Hainan Airlines Online Check-In and Boarding Pass

Hainan Airlines opens online check-in a few days before departure on international flights and closes the window before takeoff. On domestic Chinese flights, the period is shorter.

These times vary by airport, destination and sometimes booking class. The airline also publishes a dedicated page listing check-in deadlines by airport, station by station: that page, along with your booking, shows the exact time that applies to your flight, always given in the local time of the departure airport. As a precaution, assume the window closes earlier rather than later, and take care of check-in the day before rather than the morning of your flight.

At the airport, the counter closes well before the boarding gate. A late arrival, even with a boarding pass already printed, can be enough to miss the flight.

The online process is found under Manage Booking, Online Check-In section, on hainanairlines.com. It generally asks for the ticket number or booking reference along with the passenger's name, followed by seat selection.

Hainan Airlines also has a mobile app, which can be used to check a booking and flight details. Fortune Wings Club members find their trips in their account, which avoids re-entering passenger details.

At the airport, the airline also offers self-service check-in with baggage drop, alongside traditional counters. The availability of these kiosks depends on the station and terminal: where they exist, they print the boarding pass after scanning the travel document.

Once check-in is confirmed, the boarding pass is sent by email, downloadable or displayed on a phone depending on the flight. Not every airport served by HU accepts the mobile format: at some stations, a paper document issued at the counter or self-service kiosk is still required, and it is better to plan for that step than to discover it on arrival.

Present at boarding the passport or travel document used at booking: it is checked alongside the boarding pass.

Points to check on the document before leaving home:

• the name written exactly as on the passport;
• the HU flight number and departure terminal;
• the seat assignment, which may be reassigned if the aircraft changes;
• the gate presentation deadline shown on the pass.

Online check-in does not remove the need to drop off checked baggage. Hainan Airlines requires bags to be dropped at baggage drop or check-in counters, which close earlier than the gates. Allow yourself a comfortable margin, especially on an international flight or from a busy airport.

The checked baggage allowance depends on class and route. The airline details its rules in its Checked Baggage Allowance, Cabin Baggage and Excess Baggage pages: check the ones matching your route before packing, since excess baggage is charged at the counter.

For flights to or from China, check passport validity and the visa or transit exemption applicable to your itinerary: ground staff verify these documents before issuing or validating the boarding pass, and a missing document blocks boarding even if online check-in has been completed.

A refused online check-in does not always mean a problem with the ticket. The most frequent cases on HU are the following:

• Ticket issued by another airline or codeshare flight: check-in must then be done with the carrier actually operating the flight.
• Unaccompanied minor, reduced mobility passenger, cabin pet, special baggage: these cases are handled at the counter.
• Name or document number different from the booking: the online tool blocks the process, and an agent must correct the entry.
• Group or group fare booking: check-in is often done together at the airport.
• Changed or delayed flight: use the airline's self-service irregular flight change tool or its customer service before checking in.

If you cannot retrieve your boarding pass, go to the counter with extra time to spare: waiting time is the main risk there. For those who prefer not to track the check-in opening themselves, iBoardingPass checks in on the traveller's behalf as soon as it opens and sends the boarding pass by email.

Other Chinese airlines apply similar rules: see Air China check-in, China Eastern Airlines check-in procedures and China Southern Airlines boarding pass.