How to print at an airport
Airports are built for people who already have their documents. Printing inside one is possible, but it helps to know which doors to try.
Inside the terminal
- Airline kiosks and desks print boarding passes and, sometimes, itineraries. They will not print your visa letter.
- Business lounges usually have a printer. If you have access through a card or a ticket, this is the easiest option.
- Business centers exist in large international terminals, often inside a hotel attached to the airport. They charge per page.
- Airport hotels. The front desk prints for guests and often for anyone polite. The hotel is frequently closer than the business center.
- Shipping store counters at some larger airports print and ship.
Just outside
A library branch or print shop near the airport is often faster than anything inside security, especially if you have a car or a long layover. Print@ ranks these by distance from where you are, so from the terminal you can see the three closest places and how each takes files.
Before you get there
If the document matters, print it the night before at the hotel. Airports are the worst place to discover that a mobile pass is not accepted or that an immigration officer wants a paper itinerary.
From your phone at the gate
Email the PDF to an airport hotel's desk or the lounge, and ask them to hold it. Lounges in particular are used to this.
Print@ does this from the Print dialog on a Mac: pick Print@ Nearby, and it finds the closest shop or public printer, sends the file, and gives you a pickup code. From a phone, send a file to a Print@ Network shop.
Install on macOSPrint from the webAll guidesQuestions people ask
- Can I print documents at the airport?
- Yes, in lounges, business centers, airport hotels and at some shipping counters. Airline desks print boarding passes only.
- Is it free to print a boarding pass at the airport?
- For most full-service airlines, yes at a kiosk or desk. Some low-cost carriers charge.