[Petch]

Originally Posted by JohnK

Hypothetical. Would be interested to know what happens if all the passengers are in the queue well before check-in closing time but the check-in process for all passengers is not completed by the cut-off time. Do they delay the flight for as long as check-in takes to complete.

My guess would be - no need to.

The system Tiger uses is similar to the one that Jetstar use to use everywhere, (but has recently abandoned at its high frequency terminals, to use the single queue, legacy airline style). i.e. Tiger uses specific check-in counters for specific flights. Even more specifically, 3* check-in counters/representatives per flight. (* some small variations noted @ T4 MEL)

Generally, there are already a fair number of people ready to check-in at T-2 hours, and a queue forms as soon as the Tiger ground people put their signs up on their check-in desks. (If people haven't already figured out where to queue.) At this time, all 3 check-in reps facilitate check-in. (TT tip: you only need to have your photo id out for check-in, don't bother with your itinerary.)

At some point during the 75minutes that check-in is open, one of the counters transforms into a "pay station", operating a secondary queue to deal with passengers who need to pay for additional luggage services, this keeps the main queue flowing quickly, and I can't see any reason why an A320 full of passengers would delay check-in closing much beyond their 45minute deadline, let alone needing to delay the aircraft.

Having now experienced Tiger @ Melbourne, Perth & Adelaide, I must say their check-in staff are generally fantastic, but firm on the rules. (In Perth, they operate from the Skywest desks, maybe they contract Skywest people to do it, but they are top notch! In Adelaide, I think they use the same ground staff as Singapore Airlines, so expect the same sort of attentiveness in service!)

(TT tip - checked bags arriving @ ADL: after unloading all the baggage from the incoming flight, the ramp team immediately loads the outgoing flight. Once this flight is full, the ramp staff then move the arriving baggage to the carousel for collection. SO, there is a long delay before your baggage can be retrieved.) I hope Tiger will move to the Easyjet system, where there is only a size and no weight restriction on carry-ons, I do not like having my wheelie-bag checked 'cause I'm 1kg over the limit. If there weren't overzealous police around, I would leave my bag behind a pylon while I checked-in, so it couldn't get weighed. :-(

(TT tip - departing Adelaide: all boarding passes were printed prior to check-in opening, so the representative simply went over to the pile, and retrieved it, rather than printing it out on the spot.)