The Airports Offering Convenient In-Town Check-in

When flying out of places such as Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Dubai or Seoul, did you know that you can check-in for your flight in the city?

In-town check-in is a great benefit because you can drop off your luggage and collect boarding passes on the day of your flight. After checking in for your flight in the city, you can then catch an express train directly to the airport without worrying about your luggage.

Alternatively, if your flight is in the evening, you can drop off your luggage in the morning and spend the rest of the day in the city before heading to the airport later. Your luggage will be automatically transferred to your flight, so you won’t see it again until you reach your destination. Note that not all of the services listed below support checking in oversized items.

Hong Kong

Unfortunately, the in-town check-in service at Hong Kong is now operating at a limited capacity with only a few select airlines offering it and with reduced service hours. The service is now only available when departing Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Qantas or Singapore Airlines.

You can check-in at Hong Kong or Kowloon stations up to 90 minutes prior to the flight’s departure time during the service hours. (Note: Singapore Airlines is listed as “Currently Not Available” at Kowloon station). See the Hong Kong MTR website for a full list of participating airlines and check-in counter information.

If you want to maximise your lounge time, Hong Kong’s in-town check-in service is your friend. For example, Qantas check-in counters at Hong Kong Airport only open three hours before departure. But you can collect your boarding pass in the city any time from 7.00am onwards on the day of the flight. Then, head straight to one of Hong Kong’s many excellent Oneworld lounges when you reach the airport.

Kuala Lumpur

If you’re departing Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines or Batik Air, you can check-in for your flight at KL Sentral train station. The in-town check-in counters are located at the KLIA Ekspres Departure Hall in KL Sentral Station. To use this service, you’ll need to hold a KLIA Ekspres train ticket. After checking in your luggage, simply board the direct train service from KL Sentral to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In-town check-in is available up to two hours before departure. The service hours can be found on the KLIA Ekspres website.

Taipei

In-town check-in is also now available in Taipei if you’re flying with China Airlines, EVA Air, Uni Air, Mandarin Airlines, Cathay Pacific or Starlux. The service is available daily from 6am to 9.30pm at the A1 Taipei Main Station. You can check-in any time on the day of your flight up to three hours before departure. From Taipei Main station, the direct train to the airport takes 35 minutes.

There is an additional in-town check-in facility at the A3 New Taipei Industrial Park. This facility, however, has a slightly different list of airlines and excludes Cathay Pacific and STARLUX Airlines while adding Tigerair Taiwan. The operating hours at A3 New Taipei Industrial Park are from 9am to 4pm.

Seoul

In-town check-in is also available in Seoul. Passengers flying out of Seoul-Incheon (ICN) Airport on an international flight with Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Lufthansa, Jeju Air, Air Seoul, Eastar Jet or T’way Air are eligible to use this service. You’ll need to hold an Airport Express (AREX) train ticket.

The City Airport Terminal is located at Seoul Station. The great thing about Seoul’s city check-in service is that you actually clear immigration in the city before boarding the airport train! On arrival at Incheon Airport, you’ll just need to clear security and go straight to the gate (or lounge). The Seoul Station City Airport Terminal is open daily from 6.10am to 7pm and you must check-in at least three hours before departure. There is a limited in-town check-in service at Gwangmyeong station which caters to passengers departing out of Seoul-Incheon (ICN) Airport on an international flight with Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and T’way Air.

Vienna

Customers booked on participating airlines including Austrian, Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and TAP Air Portugal can check-in for their flight at dedicated city check-in counters at Wien Mitte train station. This service is available between 24 hours and 75 minutes before departure in conjunction with a City Airport Train ticket. After dropping your luggage and collecting your boarding pass, you can then catch the train directly from the platform below to the airport.

Dubai

If you are flying out of Dubai on Emirates and you are not travelling to the USA or Israel, you may access the Emirates City check-in facility at ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC. The service is available from 8am to 9.30pm and eligible passengers can check-in from as early as 24 hours to 4 hours before their flight. Unlike the other services listed above, this facility doesn’t have any rail ticket requirements. Emirates also offers a city check-in service at the Ajman Central Bus Terminus.

Other cities and airlines offering in-town check-ins

These airports offer in-town check-in service in some limited form.

• Delhi: Passengers travelling on Air India domestic and international flights can access the in-town check-in facility at either New Delhi Metro Station or Shivaji Stadium Metro Station. The operating hours are from 7am to 9pm daily and the check-in time has to be within four hours to two hours before international flights. This makes it more restrictive compared to other cities.
• Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways offers its Residence and First class passengers home check-in in Abu Dhabi. The service is also extended to Etihad Guest Gold members (Twice per year) and Platinum members (Four times per year).
• Air Arabia offers a paid city check-in service at several airports in the UAE.