Published 28 October 2026 | Updated 28 October 2026 by Kate Acaster
Fly-cruise flight check-in with P&O Cruises depends on your flight type. On a charter flight you go to the airport on the day, with UK desks opening about three hours before departure, and you can’t drop bags the night before. On scheduled and group-allocation flights you may be able to check in online with the airline. P&O says Jet2 group-allocation flights can be checked in online, while BA ones can’t.
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How fly-cruise flight check-in works on P&O Cruises
P&O includes flights in the price of a fly-cruise, and each one is one of three types. The type decides how you check in, when you get a boarding pass and how you choose a seat. It’s printed on your flight confirmation, and your flight details sit in My P&O Cruises.
| Flight type | Who runs it | How you check in |
|---|---|---|
| Charter | P&O books the whole plane. The airline still operates it. | At the airport on the day only. UK desks open about 3 hours before departure and close about 1 hour before. |
| Scheduled | P&O arranges places on an ordinary airline flight. | Depends on the airline. Often online, typically from about 24 hours before, but some open earlier. |
| Group allocation | P&O may buy a block of seats from an airline. | Depends on the airline. P&O says Jet2 can check in online, BA must check in at the airport. |
Charter flights all operate on embarkation or disembarkation day. On Mediterranean fly-cruises P&O uses a mix of scheduled, group and charter carriers. Most Caribbean flights are charters. Southern Hemisphere and exotic fly-cruises use scheduled flights only.
Charter flights: airport check-in on the day
P&O says charter check-in is at the airport on the day of departure. Even if the airline usually offers it, you can’t check in your baggage the night before on any P&O charter. In the UK, desks open about three hours before departure and close about one hour before. Pre-booked seats don’t change this. For most charter flights you get your boarding pass at the desk, when you show your cruise paperwork and passport. If you’re flying with TUI or Enter Air, P&O says you don’t need a boarding pass. Check-in is completed at the airport.
Everyone on a P&O charter flight is joining the ship.
Jet2, BA and other scheduled or group flights
On scheduled and group-allocation flights, P&O says you may be able to check in online on the airline’s website, depending on the airline. Its own example is that Jet2 group-allocation flights can check in online, while BA group allocations must check in at the airport. On scheduled flights from UK airports, airlines usually expect you to download your boarding pass before you travel.
| Jet2 check-in | Timing |
|---|---|
| Online or in the app | From 28 days to 6 hours before departure. Not available for flights leaving Turkey or Morocco. |
| Airport desks open | Generally at least 2 hours 30 minutes before departure |
| Airport desks close | 40 minutes before departure |
| Twilight Check-in | Bag drop the evening before, at some UK airports, for flights scheduled before noon |
P&O’s help pages don’t say whether a Jet2 group-allocation booking follows the full Jet2 window, or whether Twilight Check-in is open to it. Treat your confirmation email as the final word, or call P&O on 0344 338 8003.
“Start with your flight type. If it’s a charter, there’s no online check-in and no bag drop the night before. If it’s a Jet2 flight, read your confirmation email before you assume it’s airport only.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
For scheduled flights, P&O says online check-in typically opens around 24 hours before departure, though some airlines open earlier. Jet2’s window is wider, but that is Jet2’s rule for its own flights. Our guide to when Jet2 check-in opens has the detail for ordinary Jet2 bookings.
Extra bags are booked with the airline. P&O can add baggage only for medical reasons, through the On-Board Needs Questionnaire.
Check your names and passport details first
The names on your travel documents must match your passports. P&O warns that incorrect names could mean the airline denies you boarding, because security checks are usually carried out 24 to 48 hours before departure. Enter your passport details in My P&O Cruises before you travel, to avoid delays at check-in.
Choosing seats on a P&O fly-cruise
On selected charter flights to and from Valletta in Malta and Bridgetown in Barbados, you can buy seats through the Flight Seat Booker tool in My P&O Cruises. It opens about 14 weeks before departure and closes about a week before. You can change seats until eight days before departure, and pay the difference if the new seats cost more. You can’t leave a single empty seat at the end of a row or between two taken seats.
- If you don’t choose, seats are allocated at the airport.
- On scheduled flights you can usually buy seats on the airline’s own website. Some airlines need your ticket issued first, which can mean paying in advance with no refund.
- P&O adds that most airlines allow online check-in 24 hours before departure, when seat reservations are usually free, though this varies by airline.
- On group-allocation flights it depends on the airline, either at the airport or online.
Our Jet2 seat selection guide covers what Jet2 charges on its own flights. P&O doesn’t say whether those prices apply to a group-allocation booking.
Bags: limits, hand luggage and the P&O label
P&O says hold allowances on charter and scheduled flights usually run between 20kg and 23kg per person, and charter allowances can differ from what the airline’s own website says. If your airline allows more than 23kg, P&O still asks that no single item weighs more than 23kg, so the ship’s crew can handle it safely. Power banks go in your hand luggage, never the hold. Jet2’s own hand luggage rules are in our guide to how strict Jet2 is with hand luggage.
| Flight | Hold bag | Hand luggage |
|---|---|---|
| TUI charter, Economy | 1 bag, up to 23kg | 10kg |
| Norse Atlantic charter, Economy | 23kg | 10kg |
| Enter Air charter | Not given on P&O’s luggage page. Check your flight confirmation | One small bag, 5kg only |
| Jet2, own flights | Add up to three 22kg bags per person per flight | 10kg, 56 x 45 x 25cm including wheels, plus a 40 x 30 x 20cm under-seat bag |
What happens to your bags when you land
On Caribbean charters with TUI, Norse Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic, P&O runs a ‘bonded baggage’ service. Attach a P&O Cruises luggage label to every bag before you check in. When you land you skip immigration and baggage reclaim, and coaches take you to the cruise terminal. Your bags go straight to the ship and may not reach your cabin until much later. P&O says to pack medication, a change of clothes and a swimsuit in your hand luggage.
Landing from a scheduled flight
You pass through immigration, collect your bags and walk out to arrivals. P&O says a representative will meet you if you booked the flight through P&O and arrive on the day of sailing, or booked a hotel stay through them. If you arranged your own flights, you make your own way to the terminal.
Before you set off
Check the confirmation email first, then read the airline’s own rules. Our guides to how early to arrive at the airport, Jet2 checked baggage and first-time cruise tips cover the rest. The rules here come from P&O’s and Jet2’s own help pages, read on 28 October 2026. P&O’s check-in page was last reviewed in September 2024, so check anything important with them.
Fly-Cruise Flight Check-In FAQs
Can I check in online for my P&O Cruises flight?
It depends on the flight type. Charter flights are airport check-in only. On scheduled and group-allocation flights you may be able to check in online, depending on the airline. P&O says Jet2 group allocations can, and BA group allocations can’t.
When does check-in open for P&O charter flights?
In the UK, about three hours before departure. It closes about one hour before departure.
Can I drop my bags the night before a P&O flight?
Not on a P&O charter flight. P&O says you can’t check in baggage the night before, even if the airline usually offers it. For other flight types, ask P&O or check your confirmation.
Do I need a boarding pass for a TUI P&O flight?
No. P&O says you don’t need one if you’re travelling with TUI or Enter Air. You complete check-in at the airport.
Can I choose my seats on a P&O fly-cruise flight?
On selected charter flights to and from Valletta and Bridgetown, yes, through Flight Seat Booker. It opens about 14 weeks before departure and closes about a week before. Otherwise it depends on the flight type and airline.
What happens if I don’t choose a seat?
On the selected charter flights that offer Flight Seat Booker, seats you haven’t chosen are allocated at the airport.
How much luggage can I take on a P&O fly-cruise flight?
P&O says hold allowances usually run between 20kg and 23kg per person. Check your flight confirmation, and keep any single bag to 23kg or under so the ship’s crew can handle it.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
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Kate checks the details that can change the value of a trip, including cabin-bag rules, airline fees, hotel location, seasonality, travel dates and booking conditions. She is especially interested in offers that look useful on the surface but need a proper reader-first check before they are worth recommending.
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