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Daylight Savings Time Can Mess Up Your Online Checkin When Flying

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Tomorrow is daylight savings time.  So the clocks move back one hour (Spring forward, Fall back).  Which is great if you’re sleeping, but not so great if you flying.

I’m flying tomorrow and was trying to check into my flight.

It was the 24 hour mark and I wanted to check in online to get my boarding passes and to keep my spot on the upgrade list.

After all, it’s all about the free upgrades when you’re EXP on American, right?

But for the life of me, I could not check-in.

I tried three times before calling the EXP desk who transferred me to AA web services to help.

I was first told I couldn’t check-in because I was on the upgrade list and that being on the upgrade list messes up the ability to check-in online.

WHAT?  I’ve been an EXP for 5 years and have never had this problem before.

When I repeated her response back, “So, you’re telling me that because I’m on the upgrade list, I am unable to do online check-in?”

AA Web Services: “Yes.”

Knowing that she may eventually realize she made a mistake, rather than backing her into a corner and getting in a verbal sparring match, I countered with.

Me: “That’s strange. I usually can do check-in at 24 hours prior to my flight and it’s just not working now.”

AA Web Services: “That’s because it’s only 23 hours.” she responded.

Me: “Um, what?”

AA Web Services: “Because of daylight savings time. You’re only at 23 hours right now.”

And the light bulb is illuminated!  Problem solved!

Because daylight savings time begins tomorrow, online check-in for flights tomorrow are impacted.

Keep that in mind if you’re flying tomorrow and push back your online check-in by 1 hour.

Otherwise you’ll run into the same problem I did.

Has this ever happened to you?

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