Air Nostrum Online Check-in and Boarding Pass

For flights operated by Air Nostrum under an Iberia code, the opening time for online check-in depends on the flight and the sales channel. The exact time appears on your booking confirmation, which is the only reference that counts.

Closing, on the other hand, is much tighter than many travellers expect. The online channel shuts before departure time, and the airport counters also close well ahead of boarding: check the exact cut-off time on your booking and always plan for the earliest one. At the smaller airports the airline serves, where a single counter sometimes handles several flights, it pays to allow extra time and arrive early.

A passenger who is not at the gate at the stated time may be denied boarding, even if already checked in.

Three routes lead to a boarding pass for an Air Nostrum flight:

• The airline's website, which offers an online check-in section to get your boarding pass before reaching the airport.
• Iberia's website or app, to use when the ticket was issued under an IB flight number, which is the case for the large majority of Iberia Regional flights.
• The counter or self-service kiosk at the airport, for situations the online channel cannot handle.

To identify yourself, keep your booking reference (six characters) or ticket number on hand, along with the passenger's name exactly as it appears on the ticket. A ticket bought through an agency or tour operator may carry a different reference from the one the seller gave you: it is the airline's own reference that works.

Some traveller profiles are not eligible for the online channel and must go through an agent: unaccompanied minors, passengers needing special assistance, groups, and cases requiring travel document checks. For minors aged 5 to 11 travelling alone, the escort service is mandatory and online booking is not permitted; contact Serviberia, an Iberia office or a travel agency instead.

Once check-in is confirmed, the boarding pass is sent by email or made available in the app, in mobile format or as a PDF to print. It shows your seat, the planned gate and the deadline for presenting yourself. The gate may change after issue: the airport screens always take priority over what is printed.

On connecting flights combining Iberia Regional with a long-haul Iberia flight, check-in generally issues both boarding passes at once. Make sure you have all of them before leaving the counter or closing the screen.

The electronic format is not accepted everywhere. At some regional airports and for certain checks, a printed copy may still be required, and an agent may ask you to print your pass at the counter. If you are travelling outside the Schengen area, expect a check of your travel documents before boarding.

Online check-in does not exempt you from visiting the counter when you have checked baggage. On Air Nostrum flights, allowances and size limits follow Iberia's baggage policy, which varies according to the fare purchased (the cheapest fares do not always include a checked bag). Check what your ticket covers before you travel: adding a bag at the airport usually costs more than arranging it in advance.

A feature of the regional fleet: the CRJ and ATR aircraft the airline flies have smaller overhead bins than a long-haul jet. It can happen that a cabin bag is taken at the aircraft door and placed in the hold, then returned on arrival. Plan to keep your documents, medication and valuables with you.

The baggage drop-off counter has its own cut-off time, often earlier than boarding time: head there as soon as you reach the airport. Residents of the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla who qualify for a discount must also be able to prove their status; a check at the counter is possible even if check-in was done in advance.

Wheelchairs are treated as the passenger's personal belongings and are therefore not subject to excess baggage charges. Mechanically powered models are only accepted as checked baggage and under specific conditions for insulating and securing the battery; affected passengers are advised to contact Iberia beforehand.

A handful of situations come up often, and most can be resolved before departure.

• The system rejects your reference: it is probably linked to an IB flight number. Try Iberia's check-in with the same reference.
• The name does not match: a swapped first and last name, or a missing middle name, is enough to block the process. A spelling correction must be requested from the airline; it cannot be done online.
• No seat is showing: assignment is sometimes handled at the last moment by the departure system. A seat will be given to you at the counter or the gate.
• Flight changed or cancelled, booking rebooked: check-in becomes possible again once the new ticket coupon is issued.
• Online check-in already closed: go straight to the counter while it is still open.

For complaints, the airline has a customer service department and a complaints procedure accessible from its website. Travellers who prefer not to keep track of the check-in opening themselves can hand the task to iBoardingPass, which carries out online check-in as soon as it opens and emails the boarding pass.

If your itinerary combines several carriers, check-in rules change from one ticket to another. The procedures of parent company Iberia and its short-haul subsidiary Iberia Express are the closest to those described here. On routes to the Canary Islands, Binter's check-in follows its own deadlines, as does Air Europa's on the domestic and transatlantic network. For holiday flights, check Iberojet's procedures, and for smaller regional routes those of Air Sénégal International.