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I booked a flight from Vueling recently, and attempted to check-in online. However, I got the following message:

The nationality entered is not on the list of countries that allow online check-in. Please go to the check-in desk in good time to get your boarding pass.

I can't seem to find this list anywhere on the Vueling website. Where can I find the policy list for Vueling's online check-in (or more generally, for any airline).

I'm Chinese. I can do this, but I don't understand why I'm not permitted to check in online. It isn't anywhere on the website.

Willeke
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user537349
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2 Answers2

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Several airlines have published that people who need visa have to check in at the airport in person with all pertinent paperwork. Others who come from the same countries and might have permanent residencies are often also forced to show the paperwork in the airport before checking in.
Not sure if your airline follows those rules but it seems like that your nationality would make it needed for the airlines that follow the rules.

For people who can not check in online, paying extra to chose their seats might be more important, if you care about which seat(s) you end up in, but it seems that the extra money for buying seats is not the driving force, as checking in at the airport usually cost at the airline I know about, but in this case it is free for those who can not check in online.

Willeke
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The Spanish airline Vueling have a list of required travel documentation on their website under "Prepare your trip", that seems to be based on IATA guidelines among other things.

They do state:

If you're flying within the Schengen area, you won't have to go through any documentation checks.

so I assume that you're flying from or to a non-Schengen country, and I'd guess that most people would have to do a document check, and that the message is a bit misleading and doesn't have much to do with "nationality". It'd more likely be an exception when someone didn't have to do a document check for those flights.

But, under "citizens of other countries" they say this about Schengen flights:

Passport* + valid visa for destination country if required.

Passport* + Valid residency card issued by a Schengen state.

Mikael Dúi Bolinder
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