Someone plans travel well in advance and buys tickets six months in advance, and then looks forward to the appointed date, someone flies every week for work or other reasons and considers airports a second home, someone chooses something then the average … But all passengers have one thing in common: the need to correctly calculate the time of arrival at the airport. Therefore, everyone at least once asked the question: "If you are late for the plane, what should you do?". Let's try to figure it out.
Reason for being late
First of all, consider the situations due to which passengers most often miss their plane. In the first place, of course, is the late arrival at the airport. In large cities, for example, in Moscow, this is due to traffic jams that can catch at the most inopportune moment.
Secondthe most common reason is timing confusion. This happens in most cases for people who have bought tickets for the night - from zero hours. Remember that after zero hours is the next day. For example, your departure time is 00:30 on August 15th. Then you need to arrive at the airport on August 14. No matter how comical it may sound, there were cases when, having bought a ticket well in advance and thoroughly prepared for the trip, the passenger ended up missing the plane.
Another possible reason is relevant for connecting flights. We will consider this type in more detail separately. But in short, we note that there are many offers on sites selling air tickets at very attractive prices, where connections between flights are twenty to thirty minutes. In no case should you fall for such tricks and purchase these tickets, even if you are sure that you are perfectly oriented at the indicated airports and will have time to land without re-registration. You won't be able to. Moreover, you will lose money and spoil your trip along with your mood. However, about what threatens you if you still miss the plane, a little later.
What to do in order not to miss the plane
Check in advance (preferably two or three days in advance) the time and date of departure. Especially if the tickets were bought a long time ago or the flight is a charter one. In the latter case, the departure time may constantly change. But even if you are flying on a regular route and have acquired a travel document quite recently, you should still double-check yourself. In the future, this is a simple actionwill help you avoid wasting nerves, money and convulsive search for answers to the question: "If you are late for the plane, what should you do?".
Many airline ticketing websites have a daily reminder function. You can also set yourself a reminder on your smartphone. This will help you minimize the risk of being late for a procedure such as checking in for a plane.
Calculate travel time
Be sure to leave some stock. It is better to arrive half an hour or forty minutes earlier than to be the last one to come to check-in. Or run up and see on the scoreboard that the check-in for the plane or even the landing is over. Unforeseen situations can always happen on the road - traffic jams, repairs, car breakdowns, etc.
Remember that check-in for international flights usually starts three hours and closes forty-five minutes before departure. With domestic flights, things are less strict: the start is an hour and a half, the check-in is completed half an hour before departure. There may be slight variations in this time, depending on the airline you choose. More accurate information can be seen on the purchased ticket.
Also, check the information about the airport you will be flying from. If you haven’t been there before, of course, you don’t need to make a special trip and study the location of the terminals. But it will not be superfluous to go to the official website of the airport (if any), and see the latest news. It is possible that one of the terminals is closed for repairs, in which case you will need more time to travel.
Also, before getting to know the airport, it is advisable to look at its scheme, think about how long it will take to get to the desired terminal, read the reviews. This is especially important if you are flying at the peak of the tourist season, when most airports in resort towns are overloaded, employees work slowly and the queue moves slowly.
Always pay attention to fare conditions
Do this even if you have no prerequisites for the fact that you may not be in time for a landing and you have never asked yourself before the question: "If you miss your plane, what to do?". As they say, forewarned is forearmed, so read this information in case of unforeseen circumstances. You should especially carefully read the paragraph that stipulates the exchange and return of air tickets.
If you bought travel documents for connecting flights or, moreover, for flights with transfers, this item must be followed. Being overly nonchalant and hoping for no flight delays can cost you dearly later.
You are still late for registration. What to do?
Don't panic. Remember that check-in for international flights closes forty-five minutes, for domestic flights - half an hour before departure, so if you have about that much time left, and you are standing at the very end of the general queue, look for a special check-in counter for late passengers. Unfortunately, it is not available at all airports, and this service may be chargeable for economy travelers.class - about two thousand rubles. But this is your real chance to use the ticket and catch the plane. If there is no counter, try to find a representative of your airline and explain the situation to him. The main thing is not to be idle, but try to spend precious minutes wisely.
You are running late before you arrive at the airport
If you find yourself running late at home or on your way to the airport, be sure to let the agency or company contact through which you purchased your travel document know. If you can call before check-in is complete, you will be exempted from the no-show charge, allowing you to receive at least a partial refund of your airfare, if your fare allows it, or rebook your seat on the next flight.
When you do get to the airport, contact your airline representative as soon as possible. Try to calmly explain the essence of the problem and listen carefully to what the employee will offer you. You can either be transferred to the next flight, or, if you want, refund tickets, they will return part of the funds in accordance with your fare.
In the latter case, economy class and charter passengers will be the least lucky: they get back only airport taxes or nothing at all. When buying a business class ticket, you can get a full refund.
If you have a connecting flight
First, as previously recommended, don't buy ticketswith short connections. Also, try to find out in advance at which airport you will be transferring, as it may happen that you have to travel from one point to another for a long time.
It is better to calculate the required time for connections, starting from the following factors: leave at least two hours for a transfer at the same airport (so that your luggage can be reloaded), if you are with children, add another hour to this time, if the transfer at another airport, you need at least three hours.
Remember that you need a boarding pass to transfer, so it's best to check in for two flights at once. If you are flying with different airlines, please use the online check-in service.
Late for boarding
Another problem that could cause a plane to be late. You no longer need to wonder: "How to get a boarding pass?", You checked in at the airport or online, but then duty-free shops appeared before your eyes … And, forgetting about the time, you were carried away by shopping. Or maybe everything is much more prosaic, because you still need to have time to go through security at the airport, which can be a slow procedure in the high season or simply because of the unhurried work of the airport staff.
If you see that the queue is moving too slowly and you will not have time to go through passport and customs control, go to the airport specialist and try to explain the problem to him. They may be able to help you get through this process quickly. But if there is no one around you can turn to, try negotiating with those in front of you in line.
You're still late. Landing completed. What to do?
No matter how sad it may sound, but such cases are not uncommon. And it is not so important whether your plane is still on the ground or is already gaining altitude - if the landing is over, you will no longer be allowed into the cabin. The fact is that airlines incur heavy fines for flight delays, increasing the risk of collisions between aircraft in the air. No one wants this, so now your actions should be as follows.
When you finally miss your plane, go to your airline counter and explain the situation. A specialist will find a solution: if you were supposed to fly business class, you will be transferred on the next flight, subject to availability.
If you had an economy class ticket, you will most likely need to purchase a new travel document. Well, if you get some part of the amount of the unused ticket. In both cases, everything depends on the chosen fare, so always carefully study the conditions for the exchange and return of the purchased ticket.
In closing
So, once again we will answer the question: "If you are late for the plane, what should you do?". First, don't panic. Secondly, try to remain calm and follow the indicated recommendations. Thirdly, remember that there are no hopeless situations, and there are always people around you who can help.
