Cubana de Aviación Check-in: How It Works and Your Boarding Pass

The exact times are shown on your ticket or booking confirmation: that is what you should follow, since check-in deadlines vary depending on the departure airport and the type of flight, domestic or international.

If in doubt, go by the earliest time given to you and arrive with margin. At Havana's José Martí airport, queues at the counters, document control and security can be long during peak season and on charter flights: arriving earlier than strictly necessary saves you from having to rush. Once the counter has closed, your seat is no longer guaranteed, even with a paid, confirmed ticket.

Cubana flights are also subject to schedule changes and rebooking. Check the departure time the day before and again on the morning of travel, then work out your airport arrival time from the updated schedule, not from the one printed on an older ticket.

Cubana de Aviación has not rolled out online check-in across its whole network the way major regional carriers have. Depending on the flight, cabin class and departure point, check-in is done at the airport counter or, when the flight allows it, through the online service on the airline's official website or via the agency that issued the ticket.

A few useful pointers:

• If your ticket was issued by a travel agency, a tour operator or as part of a charter, check-in is most often only available at the airport.
• For connecting flights with another carrier, each airline applies its own rules: checking in with the first carrier does not necessarily cover the Cubana segment.
• When online check-in is available, the opening and closing window is confirmed at the time you use it. Don't rely on it to arrive at the last minute: baggage drop and document control still follow the counter's schedule.

At the counters, have ready your ticket or booking reference, a valid ID, and for international flights a passport valid for the length of your stay. For Cuba, entry requirements (tourist card, medical insurance accepted locally, online health form depending on the period) are checked before boarding: without these documents, check-in can be refused.

In practice, the Cubana boarding pass is handed over at the counter, on paper, showing the seat number, gate and boarding time. When online check-in is available for your flight, you receive an electronic document to present, but at several Cuban airports a counter visit is still required for travel document checks and baggage drop.

Things worth checking when you're handed your boarding pass:

• the spelling of your name, which must match your passport, and the flight number;
• the boarding time, often well ahead of the departure time;
• your checked baggage details and final destination in case of a connection;
• the gate shown, which can change, so it's worth watching the information screens once you're through to the gate area.

If you're travelling as a family or group, seat assignment is generally done at the counter: asking for seats together at check-in gives you a better chance than asking at the boarding gate.

Check-in is also when baggage is weighed and accepted. Cubana's baggage allowances vary depending on the fare, the route and sometimes the aircraft type; the details that apply to your ticket are shown on your booking.

What's worth planning for:

• A cabin-size carry-on bag, with the dimensions and weight allowed shown on your booking.
• One or more checked bags depending on the fare, with excess baggage charged at the counter.
• Flights to Cuba have particular rules on goods, appliances and packages: check before you arrive, as a refused bag will hold up check-in.
• Fragile items, instruments and sports equipment should be declared at the counter, not at the gate.

Other airlines in the region follow very different procedures, particularly for connections: see for example Avianca boarding pass via Bogotá, Aeroméxico check-in rules from Mexico City, Aerolíneas Argentinas check-in, Air Caraïbes flights from the French Antilles, or Aeropostal Alas check-in.

The flight schedule has changed or the flight was cancelled. Cubana regularly reschedules its rotations. Contact the airline's sales office or the agency that issued the ticket to get new written confirmation before travelling.

Online check-in isn't working for your ticket. This is common with tickets issued through agencies, charters and certain international routes. In that case, only the airport counter can issue your boarding pass, which is why arriving early matters.

The name doesn't exactly match the passport. Even a one-letter difference or a mismatched compound first name needs correcting with the airline or agency before departure day, never at the boarding gate.

You arrive after the counter has closed. Staff cannot reopen check-in: you would then need to ask for rebooking, usually at a cost depending on your ticket conditions.

You don't have the entry documents for Cuba. Tourist card, proof of insurance and current health formalities are checked before boarding; without them, boarding will be refused.

Finally, on flights where online check-in is open, travellers can hand this task over to iBoardingPass, which checks in as soon as it opens and sends the boarding pass by email.