Originally Posted by wythy

Passengers with hold baggage who fail to show on time is incredibly frustrating for the ground staff. Believe me, the last thing they want to do is offload you as that involves a lot of work looking for the bags and will invariably result in a delay. The staff will do all possible to try and locate you before the inevitable 'offloading procedure'.
If you are late and they have removed your bags from the flight - don't expect a warm reception. In my experience, it's almost always the passengers fault and the excuse "well, I didn't hear any calls" doesn't wash. People need to take responsibility for arriving at the gate in an appropriate time.
On the other hand, if you don't have a bag checked-in, well, that's an easy decision - OFFLOAD !