Online check-in

Hi, I am a frequent traveller with Virgin, mainly to NY. I always fly UC but never do the online check-in. I believe that normally the main benefits of online checkin would be that I get my seat assigned and avoid the queues.
As neither of those benefits apply to UC passengers, I am left wondering why some UC passengers still checkin online.
Can anyone give me some insight?


Ta!

Good question - I do OLCI because I perceive, rightly or wrongly, that until you've checked in and issued your boarding pass there's a chance that you'll be moved "for operational reasons" (eg to accommodate a group that wants to sit together).

That can still happen on board of course, and it's less likely in UC than Y, but once you've got a boarding pass it makes tinkering a lot harder.

with just cabin baggage online checkin saves some time as you simply head for security, but i tend to do it even if i'll check baggage in an effort, as gumshoe says above, to 'lock in' my chosen seat to the extent possible - anything to avoid the dreaded UCDS centre seats!

fwiw i've seen UC checkin with a queue a few times, if you get caught behind a holiday group with mounds of luggage all trying to find their passports and haggle over seats it can take a while

Check in time is one of the criteria for deciding who (if it's needed) gets downgraded or bumped off the flight. So those checking in early are at less risk than those leaving it late.

For a lot of people doing OLCI means the holiday has started!

These days I always do OLCI but don't print boarding passes, I then go to UC check in on the day to drop luggage & collect boarding passes, as others I have said I do this to make sure that I have the seats booked.

oldboy

Check in time is one of the criteria for deciding who (if it's needed) gets downgraded or bumped off the flight. So those checking in early are at less risk than those leaving it late.

For a lot of people doing OLCI means the holiday has started!

Yeap that's how I see it too. Also agree with 'oldboy' that I hope by doing this I "make sure that I have the seats booked"

However on three occasions travelling with Virgin this has happened... we made our way to the boarding gate with passes in hand.

Last occasion in PE on route to Boston, we get up to the last check point where they take your boarding pass and then get told with a smile "we have changed your seats Mrs H, you are now in 1 & 2A". My traveller partner is horrified as I reply "oh okay"

I march thru, with her saying but, but, but.. she then sighed with relief as we get onboard and are shown to our 'new' seats

Being unable to complete OLCI has been a warning sign for me in the past. It happens very rarely, but if I can't complete OLCI, I always phone up and ask why.

On one occasion the aircraft had been changed late in the day, and was offered the change - on the phone - to be bumped to another flight (which made very little difference to me, and obviously much better to be at home thinking about it than at the airport) for some compensation and miles.

I generally check in online as soon as I can, as I like to know that I'm checked in and hopefully avoid being bumped off if I left it till getting to the airport. Having checked in, I just role up to the desk to pick up my boarding pass.

A word of warning - on my last flight I had checked in online as usual and printed my boarding card. Next day at the desk to check in luggage, get Lounge Invitation & proper boarding card I discovered the new boarding card had a different seat number on it. When I pointed this out I was told , in a very offhand way, that I had been moved .

So your chosen seat isn't always safe even if you have printed your boarding card.

Under the "old" [free of charge for all] seat request system, if you had requested seats & not checked-in online 13hrs before your flight, I think you lost the requested seats - certainly on flights from Heathrow (maybe Gatwick) & JFK - happened to my Mum at JFK.

I have no idea what happens if you are travelling in UC now, so can request seats free of charge & don't do OLCI. I guess they could still move you on the basis you had not paid to request seats - whereas they would try and avoid moving people in Economy who had paid as this would be a pure loss of - easy - revenue.

Also, if you do OLCI - flying to the USA - and the system goes through all the check-in process but you then get a message saying your boarding pass cannot be issued, it's likely you have been SSSS'd. (Selected for Secondary Security Screening & have to collect a boarding pass at the airport). Has happened to me - unsure why they can't issue the BP online, as the barcode on it should be the same, so when scanned at the gate the light is going to go red & you get your carry-on baggage checked in detail.