In order to allow plenty of time for check-in procedures, baggage drop-off and security checks, always arrive at the airport well in advance of your flight. Please familiarize yourself with check-in/baggage drop-off as well as boarding gate deadlines (see table below) as they apply to your destination.
Failure to respect these deadlines may result in the reassignment of any reserved seats, the cancellation of reservations, and/or ineligibility for denied boarding compensation.
- If you are travelling on a codeshare flight, please familiarize yourself with the other airline’s policies on check-in times and procedures.
Check-in Tip: To avoid airport line-ups, try our convenient Web Check-in, Mobile Check-in or our self-service Check-in kiosks available at most airports used by Air Canada.
Normal check-in and boarding gate deadlines
| Travel | Recommended check-in time* |
Check-in/baggage drop-off deadline** |
Boarding gate deadline*** |
| Within Canada | 60 minutes | 30 minutes | 20 minutes |
| To/From the US | 90 minutes | 60 minutes | 20 minutes |
| International (including Mexico and Caribbean) |
120 minutes | 60 minutes | 30 minutes |
To ensure you have plenty of time to check in, drop off your checked baggage and pass through security, use the table above to determine how much in advance of your flight’s departure time you should check in.
E.g. if your flight from Paris leaves at 4 pm, we recommend that you check in at 2:00 pm (120 minutes before your flight).
You must have checked in, obtained your boarding pass and deposited all checked baggage at the baggage drop-off counter before the check-in deadline for your flight.
E.g. if your flight to or from a U.S. city leaves at 7 am, you are required to have checked in and deposited your checked baggage by 6 am (60 minutes before your flight).
You must be available for boarding at the boarding gate by the boarding gate deadline.
E.g. if your flight from Toronto to Ottawa leaves at 11 am, you must be at the boarding gate no later than 10:40 am (20 minutes before your flight).
Checked baggage drop-off
Although you may check in as early as 24 hours prior to departure, please note that baggage may only be checked in at the baggage drop-off counter at the earliest:
- four (4) hours prior to departure for flights from Canada or the U.S., and
- three (3) hours prior to departure for flights from all other locations.
