Finnair check-in

How can I check in when traveling with Finnair?

When traveling with Finnair, you may opt for one of the four check-in methods at your disposal:

  • Online/Mobile Check-in, available to you by simply accessing the airline’s official website.
  • Kiosk Check-in, an easy self-service method.
  • Counter Check-in, directly at the airport desks.

You are strongly advised to undergo the checking-in procedures well in advance of your actual flight so that your passage through the airport would go as smoothly as possible.

When must I check in when traveling with Finnair?

There are certain check-in deadlines that you must respect in order to make sure you can complete all the formalities at the airport and board on time. Remember that you must allow plenty of time to go through the security checks, obtain your boarding pass and check your baggage, all this before arriving at your designated gate in a timely manner.

The check-in times vary depending on the route:

 RouteCheck-in Deadline
 Within Europe (including domestic flights within Finland)45 minutes before the scheduled departure
 Europe →  Middle East, Asia, North America1 hour before the scheduled departure
 Middle East, Asia, North America → all destinations
 Europe → the US75 minutes before the scheduled departure

 

These timings might be slightly different if your flight is operated by one of Finnair’s partner airlines, so do not forget to inquire about their particular check-in deadlines.

Online/Mobile Check-in

An easy, user-friendly method of checking in is the Online/Mobile Check-in. By opting for this method not only will you avoid waiting in queues at the airports, but you will also have the service available 24 hours a day, regardless of where you decide to check in from.

All you need to do is access Finnair’s official website, log into the platform using your last name, booking reference, or e-ticket number, and carefully follow their instructions. The process is a very simple one, and all the information you need about what to do after and which documents you need to take with you to the airport is provided to you after going through the necessary steps.

Availability

The Online/Mobile Check-in service is available starting 36 hours prior to scheduled flight departure, except check-in for flights to/from the US 24 hours before departure. You can check in by using either your desktop computer or a mobile device of your choice.

This check-in method works with all flights operated by Finnair departing from Finland. This service is also available for Finnair flights departing from most international airports (not available for departures from Dubrovnik, Rimini, Salzburg, and Split), as well as for journeys that include a connecting flight.

Options

When using Online/Mobile Check-in, you can check in other passengers listed in the same booking and choose seats. You can choose to receive your boarding pass on your mobile or by email for later printing.

If you checked in online and, upon arriving at the airport, must check in your luggage, you can do so either at the check-in counters or specially designated Baggage Drop desks, or even at Self-service Bag Drops available at Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Kittilä, London Heathrow, Oulu, Reykjavik, Stockholm Arlanda & Bromma, Tampere, Turku, Umea, Vaasa, and Visby airports.

On the other hand, if you decide to travel lightly, only with carry-on baggage, you will be allowed to go directly through the security inspection and to your boarding gate, provided you have all your travel documentation in good order.

Kiosk Check-in

You can make use of the self-service kiosks with your booking reference, e-ticket number, passport, or Finnair Plus membership card. It’s a quick, easy method of checking in by simply following the instructions displayed on-screen. At the end of the check-in procedure, you will receive your printed boarding pass.

Availability

There are certain flights eligible for this self-service check-in service: flights departing from Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beijing, Bergen, Billund, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Geneva, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Keflavik, Kittilä, London, Munich, Oulu, Prague, Reykjavik, Rovaniemi, St. Petersburg, Stockholm – Arlanda & Bromma, Tallinn, Tampere, Tromsö, Turku, Umeå, Vaasa, Vienna, Warsaw, and Zürich.

Check-in kiosks are also available for use at the following locations:

  • Hilton Helsinki Airport Hotel, which is next to Terminal 2.
  • Copenhagen railway station.
  • Stockholm, in the departure hall of Arlanda Express at Stockholm Central Station and the Cityterminalen bus station – in the center of the city.
  • Kowloon railway station, Hong Kong City.

Options

Self-service check-in kiosks offer the following options:

  • Check in other passengers listed on the reservation.
  • Modify your check-in.
  • Confirm a seat booked in advance or choose the desired seat.
  • Print bag tags.

Having only carry-on baggage upon yourself allows you to go more rapidly through all the formalities at the airport, including the security checks and the printing of your boarding pass, once the kiosk check-in procedure is completed.

If, however, you have baggage to check, you must do so before the check-in deadline, at the check-in counter, Baggage Drop desk, or Self-service Bag Drop.

Counter Check-in

If all the other check-in methods are unavailable for you, or should you simply prefer to check in at the airport counters, you can do so at the designated desks, once they are opened for your specific flight. You can verify their availability by watching the airport monitors.

Counter Check-in does not necessarily mean that you have to queue at the airport and wait until your turn comes for check-in and baggage drop. Finnair also has Priority Check-in desks, available for passengers holding a Business class ticket, as well as for Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo, Platinum, Gold, or Silver members.

Previous Evening Check-in

Another special form of Counter Check-in is the Previous Evening Check-in, which allows you to check in for your flight and drop off your baggage in the evening before the scheduled flight departure, between 6 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. on the previous day. If traveling with your whole family, you alone can go to the airport and perform the Previous Evening Check-in, provided you have upon yourself all the tickets and travel documents of all your family members (except for flights to the US, where each passenger must be present at the check-in for travel documents check).

The main advantage of this check-in method is that you save a significant amount of time on the day of departure because you can go directly through the security inspection as soon as you and your family reach the airport. This spares you the time of going through the baggage drop formalities, which can take quite a while.

Be advised that this special form of checking-in is only available at the Helsinki airport!

Boarding

After checking in at the counters, you will be informed about the specific time when you ought to be present at the boarding gate. If you fail to meet this requirement, your seat may be reassigned. However, if you think you cannot reach the check-in counters or the boarding gate in time, you are advised to contact the airport staff immediately. Boarding gates close 15 minutes before departure.

More information here >>