Checking In for an International Flight with a Domestic Layover

[ww1120]

Travelling from BWI-MBJ on one ticket with a 3-hour layover in FLL. The flight leaves BWI at 6:15am. Will I have to go to the International Check-In at BWI to have them view my passport (not checking any bags)? Will I get a boarding pass when I check in online for the BWI-FLL leg? If the passport gets verified in FLL, is that done by the gate agent who will print a boarding pass? I have experienced horribly long lines with SW at BWI in the early morning for both international check-in and for checking a bag. I also hear SW agents don't start serving customers until 4:45am, so I don't want to cut it too close.

Thanks!

[DancingDavidE · Accepted solution]

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@ww1120 wrote:

Travelling from BWI-MBJ on one ticket with a 3-hour layover in FLL. The flight leaves BWI at 6:15am. Will I have to go to the International Check-In at BWI to have them view my passport (not checking any bags)? Will I get a boarding pass when I check in online for the BWI-FLL leg? If the passport gets verified in FLL, is that done by the gate agent who will print a boarding pass? I have experienced horribly long lines with SW at BWI in the early morning for both international check-in and for checking a bag. I also hear SW agents don't start serving customers until 4:45am, so I don't want to cut it too close.

Thanks!

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The BWI to FLL flight should be a regular domestic flight, behave as usual other than you may be asked to show the passport at the gate to be sure you have it on you but it won't be used for screening until you get to FLL.

[ww1120]

And what screening would be done at FLL? I seem to recall years ago a gate agent needed to see my passport to fly to AUA and stamped a red OK on the BP and that was it. Just hoping I don't have to re-clear security. Obviously things will be made clear the day before when I see which BPs I'll be able to print out. Not sure if that's the reason for the 3-hour layover in FLL.

[parpitt1 · Accepted solution]

FWIW in my experience.- You don't need a passport to leave the USA, you do need one to get into a country, (Jamaica or the USA). SWA is just checking to make sure you have your "documents" when you check in, (The note "DOCS OKAY" is usually what gets stamped on your Boarding Pass.) They don't want passengers on their aircraft they can't "deliver."

When you check in electronically, if you get a boarding pass for FLL you're good till Florida, if you receive the message you must get your BP from an agent plan to check-in and show your passport at BWI.

Safe Travels

[DancingDavidE]

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@ww1120 wrote:

And what screening would be done at FLL? I seem to recall years ago a gate agent needed to see my passport to fly to AUA and stamped a red OK on the BP and that was it. Just hoping I don't have to re-clear security. Obviously things will be made clear the day before when I see which BPs I'll be able to print out. Not sure if that's the reason for the 3-hour layover in FLL.

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You won't have to leave the airside areas, and you mentioned that you were carrying on your luggage.

If you checked bags at BWI then the ticket agent there would likely also have asked for you to show your passport just to see that you have it as a courtesy since your bags would be making it all the way, they want you to join them.

[ww1120]

Just wanted to bring this to an official close. I had EB and after check in saw that I could not I could not print out a BP for neither segment. It said to check in at a kiosk or see an agent. Fortunately the line wasn't long on Thanksgiving day at 4:15am for neither the kiosks nor the international desk. I asked a lady near the kiosks  and once she heard me say MBJ, she told me to go to the international counter. Got our BP without a problem and the second segment has the Docs OK already printed on it. I'm still not sure if the kiosk would've allowed me to actually get my BPs, though. A worker at the international counter had previously said that they need to actually see the passports to issue the BPs.

[dfwskier]

I have heard that   kiosks allow one to scan passports - although I have no firsthand experience with that.

Perhaps someone here can provide somes first hand experieince.