BA Online Checkin at MEL

[tuapekastar]

Hi,

Has anyone here used BA Online Checkin? (calling sully!) Particularly at an Oz airport? And more particularly, at MEL?

From ploughing through BA's website, it appears OLCI is available at MEL (and SYD) - I say this because an online print-your-own boarding pass facility is available - I trust that's a logical conclusion.

But there's a but, (and I'm sure I read this earlier but cannot now find it) and that is along the lines of "if no Fast Bag Drop is available a normal checkin desk is used". Which I imagine could defeat the purpose (or at least my purpose) of using OLCI, that is, to avoid any long checkin queues. It is not clear (well, to me) from ba.com whether there is a "Fast Bag Drop" at MEL. I think it's logical to assume that if OLCI (and BP print) is offered, then a fast bag drop should also exist.

I am getting a lift to the airport and will be there about the time that checkin (in person - not online) opens - 3 hours before flight, so maybe lengthy queues will not be an issue anyway? BA18 later this month.

And it appears an online boarding pass facility is NOT available at SIN, so does this automatically mean OLCI is not available? And if OLCI was available how would I collect BP...by lining up at the normal checkin queue I was hoping to avoid in the first place?

TIA

 

[QF WP]

tuapekastar, I've used OLCI in Australia & SIN, but not used Fast Bag Drop (only done that in LHR).

IMHO, lining up at J class (as a AA Plat) is hardly considered a line (that's called economy)...what takes the time is getting your baggage screened before you get into the check-in area (in SIN anyway). You have to do that anyway...you can't bypass.

 

[NM]

The "purpose" of OLCI is to secure the seat you want before you arrive at the airport. So yes, if there is no fast bag drop, you will need to queue and use a standard check-in desk/agent. However, you already have your seat selected and secured so you don't have to discuss seat allocation with the check-in agent.

So not a lot of time imrpovement, but it does mean you don't need to rush to teh airport early in order to secure a better seat. You can arrive check-in at a time that meets the check-in deadline for the flight.

 

[JohnK]

IMHO, lining up at J class (as a AA Plat) is hardly considered a line (that's called economy)...

Not sure whether I would call the economy queue a line. :?

More like a herd.

 

[tuapekastar]

Thanks for the comments, folk!

Suspect I'll have to just queue (with the herd).

Never had considered seat selection a prime reason for using OLCI but it makes sense (I just dislike long queues, so was a little tunnel-visioned re that).

AA Plat status will come about as a result of this trip

I'll probably just get there reasonably early for check-in (hope to avoid some of the checkin queues, even if I'm still going to have to endure the security screening queue).

Just have to have couple extra at the QP!

 

[Dave Noble]

I was just over at the MEL BA check in area and there was a check in desk for those that have checked in online. If you cannot find it , I would do, like I have done with someone before, go to the J queue and let them sort out the bags


Dave

 

[tuapekastar]

I was just over at the MEL BA check in area and there was a check in desk for those that have checked in online. If you cannot find it , I would do, like I have done with someone before, go to the J queue and let them sort out the bags


Dave

Thank you Dave.

Nice to have it confirmed that a BA OLCI desk (I'm guessing this equates to what ba.com calls "Fast Bag Drop") exists at MEL. Believe I will use OLCI.

Cheers

 

[tuapekastar]

Just completed my MEL-SIN-MEL trip in BA WT+ (for an excellent school reunion) and thought I'd report on checkin.

At MEL I arrived before checkin opened (to tie-in with my lift to the airport), but I had checked in online the night before. Asked the checkin agent who was "setting up" the desks for checkin where the "Fast Bag Drop" queue/desk was. She advised that sometimes they have one and sometimes they don't. As it turned out, they didn't, but I had told her I had checked in online, so she had me queue where the OLCI pax normally would, and processed me first when checkin opened. A nice touch.

BTW, I think there was a separate checkin queue for WT+ pax.

At SIN, I didn't do OLCI. Had little impact. I was in QP checkin line, but pax at checkin desk were having major probs, so I was waved to the next-door checkin desk (can't recall who it was designated for), and was checked in quickly.

All rather painless.

 

[JohnK]

Off topic I know but if you are ever in BKK I have seen the BA fast bag drop, dedicated line although didn't see anyone using it which could have something to do with holiday makers and OLCI.

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to revive an old thread.

I am flying BA010 SYD-BKK tomorrow and have looked at BA online check-in, all exit rows appear to be taken or are still blocked off, so no improvement possible on the seat already allocated.

Can I still check-in online although I do not have access to a printer to print boarding pass? This way they know that I have already checked-in and I guess that they would be able to issue me with a boarding pass at the airport.

 

[Mal]

Can I still check-in online although I do not have access to a printer to print boarding pass? This way they know that I have already checked-in and I guess that they would be able to issue me with a boarding pass at the airport.

I'm yet to know of an airline that is unable to reprint an issued boarding pass, so I think you'd be ok.

However if you can't get a better seat then there is little incentive really to take the small risk. Just go to the airport tomorrow, stand in the J class line and check in normally as per your OW status benefits. (You should also be able to ask about getting an exit row if that is what you're after).

 

[JohnK]

I'm yet to know of an airline that is unable to reprint an issued boarding pass, so I think you'd be ok.

However if you can't get a better seat then there is little incentive really to take the small risk. Just go to the airport tomorrow, stand in the J class line and check in normally as per your OW status benefits. (You should also be able to ask about getting an exit row if that is what you're after).

I am still not certain what I want to do. I can move into the world traveller rows 26DEFG or 27DEFG at the back of the world traveller plus cabin but not sure what this is like. I would have liked row 28 or 29A,K but understand that these go quick or are reserved for high status BA FF'ers.

My allocated seat of 33G still shows no-one next to me so that could be a good omen after all and if it stays that way then it could be a pleasant flight. Still award seats available from QF website so I am guessing that flight is not sold out. BA seat map is showing 99 available world traveller seats but that could mean nothing as there could be many passengers that do not have an allocated seat and have not checked-in online.

 

[Mal]

I am still not certain what I want to do. I can move into the world traveller rows 26DEFG or 27DEFG at the back of the world traveller plus cabin but not sure what this is like.

Row 26 and 27 are in a "mini cabin" on the BA plane that you are on. There are only 3 rows of economy in that section - 25, 26 and 27 with a curtain in front blocking you from WT+

If you move yourself to an Aisle Centre block seat, then you have a high chance of not having someone sitting next to you. You'll also be one of the first ppl off the flight in Economy.

Keep in mind your plane still has a lot of seats for sale, so isn't overly busy.

Still can't give you the correct answer about Online Checkin and not having a printer, but I really can't see it as an issue (Keep in mind it could be!).

 

[Dave Noble]

However if you can't get a better seat then there is little incentive really to take the small risk. Just go to the airport tomorrow, stand in the J class line and check in normally as per your OW status benefits. (You should also be able to ask about getting an exit row if that is what you're after).

If the exit seats were unavailable , then that will be due to their having already been assigned to someone. By initiating an OLCI and finding out that there were no better seats, then OLCI has been performed whether or not you actually click "submit".

This follows onto the question about PYOBP; it is entirely optional and whether you have a printer or not has no effect on ability to OLCI.

It may be worth just checking in over the time between now and tomorrow afternoon to see whether there are any changes to the free allocation

Dave

 

[Mal]

So OLCI and PYOBP (On Line Check-in and Print Your Own Boarding Pass) are seperate in the BA checkin process?

Hmmm. Ok.

Anyways, yeah I agree with Dave's advice. Plonk yourself in a seat you want to be, but keep monitoring the situation before your flight.

I still can't see anyone sitting next to you on the flight if you've got a free middle seat next to you. The flight is very open for bookings.

 

[Dave Noble]

So OLCI and PYOBP (On Line Check-in and Print Your Own Boarding Pass) are seperate in the BA checkin process?

Hmmm. Ok.

Anyways, yeah I agree with Dave's advice. Plonk yourself in a seat you want to be, but keep monitoring the situation before your flight.

I still can't see anyone sitting next to you on the flight if you've got a free middle seat next to you. The flight is very open for bookings.

They are quite necessarily separate. Not all locations that provide OLCI allow PYOBP. The 1st stage of OLCI allocates a seat ( if one not pre-assigned) and may allow seat change to occur. After submitting, the details of bag drop are given together with the option to PYOBP if applicable

The oddity in the process is that you have checked in regardless of whether you click submit at the seat map stage

Dave

 

[JohnK]

If the exit seats were unavailable , then that will be due to their having already been assigned to someone. By initiating an OLCI and finding out that there were no better seats, then OLCI has been performed whether or not you actually click "submit".

You know about this more than I do but when I clicked on exit during OLCI it stated something like are you sure you want to abort OLCI. I have been into OLCI about 6 or 7 times since and each time it treats me as if I have not checked-in online. Not too concerned about exit rows but with the plane looking like it has light load I am trying to find a nice spot where hopefully the seat next to me in not allocated. That is the case with 33G right now.

This follows onto the question about PYOBP; it is entirely optional and whether you have a printer or not has no effect on ability to OLCI.

It may be worth just checking in over the time between now and tomorrow afternoon to see whether there are any changes to the free allocation

Thanks for the information about being able to OLCI without printing boarding pass.

I have been checking over the last 3-4 hours and the available seats in economy don't appear to have changed.

 

[Dave Noble]

You know about this more than I do but when I clicked on exit during OLCI it stated something like are you sure you want to abort OLCI. I have been into OLCI about 6 or 7 times since and each time it treats me as if I have not checked-in online. .

The only thing that seems to affect how OLCI works ime is actually using the PYOBP option. Once you do that you cannot return into OLCI, I assume to stop people getting multiple boarding passes

Dave

 

[JohnK]

When I went to check-in yesterday the check-in agent acknowledged that I had already checked-in the night before and she printed the boarding pass for me.

She also mentioned that flight was full and someone was sitting next to me in 33F. :shock: One of the last to board and flight looked half full and no one sitting next to me. Anyway I ended up asking to move to the mini cabin behind world traveller plus as there was only 10 people in the 24 seats. Ended up in 27G with 2 empty seats next to me and 3 empty seats in front.

Off topic but entertainment in cattle class very poor compared to QF. No games. Limited movies. Service from FA's was fantastic though and by far the best I have experienced in cattle class so far.

 

[serfty]

She also mentioned that flight was full and someone was sitting next to me in 33F. :shock: One of the last to board and flight looked half full and no one sitting next to me. ...

A common occurrance. I don't know how many times this has happened to me. I believe there are 2 general/main reasons for this:

1) The seats are actually blocked and the Agent cannot see they are empty, or

2) It's easier to say this to minimise effort on the check in agent's part. No skin off their back as you won't find out until you are on the aircraft when it's really too late to complain.

In these situations I often ask again at the QP. I find you tend to get bettter service from QP agents.

... Anyway I ended up asking to move to the mini cabin behind world traveller plus as there was only 10 people in the 24 seats. Ended up in 27G with 2 empty seats next to me and 3 empty seats in front. ...

That's good; AFAIK, BA aircraft don't have directional airvents to employ on recalcitrant seat recliners.