US Airways - no internet check in

If you are traveling internationally, sometimes the airlines want to physically see your passport before allowing you to board. I've had this happen on a number of occasions. I wouldn't worry about it and 3 hours is plenty of time to get through this. If it is like what I'm thinking it is, they will ask to see your passport, ask you about your luggage, and then you go on your way.

Thank you for putting my mind at ease. -S

I've also been unable to check-in online. On my last trip with United, I had that issue. I would not worry about it.

Had same problem with American on a trip to Costa Rica. I was able to check-in and print my boarding pass with no problem, but was denied for my husband. I think it may have to do with whether or not you completed all the information including passport number on line and that when checking in you need to use the same exact name as the on the reservation. Three hours is normally plenty of time.

It is not sometimes. The airline will always want to check you passport. A couple times we have been able to partial check in on line but still have to show passport before getting the board pass. This is standard proceedure.

I had problems with USAirways internet check-in when it first came out, but have used internet check-in in both the U.S. and Europe for my last several USAirways international flights with few problems. The one problem is still encounter is that it sometimes won't generate the boarding pass, so I just wait a short time and go back in to print it.

This happened to me once, and it was because my first and middle names somehow got combined on my reservation. I checked in at the desk and it was fine.

I had the same thing happen to me for US Air on a direct flight from Charlotte to Frankfurt last year. They just wanted to see your passport before giving out the boarding pass. When I flew from Charlotte to Rome a few years before, with a stop over in Philadelphia, I was able to fully check in online before leaving my house. I believe this was because at the gate in Philadelphia, everyone was required to approach the podium to show their passports and get a sticker prior to boarding. This process doesn't happen in Charlotte. So perhaps if you're leaving from an airport that has a gate passport check in place, you can check in online, but for airports that do not have that procedure in place you have to check in at the airport. You won't need 3 hours. 2 hours should be more than enough time.

It's a good thing they check your passport. One year I was flying from Indy to Cincinnati and then to Paris. They asked for my passport in Indy which I thought was kind of strange. Turned out I had my old passport which was expired, so had to dash home (taxi cost was $100) and back to get my current passport. I was so glad they asked for it before I left the area.

The airlines are required to check passports. Because they are responsible for getting you home if your passport is not acceptable when you get to your destination and cannot enter the country. Recently had a situation in Denver where a whole family was denied boarding because the husband's passport had torn pages. They were headed to Mexico. So your passport will be check prior to you leaving the US.