in!  He was an absolute novice flyer, but could not bring himself to admit that he did not know what was going on and ask either us or the airport staff for assistance.

Here is what to do if it is your first time.

You will need:

• Your eticket, if you do not have your boarding pass
• A print of your boarding pass if you have checked in online, or at a self-service kiosk at the airport
• Photo-identification (according to local regulations and airline requirements: driver’s licence or national id. or passport for domestic flights, passport for international flights)

Check in online before you leave home

We strongly suggest that you check in online ahead of time.  You can usually reserve your seat and obtain your boarding pass online (our handy links are here http://diytravelexpert.com/airline-check-in/) or at a kiosk at the airport, but you will still need to have your luggage weighed in.

If you have your boarding pass and only carry-on luggage, that’s it – you’re done!  No need to go to the check-in area.  Go straight to security.

Find your check-in area

Unless you are at a terminal that only serves a single airline (such as Heathrow terminal 5 serving BA, or New York JFK terminal 5 that serves Jet Airlines) you must first locate the check-in area serving the airline you are travelling on.

For a flight operating on a code-share, where members of an airline alliance issue tickets on other member’s flights, you may need to check in at the area run by the airline operating the flight.  This information will be on your eticket, usually in the format of a statement saying “Airline A, operated by Airline B”.  Then you should know to go line up at Airline B’s counters.  If they do not state that, then you probably just need to go to your airline’s counter, even if they are not operating the flight.  In other words, Not your problem.

The name of the airline is usually on a board (nowadays on a screen) above the desk.  There are usually further indications of the class of passenger (viz. already checked-in online, first class, business class, frequent-flyer members, etc.).  Make sure that you are in the correct queue so that you do not get directed to queue again, at the back of the next queue.

At the check-in counter

• Your eticket or boarding pass will be verified.
• If you have not checked in online your seat will be assigned.  You may have seat choices, some of which may cost a premium on some airlines.  It sometimes happens that the seat that you have reserved online (or that your travel agent has reserved for you when booking) is reallocated at this time.  If you are lucky you could even be upgraded, as recently happened to me on a long flight within Europe.
• Your luggage destined for the hold will be weighed and taken into care.
• Your boarding pass will be issued unless you have printed it yourself.  A certain airline charges absurdly large amounts if you have not printed your own boarding pass prior to arrival at the airport!  If you are travelling in a group this omission can cost you dearly.  Sometime the boarding pass will be replaced, if you have been re-seated by the airline.
• For international flights your passport will be verified.

Be early

The earlier you check in for your flight the less likely you are to be bumped and the more likely you are to get a seat that you desire, be it leg room, a window seat , an aisle seat, position in relation to the wing, or proximity to toilets.  If you are sufficiently late you will be denied boarding altogether.

The usual latest recommended check-in is an hour prior to departure for domestic flights and two hours for international flights.  However, this may differ according to the airport and the airline concerned.  El Al security is particularly tight and you should plan to be there three hours prior to departure for international flights.  Any international flight to the USA will also have particularly stringent (some say unnecessary) security and the long queues that this causes make it advisable for you to give yourself an extra 30 minutes to an hour.

Luggage limits

You should check with your airline what your luggage weight limit is, the size (for carry-on, cabin luggage), the number of pieces permitted, as well as what can and cannot be carried at the time.

Copyright DIY Travel Expert

Wisdom teeth that are hurting and need to be removed. The writer’s own experience of this is that being at altitude with an impacted wisdom tooth that needed pulling was extremely unpleasant. The dull ache that had developed earlier in my journey became a harsh pain fifteen minutes after take-off. The reason was that the cabin is only required to be pressurised to 8000 ft, so there is a significant pressure drop. (In a Boeing 767 the pressure corresponds to 6,900 ft and the Airbus A380, currently the “best”, maintains a cabin pressure equivalent to 5,000 ft).

Colds and flu. If your eustachian tube is blocked or your sinuses are congested then you are going to have a problem. Additionally, if three is a lot of liquid build-up in your inner ear then the pressure could lead to the rupture of your eardrum.  This is an immediate medical emergency.

Foot injuries. Ankle injuries in particular are unpleasant to travel with. If you have a sprained ankle and you are travelling in economy class, it is going to be very uncomfortable.

Upset stomach. This speaks for itself in terms of discomfort.

Also, there is the risk of being denied boarding if the airline deems you unfit to travel at time of check in or boarding. Boarding a flight home from London a few years back, I had a swollen foot and was limping. The check-in clerk looked at me with suspicion, but held his peace. It swelled even more during the flight and I took my shoe off, with some difficulty. A stewardess walked past and said, ‘You’re not going to get that back into your shoe! If they had spotted this at boarding, you wouldn’t have been allowed to travel without a medical certificate from your doctor”.

You can also clear your injury with the airline beforehand, or you may be denied boarding, depending on their assessment of your mobility. Bear in mind that the airline has to contend with regulations that require you to be fit enough to evacuate from the aircraft in an emergency. (The hazard of trying to clear it with the airline is that they could say “no”, in which case you are going to be grounded until such time as your condition as improved enough to convince a doctor that you can travel.) As a basic rule of thumb, if you are okay for going up and down stairs, you should be okay for flight. If you have a broken leg in a cast, though, the airline will in some cases allow you to fly but require that you book an extra seat.

What to do about it
Since we are covering conditions that arise while you are travelling, the time-honoured advice of “get it fixed before you leave home” is not going to work. If it happens when you are already in flight then your sole solution is to ask the cabin crew for help. If the condition has developed while you are away from home but before you board then there may be actions you can take. Since this is DIY Travel Expert, we naturally have some practical advice.

Toothpain: Get painkiller drugs from a pharmacist. If there is time to see a doctor, get suitable antibiotics (or get them from a chemist if you are visiting a country where pharmacists are allowed to prescribe medication). The antibiotic will help reduce the pressure by reducing the volume of fluid in the tooth or gum.

Colds, flu and sinus conditions: Use decongestants. You may find that a spray will give you faster relief than medication that you have to swallow. Sprays will not leave you feeling drowsy, and you could take a tipple, whereas if you have taken a decongestant pill the chances are that you will be advised strictly not to use alcohol.

Burst ear-drum: This is a medical emergency. Alert the cabin-crew immediately. The pilot may even have to turn the plane around. Or land at the nearest viable airport.

Sprains: The usual advice for treatment of sprains is “RICE” – Rest, apply Ice, Compression and Elevation. Rest is going to be achievable. You can ask the personnel for ice and a towel (dampen the towel first – you are trying to cool down inflammation, you do not want to make the situation worse by causing frostbite). For compression you should preferably purchase an elasticised bandage designed for the injured body-part, which avoids applying compression inappropriately. For instance, a knee-guard will not apply pressure to the kneecap. As an alternative, have the part bandaged by a trained person the first time, then copy the method exactly yourself thereafter. Elevation is going to be a problem if you are travelling in “coach”. Bear in mind that you still need to take precautions against deep-vein thrombosis, even if you have a minor injury.

Oxygen.  If you have any condition that leaves you short of breath on the ground, it is likely that it will be worse at altitude.  If you require oxygen then will not be allowed to take your own tank on board because home medical oxygen tanks are not FAA-certified.  The airlines will require 48 hours notice if you need oxygen and it will cost you $50-$75 per tank or trip.

Upset stomach. If this happens before boarding, get to a pharmacy (many major airports also have pharmacies) and get something to help the symptoms. This might also be the one occasion that you would like to request a seat close to the lavatory at check-in.

The cabin crew are trained in first-aid, so consult with them if you experience discomfort or any new or unusual symptoms.

For more on in-flight safety, see our article on in-flight safety – hazard awareness and deep vein thrombosis – protect yourself.

Note: The suggestions listed here are not a substitute for proper medical advice. You should determine their suitability in your situation, and you are always cautioned to seek advice from an approved professional.

As reported in the Boston Globe, Marty Salfen, senior vice president of the International Airline Passengers Association, states that “if you have any type of medical condition, see a doctor prior to getting on the plane.  And if you feel sick once you’re on board, contact the flight attendant.  Don’t wait until it’s virtually too late.”

Loyalty programme

Airlines may consider check-in upgrades for their frequent flyer members.  So, if you are on their loyalty programme, and particularly if you are not on the first tier, that would be in your favour.

Note: Loyalty to a particular airline has pros and cons, as with anything, so before you decide to fly with one airline frequently, to get a slight chance of business class upgrades, you might want to check on their average prices.  It could be costing you too much for a slight chance at an upgrade.

I have heard of at least one case where someone joined the loyalty programme at the airport, prior to departure, then parlayed that into a business class upgrade.  They had no intention of actually being part of the loyalty system, or necessarily even using that airline again.  But because he was now seen to be a priority customer, he got the upgrade.

Arrive at the last minute

Here is one tip with an obvious disadvantage: arrive late at the last minute for check-in.  You could get upgraded if the flight is over-booked.  Why?  Because the odds are if its over booked, and you’re dashing to make the counter before it closes, that your seat has been given away.  Of course, the risk is that business class may also be full.  You may have to travel on a later flight.  However, if you are ‘bumped’, it is standard practice for passengers to be given a free flight voucher as compensation.  Of course, for that to happen, you have to arrive before check-in is actually closed.  If you arrive after check-in has closed, you have missed the flight and get no compensation.

Ask!

Lastly, we can always ask!  At check-in, you can ask what the possibility is for an upgrade, and depending on the airline rules and how good a day the check in staff are having, you may just score it.  Some people do have the most amazing luck in this regard.  You may need to practice being charming.  (Like everybody else, check-in staff can exercise their authority for good or for evil.  If you fight with them, they have interesting ways of making sure that you lose.)

Good luck