Saturday 27 / April / 2024
Long 20 minutes to enter the airport compound from the over bridge on the main road, another frustrating 15 minutes to find a parking and to put your baggage into a trolley, and....yet another painful one-and-a-half hours in a long queue inside and outside the jam-packed departure terminal just to reach the check-in counter.
Come June, it’s always been a cruellest month for airline passengers from Middle Eastern airports. With the private international schools as well as the Indian schools already closed, the Muscat International Airport has begun to feel the heat and many holidaymakers have already missed their flights.
This situation can be handled diligently by the passengers themselves, say experts in the travel industry. There are check-in options (though limited at the Muscat International airport when one considers the passengers of all the airlines), which could turn boarding a flight into a much smooth affair.
In view of the peak season, many travel agents and airlines have advised passengers to check-in early, especially to those travelling by midnight or early morning flights that operate in the peak hours at the Muscat airport. And the early check-in doesn’t just mean the usual 3-hour prior reporting at the airport, but also mean the web check-in and early baggage check-in which could be done from eight hours before the flight’s scheduled departure.
“As we know the summer school holidays have been declared, which can usually result in big rush in June. The online check-in options can be a handy tool to handle this summer rush,” says Subash Chandrasekharan, Travel Manager with King Travel & Tours LLC.
Most of the tour operators provide tips and are doing web check-in for their customers. “We contact all our customers and advise them to start early to report at the airport at least three hours before the scheduled time of departure. We also do online check-in for our customers,” said Rajeev Thomas, Assistant Manager - Holidays, Eihab Travels LLC.
Oman Air, the major operator, has the web check-in facility, which can be availed 24 hours before the scheduled departure time and the service will close one-and-a-half hours before the departure time. Besides, the airline has made the early baggage check-in facility (from eight hours before the scheduled departure) available throughout the year. It means that one travelling by a night flight in the peak hours can come in the afternoon to check-in their baggage, go back home and come in time to get their boarding pass. They don’t have to stand in long queues to screen their baggage during the rush-hour. In cases of a family where the entire members are not physically present during early check-in, bags can be accepted but boarding passes will be issued only when the entire family is seen by check-in staff at the online check-in counter. Passport and visas will be checked at the initial baggage acceptance time.
“Not all the airlines have this online check-in or early baggage check-in options always. This is crucial for all the passengers to plan their travel and ensure that they do not face any hassle at the airport,” Subash says. However, experts say only few number of business travellers are using web check-in facility currently.
As for early baggage check-in, many residents going for holidays say that it’s not practical as usually the hectic packing will be over only at the eleventh hour. Another inconvenience cited by passengers who use the web check-in facility at the Muscat airport is that the facility is not complete in itself. “Even if we check-in online, we will have to stand in queue and get another boarding pass. There’s no specific counter and we are led to some counter which has less rush. Besides there’s no separate web check-in baggage drop counter here,” says a frequent business traveller who preferred anonymity. Though the Oman Air has a number of check-in counters, the passengers travelling by other airlines have no other option but to stand in long queues in the limited number of counters, complain many travellers. But it’s better to find out and make use of whatever options you have, the travel agents say, so that your holiday trips don’t start with a disaster.
Online Check-in Advantages
• Online check-in is available between 24 hours and 90 minutes before the scheduled time of departure.
• Online checked-in passengers without baggage can proceed directly to immigration and gate without requiring to report at the check-in counters.
• Dedicated web-check-in counter at Muscat International Airport, to drop off your baggage. Baggage tags are provided at counters 48 or 49.
• Counters at the airport close 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.
Check before Check-in
Please ensure you have the following with you before proceeding to our check-in counters:
• Your Photo ID / Passport
• Visa (if required)
Baggage
• Passengers flying Oman Air can check-in their baggage from eight hours before the scheduled time of departure.
• Most airlines have size and weight restrictions for check-in and hand baggage. Excess baggage will be charged by weight and oversize bags may not be permitted on board. Please check these with your airline before your trip.
• Ensure that you pack your baggage yourself in compliance with the security guidelines issued from time to time.
• All checked-in baggage at Muscat International Airport will be restricted to 32kg per piece irrespective of the baggage allowance which is offered by the airline. Each piece should not exceed 32kg. This is a health and safety requirement for safeguarding the baggage handling staff and airport handling equipment.
• All existing terms and conditions
on flight cancellation, baggage
allowance for checked-in and/or carry on and other baggage rules will still apply.
• Boarding gate will close 30 minutes prior to scheduled time of departure.
Ground Handling
Oman Air is the sole ground handling agent for Muscat International Airport. Passenger Services facilities are fully automated with exclusive handling for VIP’s, First and Business Class passengers. Specially trained staff form a separate unit to handle incapacitated passengers with specialised facilities on hand.
• Speedy Check-in
• Automated Baggage Tracing System
• Load Control
• Flight Operation Services
• Special Passenger Handling
• Passenger Interline Transfer Service
• Ramp Services
Should you change your travel plan or unable to report on time for your Oman Air flight, please offload yourself from the flight or advice the call centre (+968 2453 1111) or the relevant airport office.
