Cathay Pacific Airways check-in

How can I check in for a Cathay Pacific flight?

When traveling on a Cathay Pacific flight, various options are available for passengers to check in before or after arriving at the airport:

Online Check-in.
Mobile Check-in.
Kiosk Check-in.
In-Town Check-in.

What is the latest time for collecting the boarding pass?

Check-in deadlines are different at every airport. Usually, Cathay Pacific’s check-in counters close 40 minutes before scheduled departure time, but earlier check-in deadlines may apply (e.g., 60 minutes before departure from Amsterdam, Paris, London – Heathrow, New York – JFK, Dubai, Beijing, etc.).

Online Check-in

From 24 hours up to 90 minutes before the flight’s departure, Online Check-In is available for all Cathay Pacific Airways flights, including codeshare flights.

All passengers who hold an e-Ticket can use Online Check-in, with the following exceptions:

Passengers who need Medical Assistance or a stretcher.
Passengers flying in a group, which is registered as a group in the booking.
Passengers who purchased an extra seat (either for themselves or cabin baggage).
Unaccompanied Minors.

Options

With Online Check-In, passengers can:

Check in for Cathay Pacific flights and any onward flights on partner carriers (up to 8 flights).
Select and change seats.
Add or update the frequent flyer number.
Check in traveling companions in the same booking (including infants).
Obtain the Boarding Pass:
- Print the Online Check-in Confirmation and collect the boarding pass at the airport from a Self-service Check-In Kiosk, where available, or from the Self-service Check-In Bag Drop Counter.
- Where available, print the Boarding Pass online (Self-Print Boarding Pass service) or send the Mobile Boarding Pass to the mobile device.
Cancel the check-in.

Self-Print Boarding Pass Service

Cathay Pacific has launched the Self-Print Boarding Pass service, so passengers departing from select airports on Cathay Pacific flights who have already checked in online can print the Boarding Pass online. Passengers can only use this service if they have onward connecting flights from Hong Kong (e.g. New York – Hong Kong – Beijing). Passengers with onward connecting flights from airports other than Hong Kong will not be allowed to print their own boarding pass (e.g. Hong Kong – Taipei – Tokyo). Return flights same day or within 24 hours will be treated as onward connecting flights.

Passengers can print their Boarding Pass up to 90 minutes before departure.

The passengers can check in online but cannot print their Boarding Pass:

If they have purchased tickets with fares applicable for infants.
If they have purchased air tickets in conjunction with ferry tickets.

At the Airport

Passengers without checked baggage can go through Security and Immigration and to the Boarding Gate Service Desk Gate, where they must present their travel documents at least 30 minutes before departure.

Passengers with checked baggage can take it to the Self Check-In Bag Drop Counter at least 70 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.

Mobile Check-in

Cathay Pacific offers a Mobile Check-in service with the same benefits as the Online Check-in but with the added convenience of being accessible anytime and anywhere. Mobile Check-In is accessible on all web-enabled mobile phones and requires no additional application downloads. The same restrictions as for Online Check-in apply. Mobile Check-in allows to:

Check-in for a passenger and their traveling companions.
Selecting seats using a seat map.
Sending the Mobile Boarding Pass to the mobile device, via SMS or email.

Mobile Boarding Pass

The Mobile Boarding Pass is available for eligible flights from 48 hours up to 90 minutes before departure. If passengers are eligible for lounge access, they can simply present the lounge invitation on their Mobile Boarding Pass to the staff at the lounge and enjoy the extra comfort.

The following passengers cannot use a Mobile Boarding Pass:

Passengers who have purchased tickets with infant fares.
Unaccompanied Minors.
Passengers with air tickets in conjunction with ferry tickets.
Passengers with an onward connecting flight through an airport other than Hong Kong.
Passengers with return flights within 24 hours.

Eligible passengers who have checked in from their mobile devices are now able to receive their Mobile Boarding Pass on their smartphone or tablet and then proceed to security points and immigration, and board Cathay Pacific flights. Should you encounter problems, such as lost internet connection or low mobile phone battery, you can still print a boarding pass from a Self-service Check-in Kiosk (where available), or go to a Cathay Pacific counter for assistance.

Airport check-in counters are closed punctually before the scheduled departure time. Passengers, especially if they use a Mobile Boarding Pass, should arrive early at the airport to proceed to immigration, security checks, and the boarding gate. In case they encounter any technical errors when retrieving the Mobile Boarding Pass at the airport, passengers can still get the paper boarding pass in time.

Please note that an SMS or an email is NOT a Mobile Boarding Pass. Passengers must immediately click on the hyperlink provided in order to confirm the check-in. The mobile web page with the QR Code functions as the Mobile Boarding Pass at the boarding gate, security, and immigration.

Kiosk Check-in

The Self-service Check-in Kiosk provides passengers with an easier and faster check-in service. From 24 hours up to 50 minutes before departure, passengers have the options to:

Print their boarding pass in one simple step, after they have checked in online:
Check in for any Cathay Pacific flights and print the boarding pass.
Print baggage tags (Self-service Check-in and Baggage Tagging – Hong Kong, Auckland, Bangkok, Bengaluru, Boston, Brisbane, Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Nagoya, Osaka, Paris, Perth, San Francisco, Sapporo, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei (Taoyuan), Tel Aviv, Tokyo (Haneda & Narita), Toronto, Vancouver).

Self-service Check-in Kiosks are currently available in select airports, but more kiosks will be added to Cathay Pacific’s network to ease your travel experience. Remember that immigration authorities of selected countries require passport information to be collected at the time of check-in. Passengers can just scan their passports to input details.

All passengers who hold an e-Ticket can use the Self Check-in Kiosks, with the following exceptions:

Passengers who need Medical Assistance.
Children traveling alone.
Passengers flying in a group, which is registered as a group in the booking.
Passengers whose ticket requires additional payment.

In-Town Check-in

When going to Hong Kong International Airport via Airport Express (AEL), passengers holding a valid Airport Express Line (AEL) ticket may choose to check in at either Hong Kong, Kowloon, or Tsing Yi Airport Express/MTR stations. You can simply check in and collect your boarding pass at the In-Town Check-In counter as early as one day in advance. You must collect your boarding pass at least 90 minutes before departure.

At Hong Kong and Kowloon stations, you can also check in and drop your baggage at the Cathay Pacific counters up to 150 minutes before the scheduled flight departure time. At Tsing Yi Station, Self-service Check-in and Baggage Tagging kiosks are available to check in and tag baggage that needs to be dropped at a Self-service Bag Drop at Hong Kong International Airport up to 50 minutes before scheduled departure.