Shenzhen Airlines: Boarding Pass and Check-In Deadlines

Shenzhen Airlines online check-in opens 48 hours before departure on the routes concerned (for example, departures from Osaka, Seoul and Tokyo). On other cities, opening may be later: check the exact time shown on your booking.

As for closing, the airline's check-in policy sets the online service cut-off at 90 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Beyond that, you'll need to use a self-service kiosk or a counter.

At the counter, the cut-off time is 90 minutes before departure. It always remains subject to local airport regulations, which can be stricter. A few benchmarks published by the airline:

If your departure city isn't listed in the airline's published table, go by the cut-off time announced by the local airport and arrive early. Boarding gate closure is a separate, later deadline that is just as firm: it also depends on the airport, and can vary depending on whether the aircraft is at a jet bridge or a remote stand.

Shenzhen Airlines' online service isn't available for every ticket. According to the airline's published conditions, it covers adult passengers holding a ZH e-ticket on a non-stop flight without endorsement, where Shenzhen Airlines is the operating carrier and the ticket was purchased through its own channels (website, mobile site, apps, the 95361 hotline, its direct sales network or agencies).

Excluded from online check-in, again according to these conditions:

• infants, children, pregnant passengers, wheelchair users and other passengers with special needs;
• any adult travelling with an infant;
• connecting passengers, groups, boarding from a different city, endorsed tickets and unconfirmed flights.

The airline also specifies that on international routes, only advance seat selection is supported, as the check-in function isn't yet available there, since the required documents call for a counter visit. The name and document number entered must match those on the ticket exactly.

Beyond the website, check-in can also be done through Shenzhen Airlines' official WeChat account (sza95361). Airport self-service kiosks work using the document number entered at booking.

After checking in online, the airline asks that you print your boarding pass on A4 paper, preferably using a laser printer. You then proceed to security with this document. If you haven't printed it in advance, Shenzhen Airlines' airport self-service kiosks let you print it by following the on-screen instructions.

The gate number shown on the boarding pass can change: the airline advises confirming it on the information screens or at its service counter. In the event of a cancellation or flight consolidation, the assigned seat number may also change.

A completed check-in can only be cancelled once online, and the document type chosen for the cancellation must match the one used to check in. Beyond that, cancellation must be done at the airport counter. For a refund or ticket reissue, check-in must first be cancelled: online up to 90 minutes before departure, or at the counter within the final 90 minutes.

On the day of your flight, you must present a valid identity document (the one used at the time of booking) at the counter on the day of boarding. Any mismatch between the name on the ticket and the document presented is the passenger's responsibility.

The airline recommends arriving 2 hours before departure for a domestic flight and 3 hours for an international flight. At Osaka International Airport, its manual counters open two hours before departure, hence the same arrival recommendation.

Checked baggage cannot be handled online: it must be processed at the counter before check-in closes, and the free allowance depends on your fare, cabin and route. Bags containing alcoholic beverages, knives or tools must be declared.

In the cabin, Shenzhen Airlines allows one carry-on item per passenger (two in first class), with each piece not exceeding 20×40×55 cm cm or 5 kg. Passengers travelling with an infant or who have requested special assistance must, after advance seat selection, report to the airline's manual counter 2 hours before departure.

Is your online check-in being rejected? The reason is most often one of the exclusions above (connection, group booking, endorsed ticket, international flight where only advance seat selection is supported) or a ticket issued outside the airline's own channels. The counter then remains your only option, so allow extra time.

If you don't show up for boarding after checking in, the system automatically releases your seat 90 minutes after the scheduled departure time. The 95361 hotline is Shenzhen Airlines' number to call, particularly for questions about checked baggage and the cut-off time at your departure airport.

Finally, the airline notes that the cut-off time table is updated as airports change their information, and may not always be updated in time: arrive early and follow the on-site displays.

Shenzhen Airlines is part of the Air China group; if your trip combines several carriers, each one's check-in rules apply separately.

Travellers who prefer to hand this off can have their online check-in handled by iBoardingPass, which completes it automatically as soon as it opens and sends the boarding pass by email.