We’ve all missed a train, but missing a flight is a traveler’s worst nightmare.
Mrs. Lou Lou Smithfrom the United Kingdom, took to TikTok to detail what exactly happens when you make the dreaded mistake.
in two minutes shortenThe former check-in agent explained what can be done to save the situation and what to do if you can’t.
He recalled a rare incident in which his manager allowed a passenger to board after the flight had been closed.
She then emphasized that it was the first time she had seen him in her five years in the role.
People were quick to comment on their own unfortunate anecdotes, and some seemed to experience acts of goodwill from airline staff when they arrived too late.
Ms. Lou Lou Smith from the United Kingdom took to TikTok to detail what exactly happens when you make the dreaded mistake: missing your flight.
She began the clip: “I used to work as a check-in agent and so these are the things I will always do.” So what happens when you miss your flight?
“Say, for example, you arrive at the check-in counter and for whatever reason, maybe there’s been a car accident on the highway and it’s taking you longer to get to the airport or, for whatever reason, you’ve missed your flight.”
Ms. Lou Lou then explained that once the flight is closed, they are not allowed to reopen it to accommodate late arriving passengers, even if they are only one minute late.
She continued: “Now, obviously, when we close the flight, that’s it; we can’t reopen the flight.”
‘There has only been one situation where a flight was reopened and it was because there was a delay of four or five hours for that particular flight.
“So my manager overruled it and the woman was only a minute late at the check-in counter and he just said, ‘I’ll open it again and let you in.’
“However, that only happened once every five years I was working there, so it’s actually not as common as you think.”
The content creator explained why airline staff can’t simply open flights, attributing it to the boarding process that would have already started when you arrive a minute late.
But you might be in luck: ‘If that’s you and you’ve just missed check-in, what I would normally recommend is going to the airport hold to collect your luggage, it’s like a locker system.
Especially if you checked in online, grab your carry-on and go through the other side: you have 45 minutes and you can still probably make your flight.”
However, if you are too late to do this, you are told to go to the customer service desk.
“You will have to pay a rescue fee, which can range from £250 and you will be put on the next available flight.”
Ms. Lou Lou reminded viewers to keep in mind how busy the time period you fly is: you may not be lucky enough to catch a return flight when you want.
He also reviewed the procedure in case of missed flight at the boarding gate.
‘They send you to a holding area and then someone will take you back the other way and you will again pay the rescue fee.
TikTok users were quick to comment on the clip, with one thankfully confessing: “I once forgot my passport at home and the lovely BA customer service lady put me on a flight the next day.”
It seems like more people than you imagine have missed their flights based on the comments on Ms. Lou Lou’s clip.
Another had a similar luck: “I missed my flight to London, I was traveling with Delta and they put me on the next available flight for free.”
Another user wrote: ‘I once missed a flight from Stansted to Dubai, watched it walk away, very depressing. However, Emirates gave me one from Heathrow the next day for £56!’
But not everyone was so lucky: one of them missed his flight “after checking in.”
Another had witnessed a financial tragedy: ‘Someone was flying back to the US from Dubai, he thought his flight left at 2 in the afternoon and not 2 in the morning! “I obviously missed it and paid over a thousand pounds for another flight.”
And another user theorized: “If you miss your easyJet flight, you can pay £110 to be put on the next available flight.” It’s called IROP’.