City Check-In
City Check-In as the name suggests, is a convenient service offered by many airlines to check-in on a flight at a facility in the city. The City Check-In is normally at an airline city office.
At the City Check-In facility, passengers can handover their check-in bags and collect their boarding pass. They can later proceed to the airport and board their flight. The airline will transfer the City Check-in bags to the airport for loading on the flight.
City Check-In facility helps to avoid carrying check-in baggage to the airport, avoid check-in queues at the airport and directly go for pre-flight checks and boarding.
City Check-In facility normally closes 4 hours before scheduled time of departure (STD). It can be different for different cities and airlines. This is done to ensure that passengers reach the airport, complete the pre-departure checks well in time and proceed for boarding the flight.
Metro Check-In
In some cities, airline check-in counters are located at Metro Rail stations. Passengers can check-in their bags and collect boarding pass at a Metro Rail station. Passengers can then conveniently travel by metro to the airport. The Metro Check-in bags will be transferred to the airport by the airline for loading on the respective flight.
Off-Airport Check-In
Off-Airport Check-In refers to passenger check-in for a flight away from the airport or before reaching the airport. Facilities like City Check-In and Metro Check-In are referred to as Off-Airport Check-in.
Off-Airport Check-In facility can also be at a bus station, ferry station or at a sea port. The services provided are like City Check-In and Metro Check-In. Passengers can avail of these facilities, again for a hassle-free and convenient airport commute and avoid check-in queues at the airport.
In case of Off-Airport Check-In passengers not boarding their flights on time, their bags are not loaded on the flight as per passenger Gate No Show process.
And to end this blog
The idea of Off-Airport Check-In is to decongest the airport check-in area as much as possible. Passengers who check-in away from the airport help in reducing check-in queues at the airport.
Yes. Convenient and time saving. I had used it in Dubai, Singapore and Delhi Airports. Thanks
Thank you
A particular Middle East carrier also arrange to collect the baggage from the passengers home or hotel. The boarding card and the baggage tags are issued at their doors. The traditional method of check in at the airports is going to be a thing of the past. The airport also benefits when travellers can spend that extra time at the cafes and duty-free instead at the counters. Overall this method is convenience and will make air travel less hassle to the passengers. Airlines are continuously looking for improvements in all areas.
Yes, very true. Thank you very much for your time and detailed comments. Off-Airport Check-in will become the norm.