Northwest Changes Cutoff Time for Check-in

Starting this weekend Northwest Airlines began requiring passengers to check in earlier for domestic flights.

Domestic passengers generally have to be checked in and at the gate at least 15 minutes before departure, compared with 10 minutes under the old policy, or risk losing their seat. The exception is for flights to and from Hawaii, for which check-in cutoffs were changed from 60 minutes to 30 minutes. Cutoffs for international check-ins, mostly set at 60 minutes, are unchanged. The airline is still advising passengers to arrive at the airport 75 minutes before domestic departures, two hours before international departures.

Also starting this weekend, Northwest is requiring passengers to check luggage at least 30 minutes before domestic departures; previously the cutoff varied by airport. International cutoffs, generally 60 minutes, are unchanged.