Check in at airport T-24, but check in luggage later? Possible?

For various reasons, the on-line check in does not work for me when travelling internationally, when I'm using my other passport (note : I have 2, from different countries).

For this particular trip its benificial for me to use the other one. However, when I use the non US one I get the classic "this is not a boarding pass" . .bomb will check me in fine, but those days are over.

The flight is FULL in my ticketed cabin (BusinessFirst) , and not wanting to risk a downgrade ( its happened to me before), and improve my chances for an upgrade to the next cabin (Global First), I want to check in as early as possible. Doing so online would not be work.

So my plan is to stop by the airport when check in opens, get my boarding passes, then come back the next day with luggage to add on later. Is this possible?

Paging sfogate....

When does airport check in open for your flight? IME it's at most about four hours before departure. Sometimes these are TSA rules and sometimes the rules of the airline or airport. For example, at SIN on USA carrier flights to the USA, TSA rules prevent early check ins, as we were told by UA reps at an event at SIN, while SQ can permit checkin and bag drop 48 hours before the flight, with access to airside at that time.

So I guess its 4 hours before the flight. Damn. Ok, so much for that idea.

Outside USA rules are different. LH permits a bag drop the night before ex-FRA, ex-MUC (which I love)

Sure. Check in opens 24 hours out and you can drop bags usually 3 or 4 hours out.

Downgrading a GS??? Something wrong with the system if that happens.

Yes, you absolutely can check in at the airport early and drop your bags off later. I do that all the time when overnighting at FRA. I too have that "This is not a boarding pass" notice after all the information being input. Actually... reading the fine print... "this is not a boparding pass" does not mean "we couldn't check you in". You are checked in. You just don't have a boarding pass until after your paperwork is checked.

This would be ex-US, not Germany. So I think the 4 hour rule applies.

And yes, I've seen a GS get downgraded. I'm a 1K. Though the GS downgrade happened before 3/3, if that makes any difference. At the end of the day, a person holding a full fare ticket has priority.

I believe the GS in question, a friend, was holding and NC space (originally Y cabin). Oversold first and business class, with lots of full fares. It does happen. On United. Not quite so often thankfully.

I'm sure the folks at American would be dreaming of such scenarios....

Nice. This requires me to go to the airport though, I hope it won't be in vain.

I wouldn't make a special trip the day before just for battle-field upgrade priority. YMMV.

It's Intl not domestic . One seat in left the next cabin up . YMMV

Still wouldn't do it.

You're GS. I'm not. Point is now moot. ON opened.

I'm still 100% on SWU upgrade success

You are not necessarily checked in. At least when I've had this happen, I didn't get added to the upgrade wait list (which you would if you were checked in).

Wasn't considering that in my decision tree. I wouldn't do it as a 1K or a Platinum or a Gold or a Silver either.

Glad it is a moot point now.

Yay... 'happy for you.
I've been able to self upgrade to ON myself recently. I'd always called in but the website seemed to work well once I'd located a SWU'able route... I managed to get the 15+ F seat ORD-HKG on Tuesday.

The way I understand it is that SWU to Y cabin -> C cabin or C cabin to -> F Cabin
is processed

- SWU (aka GPU) or Miles + Co Pay are treated the same way

Battlefield at the airport is processed,
- Status first. In which case sbm12/WA would have won
- Fare purchased. Its safe to assume most people are on D or W. Well, maybe there is more variety Y->C cabin
- Time of check in.

With the lame "This is not a boarding pass" I would be at a disadvantage over someone who did not get "This is not a boarding pass"

Yes, assuming you are on the same fare basis. But, like I said, I don't think it is personally worth an extra trip to the airport, at any status level. That's how I value my time. Doesn't mean it has to be the same as yours. Since none of us know what the other passengers' fare classes are it is hard to know if it really matters or not. I generally prefer to spend my time and money on things when I know I can directly impact the outcome.

Please stop pretending that my current GS status makes a difference in that. If you go back and look at my quite robust posting history on FT you'll see that I've been claiming the same for years.