I missed my flight this morning at LAX.
I had checked-in online the night before,
and arrived at the airport at 8:00 AM for my 9:00 AM flight.
I didn't have any bags to check-in.
I only needed to print my boarding pass since I didn't have a printer at hand the night before.
The check-in line was very long, I waited for about fifteen minutes in line,
and I thought I'll never make it waiting in line.
I managed to get an agent note that I didnt' have to check any bags, and was offered a kiosk but already it was past the cut off time of 45 minutes.
I ask the agent what it means that the check in is restricted to the gate.
All she said was that it meant I was late.
At that point it was 8:20. 40 minutes from the flight time.
When I checked in it said i needed to be in the gate 15 minutes prior.
It didn't tell me about the 45 minute cutoff.
It only vaguely mentioned that a 30~60 minute cutoff "may" apply. and I thought that was for the baggage check in.
The agent didn't explain to me what I should do next.
I was in panic.
She didn't ask if I needed to check in the bag or offer to talk with the gate for me.
Basically the check-in area was a mess with too many people in line and too few agents to cater to the customers that she was too busy to take care of me.
I didn't know what to do, I went to the gate but was denied access of course without a boarding pass, I was referred to the re-booking agent but there was also a long line.
I was very furious that I was there in time, but just because of the long line that I couldn't get in and had to wait there till my flight took off.
I finally managed to call the 1-800 number myself and got a flight rescheduled the next day, with a cost of almost two hundred dollars.
Fortunately the agent on the phone was very helpful.
but if I hadn't called the center myself I would have waited in line passed my flight time before I had a chance to reschedule.
I don't think it is my fault that I could not get to the gate 15 minutes prior.
I was at the airport 1 hour prior without baggage to check in.
I was confident that that was enough time to check in without baggage.
I never expected that I would miss the flight.
Neither did I think I would have to stand in the long line with the customers who are checking in their bags.
You should allocate some kiosks for customers without baggage who have already checked in so that they can go on and print the boarding pass and pass the gate.
And I think it is the companies' responsibility to notice the customers about the definite time needed to arrive at the specific airport.
I had to reschedule the connecting flight in Hawaii, cancel a car rental and be subject to a three times higher rate, and pay for one more night in LA.
Ironic thing is I had stayed the night at an airport hotel 10 minutes away the night before, just to catch this flight in the morning.
