# Aer Lingus Online Checkin



## NewEdition (8 Nov 2013)

I am having trouble checking in online on Aer Lingus website (depart date next week).
It is trying to force me to select a seat, at an extra cost.
I dont want to pay for selecting a seat, but I am unable to progress past the page.

If I just go to the airport with the booking email on my phone, along with the booking ref, is there an extra charge for checking in at the airport having not checked in online?

Thanks


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## Bronte (8 Nov 2013)

You're probably too soon to check in.  You will nearer the time be allowed to check in online, they will allocate a seat to you for free, and you have the option to change it too, free of charge.  Alternatively, show up at the airport, put your credit card in the machine and it will check you in and print a boarding card for you.


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## Berni (8 Nov 2013)

You can check in for free once you are within 30 hours of your flight.
If you want to check in sooner, you must pay extra for the seat.

You can still check in free at the airport with aer lingus.


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## dereko1969 (8 Nov 2013)

NewEdition said:


> I am having trouble checking in online on Aer Lingus website (depart date next week).
> It is trying to force me to select a seat, at an extra cost.
> I dont want to pay for selecting a seat, but I am unable to progress past the page.
> 
> ...



You can only check in online for free with Aer Lingus within 30 hours of the flight. Doing so means you get to pick your seat then, if you want it's easy enough to check yourself in at one of their machines in the airport there's no cost for doing that either.

Check whether your return airport allows online check-in or whether you have to check in at the airport.


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## NewEdition (8 Nov 2013)

Thanks, thats likely to be the problem then.. Seems silly the 30 hour restriction.. Ryan Air allow much more advance checkins!


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## Bronte (8 Nov 2013)

NewEdition said:


> Ryan Air allow much more advance checkins!


 
Do you really really want to open that debate.


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## Purple (8 Nov 2013)

The Aer Lingus App is excellent. 
I use it to check in for flights every week.


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## Deas (8 Nov 2013)

You can check in earlier if you buy a seat.


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## dereko1969 (8 Nov 2013)

NewEdition said:


> Thanks, thats likely to be the problem then.. Seems silly the 30 hour restriction.. Ryan Air allow much more advance checkins!



Yes but you don't get to pick your seat unless you pay, swings and roundabouts.


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## Homer (20 Jan 2014)

Actually, if you wait until you are within 30 hours of the scheduled departure, you can choose your seat for free.


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## dub_nerd (21 Jan 2014)

The two Aer Lingus options are called (if memory serves correctly) "online check-in" and "web check-in". They're quite clearly designed to mislead some percentage of customers into thinking that they have no option but to pay for an assigned seat. Pretty scandalous, if you ask me.

I used Ryanair's new website the other day -- the one that's supposed to be easier to navigate. I had to actually laugh at how intentionally obfuscatory the travel insurance option is. Spot the "I don't want it" option, 12th in an unsorted list of 22 countries. Again, scandalous.


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## Time (21 Jan 2014)

It is a lot better than it used to be.


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## Bronte (21 Jan 2014)

And it will probably be better again from 1st Feb when Michael starts killing us with kindness and other old fashioned things like politeness.

By the way, I recently saw Aer Lingus weighting bags at the gate (in Dublin) so you are warned, it was the first time I've seen this.


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## markpb (21 Jan 2014)

Bronte said:


> And it will probably be better again from 1st Feb when Michael starts killing us with kindness and other old fashioned things like politeness.
> 
> By the way, I recently saw Aer Lingus weighting bags at the gate (in Dublin) so you are warned, it was the first time I've seen this.



They seem to do it very occasionally. It's happened me twice, once from Amsterdam to Dublin and another at Barcelona to Dublin, both times when the flight was fully booked. They also removed second carry-on bags from passengers and checked them into the hold free of charge.


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## STEINER (23 Sep 2014)

dereko1969 said:


> You can only check in online for free with Aer Lingus within 30 hours of the flight.
> 
> Check whether your return airport allows online check-in or whether you have to check in at the airport.




Just to double check this....

Within 30 hours, aer lingus check-in online is free?  

30 day advance check-in online is currently asking me for €5 for economy seat selection.  As I am going on a short flight I am not bothering to pay the usual fee for emergency aisle seats


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## Brendan Burgess (23 Sep 2014)

Yes, that is correct. 

It's a bit of a pain if you are going away overnight. You can only check in free on the way out, if you check in before you go.  You have to check in again while you are abroad to come home. It's probably easier to pay for it.

Ryanair allows you to check in for free which is much more convenient.


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## STEINER (25 Sep 2014)

Brendan Burgess said:


> Yes, that is correct.
> 
> It's a bit of a pain if you are going away overnight. You can only check in free on the way out, if you check in before you go.  You have to check in again while you are abroad to come home. It's probably easier to pay for it.



Thanks, I saved a fiver by checking in online this morning within the 30 hours window and I 'll leave it to the airport on my return.  I normally pay extra for exit seats but the last time I flew, I got the extra large passenger beside me, the one with the protruding elbows.


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## dereko1969 (25 Sep 2014)

Brendan Burgess said:


> Yes, that is correct.
> 
> It's a bit of a pain if you are going away overnight. You can only check in free on the way out, if you check in before you go.  You have to check in again while you are abroad to come home. It's probably easier to pay for it.
> 
> Ryanair allows you to check in for free which is much more convenient.





STEINER said:


> Thanks, I saved a fiver by checking in online this morning within the 30 hours window and I 'll leave it to the airport on my return.  I normally pay extra for exit seats but the last time I flew, I got the extra large passenger beside me, the one with the protruding elbows.



You can download the Aer Lingus app and check in online on that. Not available for use at all airports though so check their website.


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## Purple (26 Sep 2014)

dereko1969 said:


> You can download the Aer Lingus app and check in online on that. Not available for use at all airports though so check their website.



Yea,



Purple said:


> The Aer Lingus App is excellent.
> I use it to check in for flights every week.


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## STEINER (1 Oct 2014)

dereko1969 said:


> You can download the Aer Lingus app and check in online on that. Not available for use at all airports though so check their website.



I don't use a smartphone but I easily checked in for free at the return airport using one of the self-service check-in machines.  I couldn't pick the row but I could select a window or aisle seat when I scanned my passport.


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## roker (1 Oct 2014)

I wasn't aware that I needed to check in on line with Aer Lingus, I have a flight booked from Cork in November and the booking confirmation says "confirmed" with Ref No. I thought I just presented this to the check in desk. I cannot see anything about checking in in advance.


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## gipimann (1 Oct 2014)

You don't have to check in online with AL (unlike Ryanair who penalise you if you don't). It's just a convenience for the passenger.


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## Bronte (2 Oct 2014)

Agree with Gipimann, just make sure you are on time.  Dublin is not so bad to get through nowadays, it's all much more steamlined.  But I guess that can also depend on the flight times.


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