What happens if I miss my flight?

I was asking the same thing the other day. I knew (because unfortunately it’s not the first time) but I still panicked a little bit!

My kids and I were headed to Salt Lake City from JFK. We had arrived an hour ahead of our flight time and made ourselves comfortable two gates down from ours (there were no seats any closer.) I had looked at my tickets and thought we boarded at 7:10 and felt confident we would hear boarding announcements where we were sitting. I read, the kids played games, I looked at my phone and saw it was 7:00 and thought ok it’s time to get ready to board. I looked at the gate behind me, and the flight had already been closed. The flight left at 7:10 and we had missed it!!!

 

It’s not an uncommon occurrence for people to miss flights. Maybe you need a new alarm clock, maybe traffic is at a standstill, or you just get a late start. When it happens, the natural reaction is usually panic and anxiety which can lead to some costly mistakes. However, there are a few things you can do in order to make sure you’re prepared if this ever happens to you! Here are a few steps on what happens if you miss your flight!

What happens if you miss your flight?

If you miss your flight you need to quickly find someone that can help you on to a different flight and as soon as possible. Below are the steps you need to take if you miss your flight for various reasons and what to do to make it better quickly.

What to do if you know you won’t make it on your flight

If you’re going to miss your flight, it’s best that you contact the airline as soon as possible.  This could be that you are enroute and there is an accident, or you are ill and can’t make it. Call the airline help center and let them know as soon as you can.

They may be able to find you a seat on another flight later in the day. If there are no flights available that day there may be one at a different airport nearby. The more you can do beforehand will make the airlines more likely to help you.  Not all airlines will be able or willing to accommodate you, but its worth trying!

What to do if I have already missed my flight?

If you have missed your flight you will want to do exactly what you did above but the options are not quite as good. If you missed your flight because of an accident or an emergency it will be easier for the airline to help you.

For most airlines they will be able to help you if you missed your flight due to an accident and get you on a different flight, but you outcome will vary due to who you talk to and the airline policy.

If you just missed your flight because you slept too late, were busy getting food, or fell asleep at the gate you will most likely lose the fare and have to buy new tickets.

In our most recent case we were lucky and Delta put our ticket price from the original flight toward the new flight. It still cost us around $800 extra but we were able to get a flight later that day. (It meant that we were stuck at the airport for 11 hours.)

 

Who should I talk to if I miss my flight?

If you have already arrived at the airport try going to the help desk for your airline. They have them in most terminals and tend to help you get on another flight the most quickly.

If there isn’t a help desk available call the airline directly and explain the situation.

If you booked with a credit card you may be able to get the full fare refunded and they can help you with new tickets.

What should I do if I miss my connecting flight?

If you miss your connecting flight due to the last arrival of your first flight, you are generally not alone. Other passengers on the same flight are likely to also be in that situation.

Generally the airline will get all of you on the next available flight to your destination or give you a voucher to stay in a hotel overnight.

The times that this has happened to us they have put us on another flight to our destination even if it is on a competing airline. Depending on the inconvenience they may also give you a voucher for another flight.

What should I do if my flight is cancelled?

If your flight has been canceled, you will need to talk with the airline for more information about how they will help you get to your destination. They are obligated to help you continue on your journey.

Often the airline will give you vouchers to get meals at the airport or if they need you to stay overnight they will give you vouchers for hotels. (This is the rule with regular priced airlines in the United Sates, but speak to your airline to get the information.)

What should I do if I have to spend the entire day in the airport?

• If you have to spend the entire day in the airport, it’s time to get comfortable.
• Find your favorite food and order a drink or two!
• Go eat at a sit down restaurant at the airport.
• See if you can book yourself into an airport lounge with a day pass and while away the time in luxury.
• Take your kids to an airport playground to get the wiggles out. (Most airports have these and they are fabulous for little kids.)
• Go back home and come back (you will have to go through the security process again.)
• Find an airport hotel that offers daytime bookings and get some shut eye while waiting for your flight. (We chose to book the TWA airport hotel at JFK and got to nap for 5 hours which was much needed after an early morning.)
• Keep your kids happy and active with toys you brought along for the airplane ride.
• Download a newer movie on a tablet and pretend you are at a movie together.

 

If you travel enough you are bound to have one of these things happen at one time or another. My advice is don’t panic, speak politely and kindly to airline agents (they are stressed too) and find ways to make the best of the situation.

It is certainly frustrating but you can find ways to make it an amazing story to be told.