Check-in

Check-in is the process whereby people announce their arrival at a hotel, airport, sea port, or event.

The check-in process at airports enables passengers to check in luggage onto a plane and to obtain a boarding pass. When presenting at the check-in counter, a passenger will provide evidence of right to travel, such as a ticket, visa or electronic means. Each airline provides facilities for passengers to check in their luggage, except their carry-on bags. This may be by way of airline-employed staff at check-in counters at airports or through an agency arrangement or by way of a self-service kiosk. The luggage is weighed and tagged, and then placed on a conveyor that usually feeds the luggage into the main baggage handling system. The luggage goes into the aircraft's cargo hold. The check-in staff then issues each passenger with a boarding pass.

There is an increasing trend towards more streamlined checking-in processes, whereby passengers can bypass or reduce the time in queues at the staffed check-in counters. This may involve passengers checking in online before arriving at the airport or using an airline's self-service check-in kiosks at the airport. Some airports have curbside check-in, where passengers can check in their bags to an airline representative before entering the terminal and then proceeding directly to security.

Many airlines have a deadline for passengers to check-in before each flight. This is to allow the airline to offer unclaimed seats to stand-by passengers, to load luggage onto the plane and to finalise documentation for take-off. The passenger must also take into account the time that would be required for them to clear the check-in line, to pass security and then to walk (sometimes also to ride) from the check-in area to the boarding area. This may take several hours at some airports or at some times of the year. On international flights, additional time would be required for immigration and customs clearance.

At hotels or similar establishments, guests are usually required to check in (also called register or sign-in), which involves providing or confirming the guests' personal information and providing a signature. Guests may need to hand over their identification documents, passport or drivers licence so that the hotel can make and keep copies of these on record. Check in times vary but this can range from 12pm until about 3pm depending on the establishments rules and regulations. Late check-ins can be arranged through the hotel as long as the guests book this well in advance and arrange all the necessary details. The establishment may require guests to provide a credit card guarantee to cover potential costs such as room service for the duration of the stay, and to enable an express check-out at the end of the stay. At the end of the check-in, the reception staff will provide guests with a room key.

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Wikipedia