Ticket to ride.(Ask The Concierge)

Why can't I print my boarding pass for international flights?

According to major airlines serving Latin America, you are better off checking in at the counter for international flights. Many countries require different documents for international passengers to present upon arrival, and check-ins at the counter let airlines make sure all your papers are in order; different destinations require different paperwork. "For international destinations we do require counter check-ins because we need to make sure the passenger has documents needed for arrival, such as passports and visas," says Gladys Bayo-Rivara, regional planning manager at Continental. "Some countries change, so we need to make sure."

Others pointed out that liability is an issue, "If American Airlines employees accept unofficial boarding passes, the airline could be fined," says American Airlines spokeswoman Martha Pantin. Delta Airlines spokeswoman Liza Caceras says her company is looking to launch such a service in the near future. Varig Airlines spokesperson Bobby Gebara says that boarding passes printed at home leave room for incomplete information such as gate numbers or seat assignments, which are determined just prior to takeoff.

Shouldn't the U.S. government create a better system for frequent business travelers instead of fingerprinting us every time we go through an airport?

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, all citizens from the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Visa Waiver Pilot Program countries--a list that doesn't include any Latin American countries--can register with the INS Passenger Accelerated System, an automated immigration inspection system that allows frequent business travelers to skip the live inspection interview The INSPASS kiosk uses a biometric image that validates the identity of travelers. For now, however, INSPASS can only be used in major U.S. cities such as Newark, Miami and Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, in April asked the U.S. Congress to delay for two years a request for biometric technology at all ports of entry.

At the same time, the agency extended its fingerprinting and photo regime to all travelers entering the United States beginning Sept. 30, including visitors on 90-day visas from the 27 countries in the visa waiver program.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Danielle Sheahan says that the government hasn't heard of anyone objecting to the new finger-printing system, which screens your index finger and takes your photograph within eight seconds.

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