You missed your flight. It’s every traveler’s nightmare. But sometimes, all the preparation in the world isn’t enough to prevent this from happening.
If you’re not on a plane because the airline overbooked it, then the airline is responsible for booking you on the next available flight and providing you with accommodations and meals if that flight isn’t until the next morning. If you missed a connection due to an airline’s delays (e.g. as a result of mechanical problems), then the airline should re-book you on the next available flight, but is not obligated to do so.
Related reading: Get Ahead of Travel Disruptions With TripIt Pro Risk Alerts
If you missed your flight due to personal reasons (e.g. a flat tire, a family emergency, or oversleeping), then things get a bit stickier.
Here’s what to do if you are responsible for missing your flight.
1. Contact the airline immediately
As soon as you’ve missed your flight (or know that you’re going to), get in contact with the airline. If you’re not at the airport yet, call your airline. You may be required to pay a change fee and the difference in price if the fare has gone up since you purchased your original ticket, but calling ahead might save you from having to forfeit the entire investment that you’ve already made.
If you’re in the airport, head to the gate agent or ticketing counter. When communicating with agents, politeness is key. What happens next will be largely the result of their own discretion, so you want to remain on their good side. Explain the situation and ask them what options are available. If you have membership status with the airline, stress that—agents may be more willing to help.
2. Be aware of the flat tire rule
When the factors that caused you to miss your flight are totally out of your control, some airlines have (unwritten) rules that may make them a little more lenient in the face of your predicament. Specifically, if you arrive at the airport within two hours of your missed flight—and you have a good excuse for doing so—airlines may be willing to waive change fees and other additional charges. This is called the “flat tire rule”, and it’s worth politely trying to invoke it.
3. Address connecting flights
If missing your first flight will cause you to also miss a connection, notify the gate agent or airline representative of your predicament so they can help you plan accordingly.
If you made the first flight but missed the connecting flight, then most airlines will make you a standby on the next available flight. In this situation, it’s critical that you call ahead to the airline (or airport’s baggage claim) so they can store any checked bags until you’re able to pick them up.
DYK? TripIt Pro’s Alternate Flights feature can help you figure out what your options are for getting on a different flight if yours is delayed or canceled.
4. Notify your accommodations
If missing your flight will also cause you to miss or delay a hotel or vacation rental check-in, notify the hotel or host as soon as possible. Doing so will hopefully help you avoid additional fees—and come up with a new check-in plan.
5. Check your insurance policy
Some insurance companies will allow you to recoup some or all of your expenses that arise from missing a flight—provided you can prove that it wasn’t your fault.
Read your policy’s fine print, and, if this applies to you, do what you can to obtain written confirmation that the incident that caused you to miss your flight was caused by circumstances beyond your control.
