Advice for missed flights

A handy way to beat the queues that can so often hold things up at the airport is to check-in online before your flight. Many airlines let you check-in up to 15 days before your flight so you can arrange this in plenty of time. You can print off your boarding card, and choose your meals and seats when you check-in online, just as you would at the airport check-in, so it’s a great time-saving system. Those without internet access or those who don’t trust computers to do their work for them, can check-in in the standard manner. Just be sure that you know how long before your flight boards that your airline’s check-in desk closes, as if you miss the check-in, you won’t get on that plane.flight won’t count for much when the aeroplane door shuts and a plane full of happy holidayers jet off into the sunshine without you. So what should you do when you arrive late for a flight or miss it altogether?

Airline companies have different attitudes when it comes to missing check-ins. Virgin and British Airways are two of the strictest, allowing little or no exceptions whatsoever, while others will offer a little more flexibility.

If you are checking-in at the airport, make sure you get there in plenty of time as sometimes check-in desks handle several flights at the same time, making for huge queues. Try to get there as soon as the desk opens to avoid delays. If the queue you are in is particularly long and you think this may cause you to miss your flight, tell a member of staff immediately. If you are using a shared check-in desk you will be moved up the queue ahead of passengers queuing for later flights.

It pays to keep your wits about you when you are airside. Keep your eyes peeled for any changes to the departure screens, as there is a chance you could miss the tannoy announcements amid the hubbub of a busy airport. If the display reads ‘gate closed’, then your chances of getting on board are not great,but it’s worth a shot. If other passengers are still boarding then some airlines will leave it up to the captain to decide whether or not you get to join them. Monarch is one of the more lenient airline companies, and they advise their passengers to proceed to their gate even if it has closed, and they will see what they can do. The final decision always rests with the pilot. You might be given a bit of an easier ride if you have children with you, as everyone can understand the disruption that they can cause to your travel plans, and few people will be able to resist bending the rules for a crying child, whereas if you’ve missed boarding because you hung about too long in the airport bar, then you might as well forget it.

When the plane has well and truly left without you, you are very unlikely to get any sort of refund, but a transfer may be possible. The first thing to do is to head to your airline’s customer service desk immediately where they can tell you your options. Here you’ll be able to find out if your carrier will be willing to transfer you for a fee, or offer you any kind of support. You’re likely to have more of a chance of transferring with charter carriers and low-cost airlines, who are a lot more flexible than the scheduled airlines.

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