airberlin check-in

How can I check in for an airberlin flight?

airberlin has several check-in methods to make your flight the most pleasant experience:

  • Web Check-in.
  • Mobile Check-in.
  • Quick Check-in.
  • Evening Check-in.

What is the check-in deadline at the airport?

When traveling with airberlin, your check-in time will depend on your departure airport. Airport check-in desks open 120 minutes before the flight’s departure. If you are planning to fly to Canada or the US, you can check in 180 minutes before the flight’s departure, and, for departures from Canada or the US, check-in desks open 240 minutes before the flight’s departure.

Check-in deadlines vary depending on the departure airport. airberlin check-in desks close from 30 to 90 minutes before the flight’s departure, but you can check the deadlines at individual airports here.

For a long-haul flight, you must be in possession of your boarding pass at least 90 minutes before the flight’s departure.

The check-in deadlines also apply for checking baggage even if you have already checked in online or by mobile. airberlin will not check in passengers who arrive after the check-in deadline, and these passengers lose the right to take that flight and have no right to a reimbursement or free rebooking.

Web Check-in

If you would like to save time when you check in, check in anywhere and practically at any time (up to 30 hours before your flight’s departure), and choose your own seating, then Web Check-in is just for you.

Availability

Between 30 hours and 45 minutes before departure, Web Check-in is available for all bookings with a valid electronic ticket regardless of how the booking was made, with the following exceptions:

  • Group booking of more than 11 people.
  • Unaccompanied Minors.
  • To/from  the  United  States  and  Cuba, between 24 hours before departure of the long-haul flight and 3 hours prior to departure.
  • At a few airports, where airberlin’s check-in system is not yet supported or official restrictions do not permit web check-in.

Requirements and Options

In order to use Web Check-in, you will need to enter your last name and booking number, or ticket number and departure airport. Once you enter the information, you can check in up to a maximum of ten other people that will fly with you and select seats. Then, your boarding pass will be sent to you.

If you have booked an Economy Light fare, then you can’t choose your own seat since this option is not available in this category.

Checking Baggage

When you use the Web Check-in option and are traveling with baggage, airberlin offers special Baggage Drop-off desks at specific airports, or the usual check-in desks at all airports. You must check your baggage before the check-in deadline.

Boarding Pass

After you check in online, you will need your boarding pass, for which you have several options of receiving:

  • PDF boarding pass to download or receive by email – if you decide to receive your boarding pass as PDF or by email, you have to print it in A4 format. You can’t use the boarding pass accessed on your mobile for boarding purposes.
  • Boarding pass via Wallet – during the Web Check-in procedure, you can have it sent to you as an email attachment and then access it with an iPhone and save it in Wallet. When you check in via the airberlin app, you can also retrieve the boarding pass via Wallet.
  • SMS with link to mobile boarding pass – your boarding pass can be sent to you via SMS. You must have a mobile phone that has internet access. The SMS sent to your mobile phone will have a link to access your boarding pass.
  • Mobile boarding pass by email – the boarding pass can be sent to you in the form of a barcode, as attachment to an email. You can open the attachment when you are at the gate, and there is no need to print it out.
  • Mobile boarding pass via MMS – this service is available only for topbonus status customers with German and Austrian mobile phone numbers. The boarding pass can be sent to you in the form of a barcode by MMS, and, as with the mobile boarding pass received by email, you don’t need to print it since you can open the MMS when you are at the gate.
  • Obtaining the boarding pass at the airport – you can also pick up your boarding pass at the check-in desk, or from the quick check-in machines, up to 45 minutes before the flight’s departure.

Mobile Check-in

You can access airberlin’s mobile app from an iOS 9 or android device. With the app you can: make bookings, check in, access current arrival and departure times and current flight information, from anywhere you are and at anytime you want. When you check in via the airberlin app, you can choose your seat and have your boarding pass sent to your mobile, all this in five easy steps:

  • Enter your surname and booking number.
  • Select the flight and the passengers you want to check in.
  • Choose your seats. It is important to state that, if you choose the Economy Light fare, you can’t choose your own seat, it will be assigned automatically to you.
  • Request your boarding pass and, if you’d like, those of the passengers you are checking-in.
  • At the airport, go directly to the gate and have your barcode read from your Smartphone. If you need to check your baggage, you can use the special baggage drop-off desk.

Restrictions

Using a mobile boarding pass is not possible for departures from the following airports: Abu Dhabi, Antalya, Billund, Catania, Curacao, Faro, Hurghada, Kaliningrad, Keflavik (Reykjavik), Luxor, Mahon (Menorca), Marsa Alam, Moskow (DME), Palermo, Phuket, Sharm el-Sheikh, Sofia, St. Petersburg, Tel Aviv.

Quick Check-in

Quick Check-in machines are available at almost all German airports and other European countries. The check-in is easy and quick and available from 30 hours to 45 minutes before the flight’s departure. To check in using these machines, you will need to confirm your identity with your topbonus card, ID card/passport, credit card or booking number. After you identify yourself, your flight will appear on the screen, and you can select the flight, your seat and print your boarding pass.

Evening Check-in

If you wish to have a relaxed flight, you can use Evening Check-in, which allows you to check in your baggage and obtain your boarding pass the evening before the flight’s departure. This service is available in many of the airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a fee of €10 is charged per person. The Evening Check-in fee does not apply for: children under 12, topbonus Gold, Silver, Platinum or Service Card holders (plus one traveling companion), Business Class passengers, and passengers with Economy Classic or Flex tickets for short and medium-haul flights.

On the day of the flight’s departure, you just have to go through the security checks and directly to the gate. Evening Check-in is only available for airberlin, Niki or Belair flights. You can see here a complete list of airports that offer Evening Check-in.

Boarding

To optimize airberlin’s boarding procedures and make the boarding a more pleasant experience, the boarding is done in groups, which are called one by one at the gate. The group you’ve been assigned is on your boarding pass. You should arrive at the gate on time and wait there until your group is called. When you are called, you will need your boarding pass and passport or ID card.

topbonus Gold & Platinum card holders, Business Class passengers and passengers with an Economy Flex ticket or Preferred Seat booking (Web Check-in required) for short and medium-haul flights can use airberlin’s Pre-Boarding service to board the aircraft before the other passengers. If Pre-Boarding service is not used when it is announced, you automatically participate in group boarding.

More information here >>