ITA Airways Check-in and Boarding Pass Guide

For most flights, ITA Airways online check-in opens 48 hours before the scheduled departure time, even if you have bags to check in. There's one important exception: for flights to and from the United States, check-in opens 24 hours before departure.

As for closing times, the cutoff depends on the type of flight:

These times can also vary depending on the departure airport and destination. Check the exact time shown on your booking and treat the earliest deadline as the one that applies to you: once the window closes, your boarding pass can only be collected at the counter, provided it's still open.

Boarding itself closes 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time on ITA Airways flights, with possible variations by airport. The gate number appears on your boarding pass, but it can change, so the airport information screens are the ones to trust.

Do you need to install the app? no, online check-in is possible via the website or mobile app. The process is the same either way: enter your booking reference or ticket number, select your flight and passengers, then choose your options before getting your boarding pass.

During check-in, ITA Airways offers seat selection, available for a fee depending on your fare class, as well as the option to buy extra baggage allowance if your fare doesn't cover enough.

For several destinations, travel document details are requested before you can finish: 3.5 hours before departure. Have the relevant document ready before you start, otherwise the process will stop at that step.

At the end of check-in, you choose how to get your boarding pass: through the ITA Airways app or the ita-airways.com website, or at the airport check-in counters. At the gate, the airline asks passengers to have their boarding pass ready on their mobile device; the paper version is printed at the counter only if needed.

A few exceptions worth knowing:

• For flights departing from Accra, Algiers, Cairo, Dakar, Malé, Tripoli and Tunis, the boarding pass must be collected at the airport: online printing isn't possible.
• For flights to and from the United States, boarding passes can be printed 24 hours before departure.
• Online retrieval isn't offered to passengers on a same-day connection on a flight not operated by ITA Airways, nor for flights departing from Tirana, Pantelleria, Lampedusa, Palma de Mallorca, Menorca, Split and Ibiza.

Checking in online doesn't mean skipping the counter if you have a bag to check: after checking in, you drop your bags off at the Bag Drop counters at major airports, or at Business counters elsewhere.

Airport deadlines are stricter than online ones. For long-haul international flights and those outside the Schengen area, airport check-in closes 60 minutes before departure, compared with 40 minutes before departure for domestic and Schengen flights. Three situations call for arriving well ahead of time:

• flights to the United States: present yourself at the check-in counters 3 hours 30 minutes before the flight for mandatory document checks (ESTA, Green Card or visa);
• travelling with a pet: check in at least 90 minutes before departure;
• wheelchair assistance: arrive at the airport at least two hours before the scheduled departure time, with check-in available at dedicated assistance points.

On top of that, factor in time for the bag drop queue and security checks, which the airline recommends planning for by arriving at the airport well in advance.

When ITA Airways online check-in refuses to complete, the cause is usually down to the airline's rules rather than a technical glitch.

• Flight not operated by ITA Airways: online check-in is reserved for flights operated by the airline itself. An AZ ticket operated by a partner carrier is handled through that carrier's own channel.
• Unaccompanied minors, passengers needing specific assistance, passengers travelling with a pet: check-in takes place at the airport counter, to make sure the right support is in place.
• Window not yet open, or already closed: check the timing that applies to your flight before assuming there's a bug.
• Travel document rejected: for destinations that require it, the details must match your passport or ID card exactly (spelling, number, expiry date).

If the problem persists, or if your boarding pass doesn't arrive, ITA Airways points passengers toward its customer service or the airport check-in counters. On a flight operated by ITA Airways, online check-in can also be handled by iBoardingPass as soon as it opens, with the boarding pass sent by email.

Check-in rules differ from one airline to another. If your trip combines several carriers, each leg follows the deadlines set by the airline operating it.

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