slo’s WEDNESDAY 3/19 poll - Missing Your Flight ✈️

[soccerdad72]

Actually, I do remember a direct flight that I almost missed.

I was travelling home from Singapore on a business trip. Got to the airport and realized that I had accidentally left my passport in the back of the taxi After scrambling to try to figure out what I needed to do, at the last minute, I saw the taxi driver flagging me down in the terminal with my passport. I got so lucky to get an awesome driver and my boss and I were able to sprint through the airport to just barely make that flight.

 

[ronandannette]

I voted other because I honestly can’t remember whether we ever have or not. We’ve flown tons over the years, often with connections and although I feel like it’s always gone pretty much to plan, it’s possible we’ve messed up say least once. I know we’ve never been seriously stranded or had any plans completely ruined - I’d recall that for sure if we had.

**We did have to cancel return flights home from Barcelona once when we lost our Passports and couldn’t fly until they were replaced, but that’s not quite the same thing.

 

[tazdev3225]

I missed a connecting flight last year coming home from Seattle. There had been a cyber attack at the airport a day or two before but flights were still coming in and out. For some reason only one gate was being used for Southwest flights. The first flight had an equipment issue so it held up the second flight. The second flight held the gate for close to an hour while they tried to locate a passenger. Our flight was third out so by the time we took off we were leaving 3 hours late. There was no way we were making the connecting flight. We landed in Chicago around 10 PM. Everything was closing down and I had to find food for my husband. He's diabetic and I didn't need a sugar drop. My grandson and I raced all around and found one store that let us in to get 2 horrible sandwiches and 3 drinks for $60. Southwest gave us nothing and we had to sleep in the airport. We were on the first flight out the next morning but they switched the gate we were supposed to leave from. Not easy to run when you have a handicapped husband. They the gate attendant gave us a hard time about preboarding with my grandson. He's autistic and it was mentioned on the reservations they both needed to preboard. I also had to hope one of my kids could get us from the airport when we landed as my daughter that was supposed to pick us up the night before had work. Thankfully my youngest wasn;t working that day and got us.

I understand that things happen but I will never fly Southwest again. The rude attendants both on the plane and at the gate put me close to the edge. The customer service was the final straw. They were beyond rude.

 

[disneychrista]

When we flew to WDW in 2002 we missed our connecting flight because the first leg was delayed due to the pilot being sick. We thankfully got on the next flight. I had booked a town car and we ended up with a limo to take us to the hotel. My daughters 9 & 11 were thrilled.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Never missed a direct flight or a connecting flight. I've only flown a connecting once, flown direct twice. Other than those 3 flights, all my flights have always been nonstop.

And with one of those direct flights, I assumed it was a nonstop. It was then when I learned the difference between nonstop flights and direct flights.

Actually thinking now, I had one nonstop to MCO, 9 days after 9/11,get changed from a nonstop to a direct. So I guess 3 directs.

 

[MsChristy12]

Many years ago when I booked my first ever red-eye flight, I nearly missed it because I didn't realize I actually needed to go to the airport "the day before" the departure date! I was sitting there hanging out w/ one of my cousins and she asked what time my flight was and I told her...she was like "wait...that's TODAY you need to leave like now!". I was so young and dumb that I was like "no no...the ticket says xxx date" and she reminded me that, after midnight it's a new day! So of course I panicked and thank goodness I was pretty much done packing and I got ready as quick as I could, then left to the airport immediately. I was also very lucky that it was a week night, so no traffic going to the airport (45 mins away), *phew* that was a close one! Ever since then, I make sure to mark the actual date on my calendar that we need to leave.

 

[MsChristy12]

Actually, I do remember a direct flight that I almost missed.

I was travelling home from Singapore on a business trip. Got to the airport and realized that I had accidentally left my passport in the back of the taxi After scrambling to try to figure out what I needed to do, at the last minute, I saw the taxi driver flagging me down in the terminal with my passport. I got so lucky to get an awesome driver and my boss and I were able to sprint through the airport to just barely make that flight.

Definitely always thankful for kind people when traveling!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I missed a direct flight on Swiss air from Geneva to Paris. We were jet lagged and overslept. We were supposed to meet family from France there and stay at Lake Geneva but they cancelled last minute so after one day there we were to fly to Paris to see them there and we missed our flight and had to wait til that evening to get there. We ended up on a tiny plane, but it was a short trip. They did have really good Swiss chocolate on the plane though lol

 

[KPeterso]

Over the years, 1 missed connection and a couple near misses on making the flight.

For the missed connection, it was a day that American Airlines entire system crashed. I had a tight connection in Dallas to get home and my first flight was delayed due to the outage. But was told not to worry about it as all planes would be held when I asked. If they had said it would not be held, I would have walked over 2 gates to see if I could get on the flight that was going to within an hour of my home airport as I could have made that work to get home. When I got to Dallas, my flight was long gone (and I and several others who were going to the same airport as me were mad). Got home the next day.

For direct, I have cut it close a few times. Most recently was last fall, everything took longer than it should have to get through the airport. And when we walked up to the gate, the agent looked at us and said let me fix your seats and we will start boarding with you as soon as I do that. I was travelling with my 2 elderly parents so had airport assistance. It was like they were waiting for us to arrive to start boarding the plane!

 

[Genie+]

We missed a direct flight. Totally our own fault. We did a commando style 5 day WDW trip with the kids and had the phone alarm set for 5:30am. All of us slept through it lol. Finally woke up 6:20am. Rushed like crazy but by the time we got to MCO to check in our bags, the gate agent knew it was next to impossible for us to make it through security in time for takeoff and instead put us on the next flight. Thank you Jetblue!!!

Learned our lesson. Ever since then we leave much bigger time buffers for flights. JB was gracious enough not to charge us anything extra but we knew they did not have to do that. Guess we were lucky the next flight had room for us.

 

[Micca]

There have been a few close calls over the years, I'm not recalling a time where we totally missed a flight.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm afraid to type my answer for fear of jinxing myself

... but I will say I'm the type of person who enjoys being super early to the airport and is scared of booking short layovers.

Also, thank you @Dan Murphy, for making me look up the difference between nonstop and direct flights. I would have assumed those were synonymous.

 

[VandVsmama]

Have missed connecting flights a few times. Usually it's happened because of flight delays, weather delays, or plane mechanical problems. The airline always ends up assigning us to another connecting flight instead. When it's happened on Southwest, we've already been reassigned to a different connecting flight even before our 1st flight has landed.

There was 1 time last year when ODD & I had to RUN to get on board our Southwest flight to Dallas. It was one of the 1st flights out of the morning and the TSA security checkpoint took FOREVER because they only had ONE scanner operating. The line wasn't even that long! It was super stressful. Southwest held the plane because there were, like, 20 people who they were still waiting on...and we were all in that dumb TSA line!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Also, thank you @Dan Murphy, for making me look up the difference between nonstop and direct flights. I would have assumed those were synonymous.

Yes, I used to and I think many people do also.

spelling ​

 

[lovesmurfs]

Only once, in 1984. My grandmother took me on a trip to Vienna when I was a junior in HS. We flew on Romanian Airlines. There was one flight a week between NY and Vienna for that airline. They changed the flight time and my grandmother never got notified. We arrived 45 minutes before the flight took off and were told it was too late. After some begging, they took our luggage and we sprinted through the airport. We made the flight, but I was a little sad not to "have" to stay in Austria another week.

There was another time I nearly missed one when I was traveling for business. I have problems in my brain when a flight is at a :45. Somehow I round it back instead of up, so I thought I was arriving 2 hours before, and wound up it was just over an hour before. It was before TSA Precheck, so I had to beg to get through the security line to get to the gate. Made it, but now I triple check and type out itineraries so I know exactly when I need to leave/arrive.

ETA: There was another time when I was looking at colleges and we flew into/out of Cincinnati. My last visit was in Chicago, and my mother and I forgot about the time difference. We got a speeding ticket and arrived after the plane would've left, but the plane was delayed by 2 hours. We didn't have checked bags, so we were okay.

The stress of missing a flight isn't worth it to me, so I probably leave more margin than I need to, but it gives me peace knowing I'm where I need to be.

 

[VandVsmama]

A couple of other times when flying w/DH, we've had to hustle in order to make it to the gate in time because I foolishly listened to him when he said, "Oh we only have to be at the airport an hour ahead of time."

...and we were parking in the long term parking lot.
...and then had to make it from the long term lot to the terminal.
...and then we had to get through the TSA security checkpoint.

Should have listened to my gut both of those times! Now when we're flying somewhere, I am the one who decides what time we leave the house. And based on our own personal experience + that of other people we know, I now follow the airport's recommendations and we arrive TWO hours beforehand, not one. AND I factor in an extra 30 minutes of wiggle room "just in case." Just in case:

• we're about to leave the house and oh suddenly somebody had to go to the bathroom and it takes them forever
• we're about to leave the house and one of us misplaces their cell phone somewhere in the house and we have to do a mad scramble to find it
• there's major freeway construction that weekend which we didn't know about and it's on our primary route to the airport, so we have to scramble and figure out an alternate route...and the alternate route takes more time than the regular direct route does
• the long term parking lot is totally full, we waste endless minutes going up and down each parking row in the huge long term parking lot and we end up having to park in short term parking instead
• the TSA security checkpoint takes an hour to get through instead of 15-20 minutes

 

[design_mom]

Two missed flights (both connecting) and two near misses (one direct, one connecting).

The misses:
-- One in Atlanta when we were bringing our daughter home (we adopted her in Russia). We had to go through Immigration in Atlanta, which was SLOW even though it was practically empty. Then we had to take the little train from one terminal to the other. The train broke down and we were stuck on it. The announcement speakers were still working though... and I heard them call our flight while we were stuck on the train. In good news, we got to fly first class on the next flight home.
-- I had a connection in Charlotte on my way to Tampa. Our flight was late getting out of our original destination, and I was seated near the back. So we got in late, and the plane took FOREVER to unload. I asked if the flight attendants could radio ahead and let them know I was coming for the connection, but they said they don't do that. I *ran* for the next gate and the plane was still at the gate when I arrived, but the door had been closed, so I could not get on. I had to stand and watch it taxi away without me!

The near-misses:
-- This was the same trip as the missed flight in Atlanta. We were flying out of Moscow to Paris and we got to the airport WAY early (like 4 hours before the flight). I spent about 6 weeks in Russia and I have not figured out what their concept of "a line" is. Anyway, there was a huge mob at the ticket counter -- and as much as I tried, I never got closer to the front. I know *some* Russian but not a lot. I ended up stiking up a conversation with a guy who was on his way to Australia... I was telling him that I was worried we were going to miss our flight because although we'd been there for hours by that point, we werne't any closer to the front. At that point, he yelled something in Russian (I recognized the words "mother" and "baby") and that crowd parted like the Red Sea! We got checked in and BARELY made the flight. I don't think I ever got his name, but he really saved us. I am confident I would *still* be in that "line" (19 years later) if not for him.
-- The second time was when I was flying home from Florida with my husband, sister, and brother in law. We were late arriving, and the flight attendants said they were holding the flight for us, but we needed to RUN! So we did. I was not in very good shape and was really wheezing by the time we made it (and my sister threw up in her purse!) They did let us on.

 

[CynBeth]

We usually do direct unless we have no choice. Many years ago we almost missed a connecting flight. We went on an Alaskan cruise with Royal and they set up our flights. After the cruise and land tour we were flying home from Fairbanks and the flight left late I do not remember why and do not recall what city our connection was in. They told us they knew a lot of us have connections not to worry they will let the airport know our situation and have our flights held. A little bit later they said no flights would be held they will have transportation waiting for us to rush us to our gates since it is a big airport. As we were getting close to landing they asked for people to wait on the plane who have that city as the final destination and allow those of us with tight connections to have priority. We got off the plane and nothing was waiting for us. We found out which gate was ours and started running as best we could. We flagged down one of those things you see told the driver our situation and he agreed to take us yo our gate. We heard our names over the loudspeaker. As we were almost there heard our names again. We arrived and they told us they almost gave away our seats. A few people on the plane told us that as well. Surprisingly when we got to our home airport we saw our luggage had made it.

 

[_19disnA]

Have never missed a non-stop flight or ones with connections, but I also don't cut it too close getting to the airport. They recommend 2 hrs prior to your flight for a reason and any number of things can cause you to take more time getting to your gate. Planes will leave without you if you are late, so I would much rather be early and shop or get something to eat rather than risk missing my flight. When there is a significant delay associated with connecting flights that impact several people, I have been on a flight where the airline will hold the connecting departure to allow those people time to make the flight, but doesn't happen that often.

A number of years ago recall taking a friend to the airport for their flight back home after attending the wedding of a college friend. There was this HUGE back-up on the freeway due to some sort of accident. However, we were just able to get the airport on time to avoid missing their flight.

Many people use the terms 'direct' and 'non-stop' interchangeably, but they are different. A 'direct' flight means you go from your departure city to your destination without a change of aircraft, but it MAY involve stopping somewhere along the way. 'Non-stop' means you go from your departure city to your destination without any stops.

 

[MsChristy12]

We are definitely the early bird people when it comes to getting to the airport. We are always there 3-3.5 hours prior to departure, no matter which airport. For international, especially if it's not our home airport, we plan for 4 hours. Despite having Clear and TSA precheck, we rather have plenty of time vs rushing and running to the gate, that's way too stressful. You also never know what's happening at the airport these days, even w/ Clear and precheck, the lines could still be long (that happened to me once in PHX, took over 30 mins). People have said to us "oh you have lounge access, of course you don't mind getting to the airport so early". Well no....we've always done that even before we had lounge access. Why risk it?

For domestic connecting flights, I prefer minimum of 3 hrs in between. International flights, I would be most comfortable if it's 5+hours but I could manage 4 hrs, if I don't have better options. I won't book flights that aren't within those criteria, especially international flights. If it's between 3 hrs or 15 hrs, I'll suck it up and book the 15 hours layover.