Royal Jordanian Online Check-In and Boarding Pass: Times and Rules

RJ online check-in opens 24 hours before departure and closes four hours before the scheduled departure time, according to information published by the airline. After this window, the boarding pass must be obtained at the airport, either at the counter or at a self-service kiosk.

At the airport, counter closing time depends on the departure city. Royal Jordanian gives the following limits:

These are closing times, not recommended arrival times. Check the exact time shown on your booking, since an airport may apply a stricter local rule.

Check-in can be completed through the Royal Jordanian website or the RJ mobile app, available on iOS and Android. Booking lookup is done by booking reference or ticket number, together with the passenger's name. The airline flags a point that often trips up travellers: if your passport carries several surnames, enter them together, with no space between them.

The online process has four steps: identification with your personal and travel details, selecting your name from the search results, reviewing your itinerary and choosing a seat, then printing your boarding pass or having it sent by email.

Online or mobile check-in does not apply to the following routes:

• Amman to Jeddah and Amman to Medina
• Amman to London (Stansted and Heathrow) and Amman to Manchester
• Amman to Washington D.C., New York, Chicago and Detroit
• Amman to Montreal and Toronto
• Charter flights operated under the RJ six-thousand series

On these flights, check-in takes place at the counter: allow yourself a comfortable margin of time.

Once online check-in is complete, the boarding pass can be printed directly or sent by email for printing later. The RJ mobile app also lets you download your boarding pass into Google and Apple wallets: the airline states that the code you receive constitutes your boarding pass, alongside the printed version.

A passenger who has checked in online will often still need to go through a ground stop: document checks, bag drop, tagging. At Amman's Queen Alia International Airport, bag drop for passengers already checked in takes place at dedicated counters in section A, with other counters in this same section covering all RJ destinations as well as flights to the United States and Canada.

On a codeshare flight operated by another carrier, check-in follows the rules of the operating airline. These vary from one carrier to another: see for example Malaysia Airlines check-in, Iberia check-in times, Finnair's procedure or American Airlines' process.

Royal Jordanian gives presentation times that vary by destination. For Alexandria, passengers must present themselves at the counter 3 hours before departure. For Aqaba, the airline asks for presentation at least one hour and a half before departure. For other destinations, present yourself no later than three hours before departure. On codeshare flights, the airline indicates arrival three to four hours before departure.

At Queen Alia, self-service kiosks issue boarding passes and baggage tags. They are located past immigration entry, when entering through the doors numbered three, four and five, next to the first counter in section A, with several further machines near the section B counters. The process: insert your passport, choose the Royal Jordanian system and your language, identify your booking (passenger name and gender, e-ticket number, booking reference with surname or ticket number), receive an automatic seat assignment that can be changed on the cabin map, then choose the number of bags to check in. After collecting your boarding pass and tags, head to the counter facing the machines to drop off your bags. The airline is clear on this point: make sure that travel documents are handed to the check-in agent before proceeding to immigration.

Self-service is not available everywhere. It covers all destinations except Jeddah, Medina, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and the RJ six-thousand series charter flights.

Excess baggage can be paid at the counter or purchased online in advance at a reduced rate, according to the airline. Allowances depend on cabin class, fare and Royal Club status: check the one printed on your ticket.

Name rejected during booking lookup: this is often a matter of multiple surnames, which must be entered together, with no space, exactly as they appear on the passport.

Online check-in not working: first check whether your route is among the excluded ones, then check the time. The window closes four hours before departure, and the RJ six-thousand series charter flights are not eligible.

Seat assigned automatically: at the kiosk, the system assigns a seat, which can be changed on the cabin map. Online, the seat choice happens at the itinerary review step.

Need an upgrade, a change or a document check: the departures terminal counter, section A at Queen Alia, handles these requests, and a waitlist upgrade request can be made at the counter after using the kiosk, subject to availability.

Special situations (pregnancy, pets, minors, passengers with specific needs): specific documents may be required at check-in, and the airline recommends contacting the nearest RJ office for further information. Among other oneworld carriers with different rules, see also Cathay Pacific check-in. Travellers who prefer not to handle the procedure themselves can have iBoardingPass carry out the online check-in for them as soon as Royal Jordanian opens it, with the boarding pass sent by email.