Procrastination-prone passengers, take note: Another airline has just moved its deadline for checking in for flights. Now you have a little less time.
Effective Tuesday, June 3, United Airlines requires all customers on domestic flights to check in at least 45 minutes before the scheduled departure.
The rule applies to everybody, whether they are checking luggage or not.
Up to now, domestic passengers without checked bags could check in up to 30 minutes before departure. The cutoff time for international flights remains 60 minutes before departure.
The check-in window still opens 24 hours before a flight. You can check in online, via United’s mobile app, or at an airport kiosk.
If you fail to meet the new, earlier check-in deadline, United might not let you board the flight or check bags, according to the company’s policies.
Why the time shift?
“The change brings greater consistency for our customers by aligning with our current checked baggage deadline and the check-in policies followed by most other airlines,” a United spokesperson explained to Yahoo News.
That bit about other airlines being in alignment isn’t 100% accurate, though.
Check-in Deadlines for U.S. Airlines
American Airlines has a check-in policy almost identical to United’s new plan, with check-in opening 24 hours before a domestic flight and closing 45 minutes before takeoff.
But Delta Air Lines passengers only have to meet the 45-minute cutoff if they have bags to check; otherwise, the deadline remains 30 minutes for domestic flights. Delta moved the time forward for passengers with checked bags in April.
Similarly, JetBlue‘s policy allows you to check in as late as 30 minutes before departure without checked bags, but at least 40 minutes before scheduled liftoff if you want to check bags.
All those carriers are last-minute loafers compared to Alaska Airlines, which wants flyers checked in at least 50 minutes before departure, with or without bags to check.
With other recent time-related policy changes, such as American’s move to start the boarding process earlier, it seems like there’s less and less wiggle room in the airlines’ standard recommendation to show up at the airport at least 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one.
Sure, you might end up bored at your gate for long stretches. But when have airlines ever worried about wasting your time?
