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If you are asking “Why can’t I check in on Avianca?”, the problem may have a simple explanation. Avianca says online check-in can be unavailable because of incorrect booking information, the check-in window not being open, an operational change to the flight, special services, another passenger on the same booking already checking in, an itinerary change that has not been processed, or certain connecting-flight situations.
Avianca currently allows online check-in starting 48 hours before departure for most destinations, while flights to or from the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada can be checked in online from 24 hours before departure. The airline also provides airport kiosks and staffed counters as alternatives.
So, if Avianca online check-in is not working, do not immediately assume your ticket is invalid. The right solution depends on what is preventing the check-in.
Avianca's own Help Center identifies several specific reasons passengers may be unable to complete online check-in. These include incorrect passenger information, attempting check-in before the permitted window, operational changes, special services, another passenger already checking in, pending itinerary changes, and some flights involving other airlines.
There are also situations where online check-in may work but your Avianca boarding pass is not immediately available or does not contain a seat assignment. In those cases, airport assistance may still be required.
One of the first things to check is the departure time.
For most Avianca destinations, online check-in opens 48 hours before departure. For flights to or from the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada, it opens 24 hours before departure.
If you try before the applicable window opens, the system may not allow you to continue.
What to do: Check your scheduled departure time and try again when the appropriate check-in window begins.
Avianca requires your last name(s) and booking code to be entered as they appear in your reservation.
A small difference can prevent the system from finding your booking.
Check your original confirmation email and compare:
Your last name
Your booking code
Passenger details
Flight information
Do not assume that a confirmation number from a travel agency is necessarily the same information Avianca's check-in system expects.
If your flight has been affected by an operational issue, online check-in may not yet be enabled.
Avianca specifically mentions circumstances such as airport closures and adverse weather as examples of events that can cause itinerary changes and temporarily prevent check-in.
What to do: Check your current flight status rather than relying only on the original itinerary.
If Avianca has notified you of a change, review the updated flight information before trying to check in again.
Special-service requests can require additional confirmation at the airport.
Avianca specifically identifies situations involving pets, emotional support dogs, and passengers requiring special assistance among cases that may require airport processing.
The airline also advises passengers who need special assistance to arrive at the airport counter earlier than the standard recommended arrival time.
What to do: If your reservation includes a special service, plan to complete the necessary check-in process with Avianca staff at the airport.
This can be surprisingly confusing when several passengers are traveling under one reservation.
Avianca says you may be unable to complete your own check-in if another passenger on the same booking has already completed the process.
Before assuming there is a technical problem, ask the other passengers on your reservation whether one of them has already checked in.
If your itinerary includes multiple airlines, the check-in process can depend on which carrier operates the first flight.
Avianca says that when another airline operates the first flight on your itinerary, you generally need to check in with that airline. The airline provides an example involving Avianca and GOL to illustrate how the operating carrier determines where check-in should be completed.
What to do: Look at your itinerary and identify the airline operating the first segment of your journey.
If you recently requested an itinerary change, the new information may not yet be fully processed.
Avianca says a pending itinerary change can prevent check-in and advises passengers to contact the airline to manage the change.
This is particularly important if you changed:
Travel dates
Flight times
Destinations
Connections
Other itinerary details
Make sure the updated reservation is confirmed before trying to check in.
Avianca identifies a specific situation involving connections at El Salvador International Airport.
The airline currently says that passengers who are citizens of India or an African country and have a connection at that airport must check in at the counter at their origin airport.
If this applies to your itinerary, an inability to complete online check-in may be expected rather than a website malfunction.
A particularly important situation involves tickets purchased less than 48 hours before departure.
Avianca says some passengers may be selected for payment verification at the airport. If selected, the passenger cannot complete online check-in and must follow the airline's airport verification process.
Avianca says selected passengers receive an email notification and must arrive at the counter at least four hours before departure. The airline requires the physical card used for the purchase together with valid government-issued identification for the cardholder, or it provides an alternative payment process at the airport.
If you received this notification, trying the website repeatedly will not solve the problem.
If you are dealing with an Avianca check-in error, use the following process.
Determine whether your flight is eligible for check-in yet.
Most destinations: 48 hours before departure
Flights to or from the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada: 24 hours before departure
If the window has not opened, wait until the appropriate time.
Use the information in your Avianca confirmation email.
Avianca specifically instructs passengers to enter their last name(s) and booking code as provided when the ticket was purchased.
Look for an operational change, cancellation, weather-related disruption, airport closure or other itinerary adjustment.
Avianca says operational changes can temporarily prevent online check-in.
If you are traveling with other people under the same reservation, confirm whether another passenger has already completed check-in.
Avianca specifically lists this as one reason a passenger may be unable to complete the process separately.
For a multi-airline itinerary, determine which carrier operates the first flight.
If another airline operates that first segment, Avianca says you may need to check in with that airline.
If none of the above explains the problem, the issue may be technical.
Try:
A different browser
Another phone or computer
A private/incognito browser window
A different internet connection
The Avianca app
Avianca's app supports trip management, online check-in, boarding-pass access and flight updates.
If the website displays an error, take a screenshot.
Avianca specifically recommends taking a screenshot of an online check-in error and showing it at the airport counter. The airline says you can continue the process there without an additional charge in that situation.
If what to do if Avianca online check-in fails is your immediate concern, first determine whether the failure is expected.
If you are too early, wait for the check-in window.
If your flight has changed, check the new itinerary.
If you requested special assistance, expect possible airport processing.
If another passenger already checked in, check whether your boarding information is already available.
If another airline operates the first flight, use that carrier's check-in process.
If you were selected for payment verification, follow the airport instructions in Avianca's email.
If none of these applies, try another browser, device or connection and then use the airport check-in facilities if the problem remains.
Avianca says passengers can obtain their boarding pass through the online check-in process, and its app also supports check-in and boarding-pass access.
If you completed online check-in but did not receive your boarding pass, Avianca says you should check in again, enter your booking information and select “See boarding passes.”
If the boarding pass still does not appear, go to an airport counter for assistance.
A boarding pass without an assigned seat does not necessarily mean the check-in process is invalid.
Avianca says that when a boarding pass does not have an assigned seat, the passenger must continue the seat-assignment process at the airport with staff in the boarding area.
Keep the boarding pass you received and show it to the airport staff.
Yes. Avianca provides several airport check-in options.
Passengers can use:
Airport self-service kiosks
Avianca check-in counters
Agent-assisted check-in when required
Avianca says kiosks can be used to print a boarding pass and, when applicable, print baggage labels.
The airline's current airport guidance recommends arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
Avianca currently states that the check-in limit is:
60 minutes before departure for international flights
45 minutes before departure for domestic flights
These deadlines are important. If you are unable to complete online check-in and the flight is approaching, do not wait until the last few minutes to go to the airport.
Avianca's contract of carriage states that passengers who fail to check in within the applicable time can lose the right to board and have their booking cancelled.
Avianca currently recommends arriving:
At least 2 hours before domestic flights
At least 3 hours before international flights
If you have a special-service request, payment verification requirement or another issue that requires counter assistance, arrive earlier.
For payment verification on certain tickets purchased less than 48 hours before departure, Avianca specifically instructs selected passengers to arrive at least four hours before departure.
Completing Avianca check-in online does not mean your checked luggage has already been handed to the airline.
At airports with self-service facilities, Avianca says passengers can print baggage labels at kiosks and then take their bags to the appropriate baggage-drop point.
Allow enough time for both check-in and baggage processing.
Yes, according to Avianca's Help Center, if you have already checked in online but did not receive your boarding pass, you should check in again, enter your booking information and select “See boarding passes.”
If the boarding pass still cannot be accessed, go to the airport counter.
Avianca says passengers who have requested special services may need additional confirmation at the airport. Examples include traveling with pets, emotional support dogs or requiring special assistance.
In these cases, do not rely solely on online check-in. Plan to speak with Avianca staff at the airport.
This deserves special attention.
Avianca says some passengers whose tickets were purchased less than 48 hours before departure may be selected for payment verification. If selected, online check-in is unavailable and the verification must be completed at the airport counter.
If you receive Avianca's payment-verification email, follow its instructions exactly. Avianca says copies of the payment card or identification are not accepted for this procedure; the original physical card and required identification are needed when that option applies.
Use this checklist when your Avianca flight check-in is not working:
Confirm that the check-in window is open.
Check whether your flight is to or from the U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada.
Verify your booking code.
Enter your last name exactly as shown on the booking.
Check your flight status for operational changes.
Look for a recent itinerary change.
Confirm whether another passenger on the booking already checked in.
Check which airline operates the first flight.
Review any special-service requests.
Check for an Avianca payment-verification email.
Try another browser or device.
Try the Avianca app.
Take a screenshot of any error.
Go to an airport kiosk or counter if online check-in remains unavailable.
If departure is getting close, stop spending valuable time refreshing the check-in page.
Avianca provides airport kiosks and staffed counters for passengers who need to complete check-in at the airport.
Take your passport or identification, booking information and any required travel documents with you.
If the website displayed an error, keep the screenshot and show it to the airport staff. Avianca specifically says passengers can use the screenshot when continuing the process at the counter.
You may be trying too early, entering incorrect booking information, dealing with an operational flight change, traveling with a special service, sharing a booking where another passenger has already checked in, using another airline for the first flight, or waiting for a requested itinerary change to be processed. Avianca lists these as reasons online check-in may not be available.
The check-in system may be unavailable because your check-in window has not opened, your flight has experienced an operational change, your reservation has a pending change, or your itinerary requires airport processing.
Start by checking your booking code and surname. Then verify the check-in window and flight status. If everything is correct, try another browser, device or the Avianca app. If the issue continues, complete check-in at the airport.
For most destinations, Avianca online check-in opens 48 hours before departure. For flights to or from the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada, it opens 24 hours before departure.
Check your booking information, flight status and operating airline first. If the problem remains, try another device or browser, save a screenshot of the error and use an Avianca airport kiosk or counter.
If you completed online check-in but did not receive a boarding pass, Avianca recommends checking in again and selecting “See boarding passes.” The boarding pass is also supported through the Avianca app.
Yes. Avianca offers airport kiosks and staffed counters. Kiosks can be used to print boarding passes and, where applicable, baggage labels.
Yes. Avianca says you may be unable to complete check-in if someone else on your booking has already completed it.
Yes. If another airline operates the first flight on your itinerary, Avianca says you need to complete check-in with that operating airline.
Yes. Avianca says operational changes caused by circumstances such as airport closures or adverse weather can prevent check-in from being enabled.
Yes. Avianca says an itinerary change that has not yet been processed can prevent online check-in. In that situation, the airline advises passengers to contact it to manage the change.
If you purchased a ticket less than 48 hours before departure, Avianca may select the transaction for payment verification. If selected, online check-in is unavailable and the verification must be completed at the airport.
Avianca says passengers whose boarding pass does not have an assigned seat should continue the seat-assignment process at the airport with its staff.
Avianca currently states that check-in closes 60 minutes before international flights and 45 minutes before domestic flights.
Avianca recommends arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Passengers requiring special assistance should allow additional time.
If you are searching “why can’t I check in on Avianca?”, start with the reasons Avianca itself identifies: check-in timing, incorrect booking information, operational changes, special services, multiple passengers on one reservation, other airlines, pending itinerary changes and certain connecting-flight requirements.
If Avianca online check-in is not working, verify your booking code and surname, check your flight status and make sure you are inside the correct check-in window. For most destinations, online check-in opens 48 hours before departure; for flights to or from the U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada, it opens 24 hours before departure.
If the problem persists, try another browser, device or the Avianca app. Save a screenshot of any error, and if necessary, complete the process at an airport kiosk or counter. Avianca provides these alternatives specifically so passengers can still obtain their Avianca boarding pass and complete the required airport procedures.
Most importantly, do not wait until the last minute. Avianca currently lists check-in closing at 60 minutes before international flights and 45 minutes before domestic flights, and its conditions state that failing to check in on time can result in loss of the right to board.
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