Just back from Basel again. This time the Baggage Drop was open.

Unfortunately the "Star Alliance" self service machines were just showing "Welcome - Please select your airline" and refusing to do anything else!

I too am flying BA from Gatwick North on a 12.55 flight and want to check in on line. so any information would be gratefully received. I shall have both hand and hold baggage and know the generous allowance BA give.

Re self check in with BA . If you log into ' Manage My Booking' on the BA site , they have an 'Online Check In' demo that takes you thru the whole process . Easier to watch that than try to explain it here . Hope this helps ......

Thanks for that. I'll give it a go as anything to beat the queues will be a blessing.

hi, just an update, i emailed flybe and got a reply within the hour, hows that for service eh!!

Dear

Thank you for your email

What will happen is when you check-in online you will automatically be allocated seat numbers. These will be shown on your boarding cards.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

-dotty

What's the differences between checking online and at the airport?

This topic seems to be puzzling me!

Why checkin online if you have to drop your bags off at the airport anyway?

Because Elsi, you can check-in on line much earlier than is you do so at the airport and therefore have a wider selection of seats.

We flew from Aberdeen to Las Vegas yesterday morning via Manchester with bmi.

At Aberdeen there was a girl directing us to the Self-Service Kiosk. She scanned our passports and pressed all the buttons so it wasn't really self-service and she did it so fast I couldn't get the gist of most of it. Seat numbers popped up on screen for MAN-LAS and she commented that we must have pre-booked them, which we had, and carried on pressing buttons. I noticed that the seat numbers were 31F&G (2 in the middle) whereas I had booked 27H&K (2 at the side). Too late, she tried to go back, but was a few screens further on and the boarding cards had printed. Had to go to the Check In desk to drop our bags as there was no fast bag drop off and managed to get the seats changed there to 25A&C.

Not sure how much time it was supposed to save seeing as we still had to go to the check in desk and get the labels for the cases. I don't think I would be so reluctant to use it again as I would like the opportunity to choose/change our seats.

I was hovering near another self-service kiosk which wasn't manned when a guy put in his ticket. The machine swallowed it and the colour drained from his face. I pointed him to the girl who had helped us and I think he got it sorted.

luci

I always check-in online when possible and then just travel with hand luggage. Some airlines have just self-service kiosks and when I travelled Copenhagen-Gatwick with Sterling Air, I was directed to self-service machine. All well and good but (and that was a bit but) the screen would only come up in Italian so as I had already started the process, I had to continue in Italian (!!!!). Then of course I had to go to the normal check-in to verify that it was all correct - it was, fortunately. I hate little machines that you put cards in and I never use them to withdraw cash. It's my lack of confidence I think - I don't know where my card ends up when I put it into a little slot. If it disappeared totally I would be stuck as I use it for all my shopping.

Just back from Munich airport and we were flying to Heathrow with Lufthansa. We noticed a check in machine so we went to check in (we were there very early about 6 hours before our flight) and a very helpful Lufthansa staff member came over to see if we needed any help. Not only was this a machine that checked you in, it also checked in your bags, which for us was superb as in London we couldn't check our bags in more than 3 hours before our flight!!

The Germans are so efficient aren't they!!

Has anyone done on-line check in with jet2 - we're flying from Newcastle to Palma and return so any experiences would be welcomed.

Tis

tisonlymoi,

Refer to the Jet2 thread. There's a link to my trip report with my experiene of Jet2's online check-in. You'll find it half way down page 22. It's excellent

Darren

Just having a look at Express check in at Manchester, on their website is a brief introduction to it but no list of airlines you can check in does that mean that all of them are using it. Do you have to check in 2 hours before or can you do it earlier. I`m fliying with Thomas cook in August.

I have used express at Ema when Easyjet were first using it, it was great except you had check no earlier than 2 hours before and it was only for easyjet.

christine w,

Thomas Cook don't have self-checkin facilities.

Darren

Hi

Not too sure if this is what you mean but I think this is a list of airlines currently operating self service check in. http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/ExpressCheck-InAirlines

Hope the link works

Gail

Thanks Gail, I hadn't realised TCX had put one in. They didn't have last time I was in T1, and they kept it quiet! 1 desk will hardly encourage people to use it in any case. If they want to take it seriously, they'll need a few more than that.

Darren

Darren as per the aforementioned self service check in, do you know if you can select your seats with this system. Rang Thomson to be told "sorry we dont know". Rang the airport to be told "speak to the airline you are flying with".

We originally booked Thomson so we could pay for seat numbers. We have now rang up Thomson to book our seats to be told that "oh sorry you cant book them, we have now chartered this flight so we would not know which company has booked which seats".

Gail

Gail,

I've never used TOM's system so I wouldn't know to be honest. I would think they are allocated for you otherwise those who have paid to select their seats wouldn't be too happy. There are other factors that effect seat allocation; those who have pre-booked seating that are pre-allocated and whether you have booked meals or not, so I would think the system allocates seats for you.

Darren

Thanks Darren,

I shouldn't complain really, flights increased another £200 since we booked, will get to the airport early and request window seat for OH. It is a 767 with 2-4-2 configuration so as there is only the two of us hopefully OH will get his wish.

Thanks again.

Gail.