Delta Air Lines on Tuesday began allowing members of its frequent flier program to check in for flights over the Internet, and to print out their own boarding passes.

        This will allow passengers who are SkyMiles members with no checked luggage to bypass ticket counters and head directly to security checkpoints and then on to the gate.

        It is available to all SkyMiles members traveling on an electronic ticket for domestic travel and for flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands.

        Passengers can check in and print out a boarding pass in the last four hours prior to a flight.

        Delta, which operates its second-largest hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, had offered a similar electronic check-in to elite SkyMiles members in August, but the Sept. 11 attacks made it necessary for every passenger to have a printed ticket to get to the gate.

        The airline has more than 30 million members of its SkyMiles program.

        Online check-in does not apply to those flying on the Delta Shuttle, Delta Express, international Delta flights or on other airlines that are booked by Delta.

        It also does not apply to those flying on members of Delta's regional network, Delta Connection, including Erlanger-based regional carrier Comair.

        The online check-in partners with the airline's self-service ticket kiosks at the airport. Those kiosks are still available to those SkyMiles members without checked baggage wishing to bypass a ticket counter, but who do not have access to a computer.

        Delta spokeswoman Kristi Tucker said the airline was not concerned about the potential for forgeries, because picture identification is also required to get past security.

        “Security measures are in place to prevent duplication or forgeries,” Ms. Tucker said.

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