What Happens If You Miss Your Flight? 5 Things You Should Know

This post was brought to you by Simple Flying.

Have you ever missed your flight? Was it due to a delayed connection or because you failed to get to your airport on time? USAToday reports that an average of 2% to 8% of passengers miss their flight. There may be several reasons. But what should passengers do when a flight is missed?

There is no need to panic. There are several ways to navigate through a missed flight. This article highlights some useful tips in case of a missed flight.

Report to the airline

The airline must be contacted as soon as possible

Depending on when you realize you will miss your flight, the airline may or may not be aware of it. The first thing to do is inform the airline that you have missed or will miss your flight. Passengers must inquire about airline policies for rebooking.

Did you miss your flight due to a delayed connection? Or was it because you failed to arrive at the airport or your gate on time? Airline policies differ based on the circumstances. In some instances, passengers may be able to rebook their flights thanks to the flat-tire policy that many airlines follow.

Inquire about airlines’ flat-tire policy

Policies differ based on airlines and routes

As reported by The Points Guy, the airlines’ flat tire rules allow passengers to claim rebooking on later flights if they miss their original flight. Most US airlines allow passengers to be rebooked on a later flight without a change fee. Some airlines, like Southwest, provide a free rebooking window within 30 minutes of the original departure time. It is important for passengers to know the airline policies to make an informed decision about rebooking.

Low-cost airlines, such as JetBlue, ask passengers to forfeit the non-refundable portion of the ticket. Some reports suggest that the airline may allow rebooking at no charge on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, passengers must contact their airlines when they know they will miss or have already missed the flight.

Does it affect your connection?

Further connection(s) may also be missed

• Is the connecting flight affected?
• Same airline for connecting flight(s)?
• Partner airline?
• Is it the same ticket itinerary?

This is the first thing missed-flight passengers must ask themselves. Do you have a connecting flight onward? If yes, passengers must know if the onward connection is with the same airline, a partner airline, or a completely different airline. Also, was your trip booked as a single ticket with one or more airlines? Or did you purchase a different ticket altogether?

Depending on the situation, it is important to inform the existing airline personnel to rebook you for this flight and fix onward flights. Airlines will usually automatically change the remaining itinerary until the destination. When rebooking, with or without a fee, passengers must ensure that the final destination on the new ticket is correct.

Where would my checked luggage go?

Passengers must inquire about or request checked luggage

In most countries, aviation laws mandate airlines to unload the checked luggage of passengers who do not show up for their flights. For example, if you checked your luggage at the airport and went to your departure gate. But somehow, you do that, and you get on the plane, your luggage must be unloaded before the aircraft departs.

It is the passengers’ responsibility to check whether their luggage will stay in the airport hold until the next flight or it must be collected and checked in again before the next flight. Missed flights are one of the major reasons for lost luggage, particularly at busy airports. Passengers must inquire with the airline and request to retrieve their luggage when the time between flights is long.

Know your rights

Passengers must know airline rules and policies

The European Regulation EC261 rule

Did you have a delayed or canceled flight? You may be entitled to compensation with SkyCop. Don’t pass up this opportunity!

The European Regulation EC261 rule is an extensive bit of legislation that requires airlines to compensate passengers in the event of:

• Denied boarding
• Flight cancellation
• Long delay of flights (three or more hours)

Under EC261 you may be eligible for compensation reaching up to EUR 600 if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours or gets canceled. 

SkyCop can help you if you have a flight disruption within the EU (on any airline), leaving the EU (on any airline), or arriving in the EU (on an EU airline).

This post was brought to you by Simple Flying. Written By Dr. Omar Memon.

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