Probably every person takes their vacation planning very seriously. We all carefully study the countries and resorts we want to visit, sort out our suitcases several times, decide what to put in a tourist first-aid kit, look for information about the most interesting excursions and places. However, as practice shows, most people forget about the most important, namely about advance booking of tickets. As a result of this, the long-awaited vacation may be on the verge of collapse. Indeed, you will agree that it will not be very pleasant if you arrive at the airport a few hours before departure, and at the ticket office they tell you that there are no empty seats, or you simply do not have time to go through the inspection procedure. To avoid this, you need to know how to register for a plane online and directly at the airport. In this article, we will look at the most common ways and learn some very useful tips.
Why do I need to register?
This question worries many novice travelers who have never used air transport before. Once at the airport for the first time, many are simply lost, and only one thought revolves in their heads: how to register for an airplane flight? And this is not surprising, because the ticket is already there and personal information is listed in the electronic database, so you can safely go through passport control.
The answer lies in the airports themselves. They can serve dozens of aircraft per day, and even a small delay can lead to serious consequences. When departing, every second counts. To avoid shifts in the schedule, for a certain time before departure, all passengers must register. It usually starts in about one hour.
Registration Methods
Let's look at them in more detail. If you do not want to miss your flight, you should have a detailed understanding of how this process goes. Today in Russia you can register for a plane in two ways:
- in place;
- through the Internet.
In the first case, you must personally be present at the airport, and the second allows you to do everything you need remotely, for example, via phone, driving to the departure point. Each of the methods has certain features. And so that you do not have any problems, then we will consider in detail how to register for an airplane using each of them. The instructions given will help you not to be late for your flight and successfully set off on a long-awaited trip.
Baggage Check-In
So, what is the feature of this method? When you buy a plane ticket (you will learn how to register for it later), you are also forced to pay for a seat in the luggage compartment, as only small cabin baggage is allowed in the cabin. At the same time, you should understand that the process of putting your suitcase into luggage is slightly different from the procedure that passengers must go through. Its registration takes only a few minutes and is conditional. It involves weighing bags and sticking tags on them, which will subsequently make it easy to identify baggage. As soon as everything necessary is done, he is taken from the owner and sent for loading.
How to register online?
This aspect should be given special attention. The World Wide Web opens up almost limitless possibilities, because through it you can solve a huge number of problems without leaving your own home. Therefore, many people are interested in the answer to the question of how to register for a plane via the Internet. This is nothing complicated. The procedure starts 24 hours in advance and ends approximately 40 minutes before departure. At the same time, it is very important to carefully calculate the time so that you manage to get to the airport, otherwise no one will delay the flight for you.
However, there is one important nuance. Many airlines offer their customers various bonuses for using services, for which you can subsequently get a good discount. If you decide to register electronically for the plane (you can find out how to do this by phone at any airport), then keep in mind that in this case you will not receive any privileges.
To confirm your intention to fly, you need to go to the airline’s website or in the company’s application, in which you need to fill in all the proposed fields. Particular attention should be paid to passport data and ticket number. If you make even the slightest mistake, you simply will not be allowed to board.
What to do next?
After you provide all the necessary information and the system confirms the successful registration, you will receive an electronic boarding pass. It must be saved and printed, since only this document confirms your right to fly. After that, you will have to arrive some time before departure, hand over your suitcase in your luggage and present your passport and a printed coupon to the airport staff. The advantage of online registration is that it takes only a few seconds to pass the control, since your data will already be in the electronic database, so you will only be stamped on the electronic ticket and you will be able to go into the waiting area.
When is online registration impossible?
So what do you need to know? This aspect is worth exploring in the first place. As you have already seen, remotely confirm the intention to fly is quite simple. The answer to the question about how to register for a plane over the Internet was given in detail above, but it is also important to have an idea of the cases in which this procedure is not possible.
At the airport, a personal presence is required for the following categories of citizens:
- people suffering from severe pathologies or using specialized medical equipment, such as a pacemaker;
- passengers traveling with animals;
- citizens carrying special or dangerous items in their luggage;
- vacationers on a tour package;
- if tickets were bought at the same time for 9 people or more.
In addition, people who do not trust modern technologies should refuse electronic registration. It is better for them to arrive at the airport in advance and ask their staff for help.
What to do with luggage?
It was described in detail above how to register for a plane remotely, but here, probably, many will have a question about what to do with their things that are forbidden to be carried into the cabin. You can hand them in the luggage compartment, if you contact one of the following places:
- reception desk;
- reseption;
- automatic baggage claim.
It is worth noting that the latter option is possible only at modern airports, equipped in accordance with the latest technology. In our country, there are practically none. Therefore, the best option is the baggage claim.
Check-in at the airport
How is this process going? This option is one of the most common, because it is simple and understandable for the vast majority of citizens, regardless of age group. However, despite this, not everyone knows how to register on the spot on the plane. There are two ways to do this:
- in the self-service terminal;
- at the front desk.
The first option is best for experienced travelers who regularly or periodically fly airplanes. If for you it will be the first experience of using air transport, it is recommended to use the second method. In self-service terminals, registration starts on average in 10 hours, through airport employees - about 40 minutes. It closes in different ways. It all depends on the specific airline.
Reseption
What is it for? If you yourself do not know how to register for an airplane flight, then the airport staff will be the best and most reasonable way out. They stand behind special stands, which are easy to notice. Near them are constantly huge lines of departing tourists. You will need to go to the window on the monitor of which your flight number will be displayed. Here you will need to present a passport, and after your data is entered into the program, you will receive your ticket. An airport employee will immediately weigh your luggage and stick a tag on it. After the boarding pass is in your hands, you can go to the waiting room or immediately to boarding.
Self-service terminals
As a rule, there are always kilometer queues near the reception, so in order to wait for yours, you may need to stand for several hours, which in itself is quite tiring. Therefore, many people, having stood for a certain period of time and tired of waiting, think about where to check in for a plane faster? The answer is unequivocal - self-service terminals. This service is very convenient because it saves a lot of time, but not all airports in our country provide it. However, in Western countries, such a service is very common.
Everyone can use the terminal, even poorly versed in modern phones and computers, because they have Russian language, and the interface is simple and intuitive. You just need to follow the prompts of the electronic system. After you enter information about yourself, the device will issue a boarding pass. As for baggage, you can check it in any convenient way described earlier in this article.
Which registration method is better?
So, you have been planning a vacation for a long time, have decided where you will go, packed your bags and even already bought a ticket. What's next? It was described in detail above how to register for a plane online and on-site at the airport, but which method is still better? Electronic flight recording provides many advantages, among which are the following:
- saving time and nerves, because you do not need to stand in long lines;
- the ability to choose the most favorite place on board;
- you insure yourself that the airline will sell more tickets than seats on the plane, which is quite common at the height of the tourist season.
Thus, registering a ticket for a flight over the Internet is very relevant. You save a decent amount of time that you can spend on yourself, for example, go shopping, read a fashion magazine or drink a cup of coffee.
Conclusion
There is nothing complicated in registering for an airplane, so if you follow the instructions described in this article, then you will certainly succeed. And if in the process you encounter any difficulties, then do not hesitate to ask for help from airport employees. They will be happy to provide you with advice on any issues and will do everything possible so that you do not miss your flight.