Online check in issue

Hi, myself, my wife and 18year old daughter are flying with Virgin tomorrow from Manchester to Orlando. The app invited us to check in online which I was able to do for my wife with no problems, but it won’t let either myself or my daughter check in online. It only tells us that we need to check in tomorrow at the airport. Is this normal or should I be worried. Never flown Virgin before, or the the USA.

It’s by no means unusual and is rarely a problem. Likely just to be a check required by the US authorities, which all airlines are required to carry out on a random sample of passengers and which will be done at check-in. You may also get the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass, which means you’ve been selected for additional security screening at the gate. (I say dreaded, but it’s nothing to worry about. Just a pain!)

It’s by no means unusual and is rarely a problem. Likely just to be a check required by the US authorities, which all airlines are required to carry out on a random sample of passengers and which will be done at check-in. You may also get the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass, which means you’ve been selected for additional security screening at the gate. (I say dreaded, but it’s nothing to worry about. Just a pain!)

Oh joy! Time to remove any extra stuff from our hand luggage then.! Now not looking forward to my holidays!

The extra search will not take more than a few minutes.

I flew with VS twice last year to the USA, both times with friends who had not flown with them before. Neither could check in online and both had SSSS on their boarding passes. It really was not bit deal for their carry on bags to be searched at the gate.

No reason at all not to look forward to your holiday!

Agreed - it’s a minor inconvenience, nothing more. I’ve been through airports where you have to submit to three full searches (Egypt, Turkey etc) - now THAT’S annoying.

For SSSS they’ll just rifle through your bags, may take some stuff out and might ask you to switch on any tablets, laptops etc to prove they work. Absolutely no reason for it to spoil your holiday - you’ll have to do the same at the theme parks every day, if you’re going there!

It’s by no means unusual and is rarely a problem. Likely just to be a check required by the US authorities, which all airlines are required to carry out on a random sample of passengers and which will be done at check-in. You may also get the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass, which means you’ve been selected for additional security screening at the gate. (I say dreaded, but it’s nothing to worry about. Just a pain!)

Oh joy! Time to remove any extra stuff from our hand luggage then.! Now not looking forward to my holidays!

Seriously?

If it is SSSS it’s a two min check and you might even get on the plane before everyone else. Not even worth worrying about.

When I went in May I couldn’t check in online but the lady sorted it out at the desk, no SSSS. No idea what the issue was, but Virgin’s IT isn’t the best.

Also happened to myself and Mrs Murraymint last year at MAN. When we arrived at the checkin desk the lady said it happens quite a lot. She said she had been told that sometimes the online check in doesn’t pull through the passport number properly or doesn’t recognise it, hence refers you to check in at the airport.

The main reason for not being able to check-in is down to the document check (just wanting to see your passport), followed by ticketing issues - a requested upgrade that wasn't processed properly and they want the £6.84 still outstanding for example or just a glitch in the initial ticketing.

And then more esoteric reasons like SSSS. Now usually having SSSS does not prevent OLCI but does prevent printing a boarding pass.

Last week a friend of mind couldn't OLCI check-in with BA but his partner could so he messaged me to ask what the reasons were - he assumed his visa then SSSS then did it mean an upgrade!. So told him in his personal case it was most likely they wanted to see his visa and that turned out to be the reason and no SSSS once he was checked in. They were both actually upgraded to CW (shocking I know people who planned to fly in WTP lol) but at the gate.

[mitchja]

Another scenario where VS OLCI often fails is if you booked via Delta and fly on VS metal with a 006 DL ticket number instead of a 932 VS ticket number.

I would guess the same is now also true booking via AF or KL as well.

It's also worth trying both the app and the website and sometimes, the VS app fails but the website will work.

When I flew VS to ATL then DL to EWN booked via Delta the other week, the VS app wouldn't check me in, but the website did!

My OH and I fly all the time and we BOTH got the message today that we can't check in for our flight tomorrow :( I'm assuming it's just SSSS as my OH gets that about once a year, but as we're flying on Gs I really hope there aren't any issues and we've been downgraded or something...

Well just checked in at the airport and yup surprise surprise we both have SSSS on our boarding passes

Deep joy

M

In which case, assuming your wife doesn’t, make sure your and your daughter’s tablets, laptops and any electricals are in her carry-on when you arrive at the gate. Might save some time and hassle in the morning.

Basically the two of you need to pack your carry-ons as light as possible and get your wife to carry as much as she can! You can then redistribute at the gate once you’ve been searched, or on board.

Enjoy the flight and have a great holiday.

Does SSSS only affect you at the departure airport, or does it also affect you at your arrival airport as well?

Just departure. It’s a TSA thing, nothing to do with immigration which is a CBP thing.

Just to say that we were both picked for the extra security; I've never hoped for an extra security check in my life! I have a bunch of weird gifts in my carry on so I hope the security crew enjoy it