Checking is the process during which you are able to select seats (or get these auto-allocated), check in your baggage and get the boarding pass issued. In the absence of boarding pass, the airline will deny your boarding. In India, it is mandatory to carry a printed boarding pass failiing which you will be asked to get it printed at the airport by paying an extra fee. When online ticketing was not ushered in, check in counters at airports used to handle this process. But, after the advent of internet and maturing of ecommerce platforms, it became possible to offer tickets online. This also led to providing the facility of online check in. IndiGo airlines also offers web check in facility.
There are many benefits of web check in. It reduces the pain of wait for passengers in long queues at airports. It also leads to saving time and making the whole process easy and convenient. Indigo web check in happens automatically when you book ticket on it. However, if you have booked ticket with some agency, then check in can also happen at a later stage. In latter case, online check in facility opens 48 hours before the scheduled departure of flight. This permits you to select your seats, add various services such as meals, bags, priority check in etc. And, in the end, you get the boarding pass.
However, this web check in facility is available currently only on domestic flights. For passengers carrying only the hand baggage, this facility can be used to get the boardig passes and then go straight to the security clearance, skipping the checkin counter at the airport.
But, if passenger is carrying the check in baggage, then web check in can still happen but there is an additional requirement to go to the Drop Off counters at the airport to get the bag tags and leave the luggage at the airport. Since additional arrangements have to be done for the drop off counters, this facility is currently limited to only select cities of the country.
Indigo web check in is not allowed for certain passengers who are required to report to the check in counter. These are passengers on wheelchairs, infants travelling along, pregnant women and other such persons who have to show their documents at the time of check in or have to prove their medical fitness before travel.
It shall also be noted that this facility is not allowed for international flights since the passengers are required to show their travel documents at the airport and boarding pass is not sent through email or sms and has to be obtained from the counter at the airport.
Martin Wynn
