A Costly Surprise at Check-In: Woman Loses Vacation Funds Over Airline Policy

A Russian traveler’s dream vacation took an unexpected hit just before her flight, thanks to a little-known rule from airline FlyOne. The woman, who shared her story on Instagram, said she ended up paying nearly as much for check-in as she did for her ticket—and it ate into the last of her holiday cash.

Flying from Yerevan to Sochi, she and a companion were charged 7,000 rubles to register for their seats. “It was a nasty shock,” she wrote. “We’ve never experienced anything like this before.”

A FlyOne representative explained that online check-in is free only during a seven-day window before departure, but it must be done at least four hours prior to takeoff. Miss that window, and you’ll pay at the airport. The passenger urged others to double-check airline policies before arriving at the terminal.

This isn’t the first time travelers have been caught off guard. Earlier, a Russian man named Alexey was denied boarding for a Maldives-to-Sri Lanka flight with Fits Air after a booking error on travel aggregator trip.com. He had paid with a Russian card and received a receipt, but the issue cost him his seat.

For vacationers, the lesson is clear: read the fine print before you fly—or risk losing more than just your patience.