How do I check in with only "carry on luggage" - Sydney to Los Angeles?

[trishsmith]

We are heading to the USA for 3 months and challenging ourselves to taking carry on luggage only. Do we have to go to the Qantas desks at the Sydney International airport if we have already got our seat allocation, or go straight through to the immigration desk and avoid the Qantas counters altogether, or do they have to check the passport before we go behind those doors? thanks, Trish

 

[Grooba]

Passport check required to get your boarding pass.

So yes you need to see a counter agent.

 

[jamesatfish]

Passport check required to get your boarding pass.

So yes you need to see a counter agent.

Provided you've entered your APIS information you can check in online and print your boarding passes for international flights* without needing to see a counter agent. Your passport will be checked against your boarding pass at customs and most likely again at the gate.


*I've done this for flights to the US and again tonight for a flight tomorrow to NZ. Not sure about other destinations though.

 

[serfty]

Passport check required to get your boarding pass.

So yes you need to see a counter agent.

If all your APIS info is in and your ESTA complete then there's no need to visit a check-in counter. (Unless to pick up an express pass if you are eligible.)

Simply do OLCI 24 hours before the flight and print out the BP's on A4 paper.

(Also assumes you are not in an exit seat.)

I generally get my PP checked when entering the lounge.

 

[trishsmith]

If all your APIS info is in and your ESTA complete then there's no need to visit a counter. (Unless to pick up an express pass if you are eligible.)

Simply do OLCI 24 hours before the flight and print out the BP's on A4 paper.

(Also assumes you are not in an exit seat.)

Seems like a few different answers. I have all the ESTA and will do the online check in, so I think I'll take the gamble and go straight through. I suppose the worst case scenario is that the customs people will send us back to the check in counter. Thanks for everyone's input. If there are other versions, please keep them coming!!

 

[koonyaflyer]

My experience, albeit 2 years ago, on a SYD to AKL flight in similar circumstances, was that it caused delay at the gate. When they scanned my boarding pass I was pulled out of the line and they did some sort of authentication of our passports prior to boarding. My 2 travelling companions had the same issues.

As a result I am not sure that skipping the check in counter gave us much advantage, nor the black looks and reminder to go to the check in counter next time.

Things may have changed in2 years ...

 

[serfty]

When I do this, upon accessing the lounge they generally request to see my passport, after which they update something in my booking.

If not, yes, they need to do it at the gate, but what's a minute there, compared to an hour or more additional in the lounge.

 

[jamesatfish]

Just to add - the front desk staffer at the CBR J lounge rechecked our passport details as we entered the lounge.

The other issue I'd forgotten was that she also have us our outbound immigration cards and express passes, both of which obviously can only be obtained at the airport.

 

[serfty]

...

The other issue I'd forgotten was that she also have us our outbound immigration cards and express passes, both of which obviously can only be obtained at the airport.

I keep a handful at home and generally fill one out before getting to the airport.

It is easy enough to grab some at the airport counters or in the emigration hall on your next time through.

 

[Grooba]

Apologies to you trishsmith for misleading information.
Seems it is indeed possible to skip the QF check in desks.

In my last 7 years of flying I have not once skipped this procedure. Might have to try it out next week.

Thanks serfty and jamesatfish for enlightening me.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

My experience, albeit 2 years ago, on a SYD to AKL flight in similar circumstances, was that it caused delay at the gate. When they scanned my boarding pass I was pulled out of the line and they did some sort of authentication of our passports prior to boarding. My 2 travelling companions had the same issues.

As a result I am not sure that skipping the check in counter gave us much advantage, nor the black looks and reminder to go to the check in counter next time.

Things may have changed in2 years ...

Anytime you do OLCI the system will enter a comment "check passports & visas".

If you have checked in luggage, when the CSA goes to print bag tags this comment will popup & need to be cleared prior to bag tags printing out so it's sorted at checkin.

If you have done OLCI & only have carry on just see a ground staff member prior to boarding & say "hi there could you reprint my boarding pass as I checked in online with no bags".

When the CSA reprints the boarding pass the "check passports & visas" comment will appear & can be deleted. They will need to check your passports of course to check you have the valid documentation to enter the US.

As the gate agent will be signed into the boarding application so they may opt to view the 'ineligible to board' list & they can delete the "check passports & visas" comments there without the need to reprint boarding passes.

As not all lounge staff have done boarding of flights they may not be aware of the second method so I think it's just easier to ask for a boarding pass reprint if you have lounge access.

When you have multiple QF flights the comment will only appear against the first flight so for eg CBR/SYD/LAX you only need to deal with this in CBR not SYD as well.

 

[TonyHancock]

I routinely do this for overseas travel, and as serfty posts I get my Passport checked in the lounge. I do this when overseas too, do will check in for QF flights at LHR T3 and head to the BA lounge. I let the BA Lounge Dragon know that QF needs to sight my passport and the QF rep tracks me down when he/she arrives in the lounge. (I'm typically in the lounge before the QF check in desks open.)

 

[horseman]

Why not takes the 15 mins of your time and check in at the desk?

 

[serfty]

Why not takes the 15 mins of your time and check in at the desk?

Because check in may not open until two or three hours before a flight and a passenger might want to get to, say, a 'first class' lounge much earlier than that would permit.

 

[TonyHancock]

Why not takes the 15 mins of your time and check in at the desk?

(I'm typically in the lounge before the QF check in desks open.)

...............

 

[FlashKiwi]

When I do this, upon accessing the lounge they generally request to see my passport, after which they update something in my booking.

If not, yes, they need to do it at the gate, but what's a minute there, compared to an hour or more additional in the lounge.

I have being doing this for a while, but on a recent BNE AKL flight was not let past immigration. I had PDF on phone but try made me walk back upstairs and get a paper copy. He called his supervisor and he told me no uncertain terms I was not passing this point with out a paper boarding pass. -

Not sure how this will work when they have Smartgate for departures......

 

[serfty]

I have being doing this for a while, but on a recent BNE AKL flight was not let past immigration. I had PDF on phone but try made me walk back upstairs and get a paper copy. He called his supervisor and he told me no uncertain terms I was not passing this point with out a paper boarding pass. -

Not sure how this will work when they have Smartgate for departures......

I should point out that in all cases I have an (A4) paper printed Boarding Pass - I would never attempt to get though emigration with just an image on a screen.

And smartgate won't come into it in relation to boarding passes. Currently you need both a BP and a departures card, I doubt that will change any time this decade.