Icelandair Check-in and Boarding Pass

Icelandair online check-in is available 24 hours before departure, for all destinations. It is wise to take care of this step as soon as it opens rather than in the final hours before takeoff, since the online process is not available right up to the last minute.

At the airport, hours vary from one airport to another. Here are a few timings published by the airline:

In both cases, boarding gates close 15 minutes before departure. For Keflavík, Icelandair recommends arriving around three hours ahead, particularly if you need to return a rental car or request assistance. Always check the exact time shown on your booking, as it takes precedence over any general rule.

Check-in can be completed on the airline's website or from a smartphone. Once the process is finished, Icelandair lets you choose how to receive your boarding pass:

• download and print the document;
• add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet;
• receive it by email.

To start check-in, the booking identification fields (booking reference and passenger name exactly as shown on the confirmation) need to be filled in before you begin. If you prefer a paper document, printing your boarding pass is still possible, and at Paris CDG it can be collected at the Icelandair counters.

Some situations are best handled at the counter: special assistance, travelling with an infant, a guide dog, or any other special need. In these cases, allow extra time on site.

If you have checked in online and are travelling only with the permitted carry-on bag, you can head straight to the boarding gate. If you are checking a bag, go to the check-in counter with your boarding pass in hand.

At Keflavík, Billund and Copenhagen, self-service bag drop counters let you check your own bags: remember to visit a kiosk first to print your bag tags. Keflavík also has check-in kiosks in the departures hall and, for priority check-in, Icelandair counters 40 to 42. The airline also mentions the possibility of checking in bags the evening before.

A few special cases flagged by Icelandair:

• Paris CDG Terminal 1: boarding passes are collected at the Icelandair counters in Terminal 1, on the shopping level.
• Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm: check-in goes through SAS self-service kiosks. For flights to Iceland only, these kiosks accept a credit card as proof of identity and print the boarding pass, up until 1 hour before departure.
• London Heathrow and Glasgow: bring the e-mail confirmation of the electronic ticket and your valid passport for check-in at London (LHR) or Glasgow (GLA), the confirmation being required for passengers travelling to Iceland or the United States.

Baggage allowance depends on the fare purchased: check what is included in your booking before you travel.

During airport check-in, Icelandair requires valid passport or ID card (valid for 3 months after the return date for EEC nationals). Since tickets are electronic, the airline advises printing the receipt along with the itinerary, sent by email, and presenting it at the check-in counter.

Passengers connecting at Keflavík between North America and Europe do not need to collect their bags, provided they are on a single ticket, have checked their bags through to the final destination, and have a connection of less than 12 hours. However, a connection to a domestic Icelandic flight requires collecting bags at Keflavík and travelling to Reykjavík airport, 50 km away.

When online check-in does not go through (misspelled name, booking issued by an agency, flight operated by another airline), the Icelandair counter remains an option, but you need to arrive early: at Paris CDG, check-in closes 45 minutes before departure, and the gate closes 15 minutes before departure.

Boarding pass missing or email not received: the document can be reissued at the counter upon presentation of ID, and the My Booking section of the airline's website lets you review your reservation before checking in.

Comparing procedures across airlines? Also see the rules for Air France departing from Roissy, Aer Lingus across the North Atlantic, Air Baltic and Aegean within Europe, or Air Europa. iBoardingPass can complete online check-in on the traveller's behalf as soon as it opens and send the boarding pass by email.