How to check in online with Iberia

Iberia online check-in lets you get your boarding pass before you reach the airport and, in most cases, go straight to security if you're travelling with hand luggage only. You can complete it on the Iberia website or in the Iberia app, and it takes just a few minutes.

In this guide we cover when check-in opens, how to complete it step by step, how to get your boarding pass and what to do at the airport once you're done.

One question that comes up a lot is how far in advance you can check in online. With Iberia the answer depends on the type of flight. In general, online check-in opens 24 hours before the scheduled departure time and you can get your boarding pass up to 1 hour before the flight, either on the website or in the app.

If your flight is a domestic one or within the Schengen Area and it's operated by the Iberia Group, meaning Iberia, Iberia Express or Air Nostrum, you can choose your seat (if your fare allows it) and get your boarding pass from the moment you buy your ticket.

The other deadline to keep in mind is the airport check-in deadline. By then you need to have your boarding pass, and if you have checked baggage you need to have dropped it off. With Iberia the standard time limit is 45 minutes before departure for check-in and 20 minutes for boarding. Some airports do have longer time limits, so before you travel it's worth checking the table of time limits on the airline's website.

Before you start the Iberia online check-in process, make sure you have the following ready:

• Booking code (also called the localiser): the alphanumeric code linked to your booking, which you receive when you buy your ticket. Alternatively, you can use your ticket number.

• Passenger's surname, exactly as it appears on the booking.

• ID card or passport, depending on your destination: you need it for some of the steps, and you'll need it on the day of your flight either way.

• In some cases the system asks you to enter the credit card you paid with, as a verification step during online check-in. This doesn't apply to Iberia Club Platinum, Gold and Silver members who gave their card number when they booked on iberia.com.

With your booking code and last name you can start the process in the app or on the web without needing to register on the airline's website. Alternatively, if you're an Iberia Club member and you booked as a registered customer, you can access check-in with your email address (or your Iberia Club card number) and password. Now let's look at the steps to follow to check in online with Iberia.

Iberia online check-in takes just a few minutes and can be completed on the airline's official website or in its app. Once you're done, you get your boarding pass in the format you prefer: PDF, QR code or straight into your phone's wallet.

To check in online with Iberia:

1. Go to the Iberia website or open the airline's app.

2. Enter your booking code (or e-ticket number) and the passenger's surname, or log in with your Iberia Club account.

3. Select the passengers and the flight you want to check in for.

4. Check your trip details and, if needed, complete or confirm the information requested.

5. Choose your seat, if your fare includes it, or accept the one assigned automatically.

6. Add any extra services available.

7. Confirm your check-in and get your boarding pass.

Online check-in can be completed on the web or in the app. Below you'll find the differences between the two options.

Booked through a travel agency or a site like eDreams or Booking.com?

You still check in online on the official Iberia website or in the Iberia app, wherever you bought your ticket. The process is identical to the one for passengers who booked directly: you need your Iberia booking code (or ticket number) and the passenger's surname.

There is one difference worth knowing about, which Iberia points out itself: in some cases, bookings made through channels other than Iberia only allow online check-in in the 24 hours before departure. In practice, even if your flight is a domestic or Schengen flight operated by the Iberia Group, you may not be able to get your boarding pass at the moment of purchase, unlike someone who booked directly on iberia.com. If that happens, you simply have to wait for check-in to open, 24 hours before departure.

The one thing to watch is the booking code. When you buy through a travel agency or an online travel agency (OTA) such as eDreams, Booking.com, lastminute.com or similar, you receive a confirmation code from the agency, which doesn't always match the Iberia booking code, also called the localiser: that's the one the airline uses to identify your booking in its own system, and the one you need in order to access online check-in.

How to find your Iberia booking code:

• check the confirmation email from the agency or OTA: the airline's code is often shown in a separate section, next to wording such as "airline confirmation number", "airline booking reference" or "booking reference";

• if it isn't in the email, contact the agency or OTA directly and ask for the airline's booking code, explaining that you need it to check in with Iberia.

As an alternative to the booking code, you can use your ticket number for Iberia online check-in: agencies usually include it in your travel documents.

Once you've completed online check-in, you have your digital boarding pass: in most cases, if you're travelling with hand luggage only, you can go straight to security at the airport.

You can receive and keep your Iberia boarding pass in several formats:

• as a PDF, to save on your phone or print;

• as a QR code, to show straight from your screen;

• in your phone's wallet, with Apple Wallet on iOS devices and Google Wallet on Android;

• by email, to the address given on the booking.

To use an electronic boarding pass, you hold your device up to the reader with the QR code clearly visible on the screen. It's valid at the check-in counter, at security and at the boarding gate. There are, however, some airports where it isn't accepted, and in those cases you'll need a printed version.

There are also situations in which you have to collect your boarding pass at the airport even though you've completed online check-in: for example when you've booked a special service, such as travelling with a pet or the unaccompanied minors service, and when it hasn't been possible to prove your resident status.

What to do at the airport

Now that you have your boarding pass, what you need to do at the airport depends on your baggage:

• if you're travelling with hand luggage only, in most cases you can go straight to security and then to your gate, skipping the airline counters altogether;

• if you have checked baggage, you'll need to drop it off at the Iberia check-in counters, or at the baggage drop counters if you're flying from Madrid or Barcelona.

Finally, remember that the standard check-in deadlines are 45 minutes before departure for check-in and baggage drop-off, and 20 minutes for boarding. At some airports in the Iberia network the time limits are longer, and the same goes for departures from Terminal 4 Satellite in Madrid: before you travel, check the table of time limits on the airline's website. It's very important to stick to them so you don't risk being denied boarding.

In most cases Iberia online check-in is available with no particular restrictions, but there are situations in which the process is different. In some of them you can check in online, but you still have to collect your boarding pass at the counter at the airport:

• anyone who has booked a special service, such as travelling with a pet;

• anyone travelling with the unaccompanied minors service;

• anyone who hasn't been able to prove their resident status.

On top of that, there are airports that don't offer online check-in, cases where you have to show your credit card at the airport, and other exceptions (listed in full on the Iberia website) where online check-in isn't allowed or where you have to go to the airline counter at the airport anyway.

You checked in on time, well within the deadline, and you were at the gate exactly when you should have been. And yet a cancellation, a delayed flight or overbooking can still get in the way of your plans, even with a confirmed booking.

In these cases, if the airline is responsible, European Regulation EC 261/2004 entitles you to compensation of up to €600 per passenger. The right to compensation applies to arrival delays of more than 3 hours, to cancellations announced without sufficient notice (more details here) and to denied boarding due to overbooking.

Working out whether you're entitled to compensation, and how to claim it from the airline, isn't always easy. To find out more, read our guide to Iberia compensation. Alternatively, you can check for free with AirHelp: just enter your flight details to find out in moments whether you're entitled to financial compensation.

Track your Iberia flight after check-in

Once online check-in is done, the wait for your flight begins. From that point on it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your flight status, especially if you have connections or someone picking you up when you land.

Iberia gives you several tools:

• on iberia.com you can check the status of any flight by entering its number and date, with updated times, terminal and boarding gate;

• the app lets you do the same from your phone, including for the flight of someone you're waiting for;

• with the free Iberia conecta service you can sign up to receive important updates about your flight by text message or email.

Alternatively, you can use the free AirHelp app, which adds one more feature: if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, is cancelled, or you're denied boarding, the app automatically checks whether you're entitled to compensation under Regulation EC 261/2004 and alerts you directly.

With the AirHelp app you can:

• receive real-time notifications about delays, cancellations, gate changes and baggage carousels;

• scan your boarding pass to add your flight quickly;

• share your flight status with whoever is picking you up;

• automatically check whether a disruption entitles you to compensation of up to €600;

• start your compensation claim straight from the app, with no paperwork.

The app is free and available on iOS and Android.