Airport Check In

Still not perfect, but getting there

Hopping on a flight used to be simple. You know, stand in line forever, yawn, check your bags, yawn, get your tickets, yawn, go through security on your way to the gate. It was a logistical pain, but it was relatively painless. Since Sept. 11, though, security bottlenecks are common as lines of shoeless passengers submit to thorough searches of what's in their bags and what's under their belts.

Prior to checking in, do a quick once-over and make sure you haven't packed a prohibited item by accident. It is also a good idea to arrive at the airport in plenty of time, have your documents in order and clip identifying tags onto your bags.

Speeding Up the Process with Self-Service Check-In

Just as banks offer automatic banking machines (ABMs) to make banking easier, airports now feature self-service check-in machines to help speed the process. These ABM-like computers allow passengers to complete all of the tasks an airline agent performs. As an example, American Airlines' self-service check-in gives passengers with electronic tickets - called e-tickets - many different options. These include: checking in for up to 4 flight segments, selecting or changing seat assignments, printing a boarding pass, checking bags only and confirming a seat on an alternate flight.

Curbside Check-In

This handy way of checking in actually takes place outside the terminal doors, where airline agents have the ability to take your bags and print boarding passes for e-tickets and one-stop check-in. Delta Air Lines has curbside check-in at over 100 of its domestic locations.

Online Check- In

Web-savvy travelers can now check in with a few mouse clicks. United Airlines makes it easy with fewer than five steps - great for multi-taskers who can't slow down. Select your itinerary, choose the number of passengers, enter passport information, review your information and print it out. You can also select seats, request upgrades and print boarding passes.

Group Check-In

Many carriers make it possible for large groups to check in with minimal hassle. Contact your airline ahead of time to facilitate your group's needs, especially buying tickets and gathering information on weight allowances (particularly if your group is a sports team with extra baggage). Some airlines, for example Swiss Air, allow Web check-in for groups of up to nine people.