Air Vanuatu online check-in and boarding pass

The airline's website states that online check-in is available from 24 hours before departure and closes 6 hours before departure. This window also applies to domestic Vanuatu flights: "For domestic flights online check-in opens 24 hours."

Closing six hours before departure is earlier than with many airlines. In practical terms, for a 9:00 am departure, you need to have completed check-in the evening before. Once that deadline has passed, the airport counter remains the only option.

The latest boarding gate presentation times vary by airport and depend on whether the flight is domestic or international. Check the exact time printed on your booking confirmation and, as a general rule, plan to arrive at the airport well ahead of time for an international flight.

The airline's check-in form asks for the passenger's surname, along with either the booking reference (PNR) or the ticket number starting with 264, Air Vanuatu's code. Passengers with a customer account can also log in to their account.

According to information published by the airline, two situations are not handled online:

• passengers travelling with an infant, who are asked to check in at the counter;
• codeshare flights operated by another carrier, whose check-in procedures follow the operating carrier's rules.

Air Vanuatu also states that the assigned seat may be changed without notice for operational or safety reasons: a seat chosen at check-in is therefore never fully guaranteed.

The boarding pass is the document issued at check-in that allows you to board the aircraft and occupy the assigned seat. It does not replace the ticket: in its conditions of carriage, the airline states that a valid ID document must be presented at all times before flight departure, along with a ticket validly issued in your name. The ticket itself remains valid for 365 days before departure, which concerns the right to transport and not the boarding pass, which is issued for a specific flight.

Depending on the station and type of flight, a paper boarding pass may be required at the security checkpoint or at the gate. If you have an electronic boarding pass, check with the Air Vanuatu counter or the airline's office to find out whether a printed version is required.

For international flights, a valid passport, any required visa and documents required by the destination country are checked at the counter. Entry requirements are set by local authorities and change over time: check your destination's requirements before you travel.

If you have baggage to check in, online check-in does not exempt you from going to the counter: the airline asks passengers to present themselves 2 hours before departure.

The baggage allowance depends on the fare purchased, the class of travel and the route (domestic or international). Check the allowance shown on your ticket rather than relying on a general rule; any excess is paid at the counter according to the rates in force.

If online check-in was not successful (misspelled name, booking made through an agency, connection on a flight operated by another carrier, infant on the booking), the counter can resolve the situation, provided you arrive with enough time to spare. To compare practices with other carriers in the region, see also Air New Zealand check-in, Air Niugini check-in, Air Tahiti Nui boarding pass or Air Moana check-in. Travellers who prefer can hand over their online check-in to iBoardingPass, which completes it on their behalf as soon as check-in opens and sends the boarding pass by email.