Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LECTURE 02
CHECK-IN PROCEDURES
INTRODUCTION:
The act or process of reporting that you have arrived at a hotel, an airport,
etc. the act or process of checking in also the time when people are
allowed to check in the place where people go when they arrive at a hotel,
airport, etc.
When you check in for a flight, you confirm that you intend to get on
the plane. If you don't check in, you won't receive a boarding pass that
allows you to board the plane, and your seat might be given up to a
standby passenger.
Early Check-In
Most airlines send you an email or text message notification that you can
check in 24 hours before the flight is scheduled to depart. This gives you
the opportunity to see if there are any delays at the airport the day
before (or even a few hours before), and also precludes you from having to
visit the counter at all.
As the majority of the role will be in direct contact with customers, you will
need excellent customer service skills. As you will be acting as a
representative of an airline and usually the first member of staff a customer
will come into contact with at an airport,
Communication skills:
These are essential in order to relay flight details to passengers. You will
be responsible for letting them know where their flight will be departing from
and if there have been any last minute changes to the flight.
These skills will help you deal with customer queries or complaints in a
helpful and efficient way. You may need to help customers find alternative
routes to their destination.
IT skills:
Many of your duties will be computerized. Having good IT skills will help
you with administration duties and with checking passengers in.
Organization skills:
You will need to have good organization skills to deal with customers
quickly and efficiently, especially in busy periods.
Cabin baggage
IATA Resolution 302 is a code of practice for airlines and applies for all
itineraries except those to and from the United States and Canada. This is
known as the Most Significant Carrier rule.
US DOT Regulation 399.87 applies to all flights on tickets whose origin or
ultimate destination is the USA. And since April 2015 Canada introduced its
own regulation 144-A-2014 which applies essentially the same rules as the
US. These are known as the First Marketing Carrier rule.
Note that for itineraries that simply have a through connection in the US or
Canada (such as UK-USA-Mexico) the IATA rules apply.
These rules apply to checked baggage only, and applies only to flights on
the same ticket. Your hand baggage (carry on) allowance is determined by
each airline operating the flights, and when code shares are involved it's
the operating carrier. If you are traveling on multiple airlines on the same
itinerary your hand baggage must comply with the strictest of the rules set
by the airlines concerned.
Important Note - The IATA 302 guidelines changed on 1st April 2015. The
Most Significant Carrier is now the Marketing Carrier of the most significant
flight. That's the airline whose flight number for that leg appears on your
ticket. So if you have a code share flight you would need to check the flight
number on your ticket for the most significant leg, and that airline's will
apply, not the airline operating the flight.
1) Your baggage allowance is determined each time you check in for your
flight. This means the allowance for subsequent check ins (including the
return) could be different.
Note that the most significant carrier is not necessarily the airline flying the
longest leg (although in most cases the longest leg does turn out to be the
most significant flight). It is determined by a series of IATA global and
regional areas, and the airline that cross the most significant area
boundaries.
IATA divided the world into three global areas, and each global area is
subdivided into regional zones.
The Most Significant Carrier is the airline whose flight number on your
ticket is -
Note that when the most significant flight is a code share then the
marketing carrier for that flight (that’s the airline whose flight number is on
your ticket) that is the Most Significant Carrier.
The biggest issues to watch out for with flights operating under IATA 302
are -
Examples
The following examples show how the Most Significant Carrier is
determined.
In this example the first flight (SYD-HKG) flies within global Area 3, but the
second flight (HKG-LHR) crosses from Area 3 to Area 2. Therefore, the
airline marketing the second flight (Virgin Atlantic) is the most significant
carrier and its allowance of applies.
Example 2 - where the MSC does not fly the longest flight
The longest of these two flights is the Etihad flight MAN-AUH, but that flight
stays within the global Area 2. It’s the shorter Jet Airways flight AUH-BOM
that crosses into Area 3 and so in this case Jet Airways is the Most
Significant Carrier.
In this case, at check in 1 and check in 3, it's Thai Airways' international
allowance that applies (30kg) that applies, as for check in 3 at Oslo Thai is
the most significant carrier. However, for check in 2 the operating carrier
(Lufthansa) has only a 23kg limit, therefore if the passenger were carrying
the full 30kg allowance from Thai for the entire itinerary, they would pay
excess baggage fees at the second check in.
The following examples 4a and 4b refer to the same flights, but one of them
uses code shares.
4a -
4b -
In example 4a all the flight numbers are JL (Japan Airlines) which has an
allowance of two free bags at 23kg. And as JL is the marketing carrier for
all the most significant legs, it is the MSC and its allowance applies.
3. The marketing carrier for the first flight on the ticket is free to apply
the allowances and fees of the most significant carrier, and that
allowance would apply on all the remaining flights on that ticket.
So, it’s the allowance, and fees, of the First Marketing Carrier (FMC) that
apply to all flights on the ticket.
To determine your baggage allowance, look at the first flight on the ticket
and note the airline whose code is on that flight. For example if it says
UA1234 then United is the first marketing carrier and its baggage
allowance and fees apply for all flights on that ticket.
Point 3 appears confusing. That is the first marketing carrier may choose to
apply the baggage rules of the most significant (marketing) carrier instead
of its own rules. Most major US airlines don’t do this, so why is it there?
There are regional carriers who don’t fly long haul and so don’t have a long
haul baggage allowance. For example, Alaska Airlines only flies regionally
and has no free baggage allowance. Yet Alaska also provides domestic
connecting flights for other airlines’ long haul services. As they don’t want
to constrain passengers to their baggage fees for all flights Alaska applies
the baggage allowance and fees of the most significant carrier whose flight
number is on the ticket, and that allowance applies for all flights. So if you
start with an Alaska (AS) flight connecting to a Korean Airlines (KL) flight,
Alaska will give you Korean’s baggage allowance (2 free bags for US
originating flights) and that allowance is then the same (2 free bags) for all
other flights on the ticket.
Also be aware that if you are making your journey using flights on separate
tickets, then each ticket will have its own baggage allowance and fees.
2) Because the allowance is that of the first marketing carrier, you don’t get
confused by having to check other airlines’ websites if you’ve booked a
code share.
Example 5 - how the FMC provides consistent allowance for all check ins
on an itinerary.
The FMC is the airline whose flight code appears on the first flight. In this
case that is Delta (even though the operating carrier is KLM). So Delta's
international allowance of one free checked bag applies to the first flight(s),
and all flights on the ticket. This includes the domestic US legs JFK-LAX
and LAX-SFO which under IATA 302 would attract the domestic baggage
fee.
CFR 399.87/CTA144-A-2014 Issues - what to watch out for
Example 6 - where baggage fees may have to be paid for all flights
In this case the first flight (to the first stopover) is a wholly domestic US
flight, and therefore the baggage allowance is zero, and the first checked
bag attracts a fee of $25. However, per the law that means that all flights
on the ticket require the same allowance (zero) and fees ($25 first bag). So
you should avoid itineraries where that would apply, such as avoiding a
domestic stopover, or booking the initial domestic flights on a separate
ticket.
Excess baggage
The purchase of additional baggage and the collection of excess baggage
may create different challenges especially in interline scenario. Industry
standards such as Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMDs) provide a
mechanism to facilitate these processes using accountable documents and
an interline settlement process, however these processes need to be
agreed and implemented between carriers may also bilaterally establish a
mechanism by which it can be recorded that an additional bag has been
purchased. This should allow that this baggage is recognized in the airport
environment and establish a process for billing value associated with the
purchase of additional baggage if they choose to. From a reservation
perspective, in the traditional distribution environment, the reservation
agent should create an SSR Excess Baggage (XBAG) in the PNR to notify
the other airlines participating in the itinerary when a customer wishes to
take a considerable amount of excess baggage on a flight.
Everyday items
Item Permitted on board?
Corkscrew No
Spoon Yes
Knife (with sharp or fixed blade more than 6 cm) No
Folding blade knife No
Knife and razor blades open No
Scissors whose blades do not exceed 6 cm Yes
Scissors with blades greater than 6 cm No
Scissors with round points (of any length) Yes
Fixed (Disposable) Razor Blades Yes
Cutter No
Nail Clipper Yes
Tweezers Yes
Knitting needles Yes
Sewing needles Yes
Lighter No*
Safety Matches No*
Umbrella Yes
Cane Yes
Wheelchair Yes
Children’s stroller Yes
Liquid for contact lenses Yes
Printer cartridge No
Can I take laptops, hairdryers and other electrical items on board?
Your laptop, hair straighteners, and travel razor are, generally speaking,
allowed on board in the cabin. Most airlines simply request that your
electrical item has enough battery for the duration of the flight. Add this
onto your pre-flight checklist: charge all devices if you plan on taking them
in your hand luggage!
Electronics
Item Permitted on board?
Laptop Yes
Tablet Yes
MP3 Player Yes
Hair dryer or straightener Yes
Camera and camera equipment Yes
Travel iron Yes
Electronic razor Yes
Generally, medicines and pills are allowed in the cabin, including syrups
and medicines in liquid form as long as they do not make more than 100ml.
If you need more, you must notify your airline in advance. For oxygen or
air for medical use, this will depend on your airline. EasyJet permits it so
long as the weight of the bottle does not exceed 5kg. Ryanair also allows
different types of respiratory equipment (masks, respirators, ventilators
continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP) so long as they comply with
cabin baggage dimensions.
Medicine
Item Permitted on board?
Liquids over 100ml are generally unauthorized in the cabin, but there are
some exceptions, notably if you’re travelling with babies or small children.
However, if you’re intending on carrying a delicious pot of brined olives
from Spain or a selection of homemade jams on the flight, you’ll have to
check in a bag to carry it with you. Unfortunately, soft cheese is also not
permitted on the flight, whereas hard cheese usually is. Any sort of caramel
or truffle filled chocolate is allowed but must fit inside your 100ml liquids
bag (alongside your mascara, lip balm, and deodorant). When it comes to
carrying any sort of solid or dried food product (fruit, nuts, seeds), they’re
generally permitted on board, as long as no other passenger has severe
allergies.
Babies
Item Permitted on board?
Any drink (e.g. water, fruit juice, tea, coffee) No
Milk, powder, cow or soya Yes
Sterile water for baby Yes – in a bottle
Baby food Yes
Jams No
Syrup No
Honey No
Fresh cheese in liquid or malleable form (cheese,
No
spreadable)
Yogurt No
Soup No
Sauce No
Fresh cheese in liquid or malleable form (cheese,
No
spreadable)
Oil No
Vinegar No
Dried fruit Yes
Nuts Yes
If you have a match or a competition abroad or you need to fly to get there,
be careful. As a general rule, you will most certainly have to put your
equipment in the hold. This is the case for most sports equipment, including
tennis rackets, walking sticks or crampons. All these objects are not
allowed to come in the cabin with you. The only exception is a sports
parachute, which is allowed on board.
Sports equipment
Item Permitted on board?
Sports parachute Yes
Bats and rackets No
Golf clubs No
Darts game No
Hiking stick No
Ice skates No
Fishing rod, harpoon or rifle No
Firearms (including reproductions) No
Martial arts equipment No
Diving equipment No
Crossbows, arrows and arrows No
Fronds and catapults No
Crampons No
Javelins No
Ice axes and ice picks No
Swords No
Canoes and paddles No
Equipment
Item Permitted on board?
Blade or cutting tools larger than 6 cm (e.g.
No
screwdriver)
Drill and accessories No
Professional knives No
Cutting mats No
Saws (including portable electric saws) No
Hammer No
Machete No
Aerosol paint No
Turpentine and paint thinner No