<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by zrs70:
If you get to the ticket counter after the cut off but before the 10 minute rule, will the airlines count this as a missed flight (and have you standby for a $100 fee for the next one)?</font>
You mean the check-in counter? If you make it there 10 minutes before the flight, you missed the flight.
Check the conditions of carriage for each carrier for specific rules. Generally, you're expected to check in 1 hr before the flight if you have luggage to check and you must be @ the gate area, ready for boarding (meaning checked-in) at least 25 minutes before flight time.