As a chronically always-cutting-it-to-the-last-possible-second person, I agree with this post. I time my plans to minimize my own personal waiting and maximize time spent on other activities prior to visiting the airport (or, occasionally, other activities in the airport ), but I always do so with the assumption that a) I try not to be the last one to board and thus hold up the plane; b) I will likely lose my seat assignment at T-15; c) the door slams shut exactly at T-10 (not T-5); and d) if I encounter a delay, I do so with the firm understanding that it is completely on me and to be prepared to deal with begging for mercy and rebooking on a later flight.

I've only cut it past the T-10 point once. I was hammering away at work on my laptop in one of the IAH United Clubs and suddenly caught a glance at the time and realized my flight departed in 15 minutes and worse, I had misjudged the gate layout and was on the wrong side of the C terminal from my gate. I threw my computer and charging cord in my bag (and, sadly, left an Alaska Airlines North of Expected jacket on the back of the chair, which was never recovered), sprinted to the front, and breathlessly begged the UC agent to call my gate and tell them I was running as fast as I could. I arrived at the gate at T-8 a sweaty mess to find the door being held open and the agent calling out my name--they had already scanned me as having boarded the plane, preserved my F upgrade, and were in the process of printing out the paperwork for the flight. One of the GAs commented, "You got here faster than any of us expected! We were taking bets how long it'd be!" and motioned for me to go straight through the boarding door onto the plane.

On the way, though, as I glanced at my phone's clock and saw the minutes ticking down past T-10, I fully expected the door to be closed upon my arrival and to be rebooked on a flight the next day in a middle seat next to the lavatory, if not canceled outright. Understanding that was what I was due made the surprise of everything working out for me even better--and made me prepared to deal humbly and respectfully with the GA even if she had not done that. I rarely speak harshly to those in customer service positions, because I fully understand that my choices and priorities have ramifications and am prepared to take the blame when those choices and priorities lead to issues. Knock on wood, though, I've never had any major issues due to that...