Stez

I nearly missed a flight on account of good company in the lounge when I met Uncle T and iWife for the first time when we were both going to Hawaii (different routings that day) at the T5B lounge and I happened to glance at the screens - the flight was already boarding!

A mad dash to C gates and yes, I was the last one to board. I met up with T8191 and iWife again in LAX, albiet briefly as he was in the J lounge as a mere silver while I was enjoying the flounge and did not want to repeat the almost-missed-flight experience again.

I wish my passport also looked as pristine as the OP's, mine is a bit of a dog's breakfast.

South London Bon Viveur

Oaxaca

Lefly

I'm too much afraid to miss my flight... I check the departure time and screens a lot from 1 hour before departure time, and leave the lounge at boarding time at the latest.
But if the gate is far from the lounge or at satellite B/C at LHR T5, then I need to be already at the gate when boarding starts so I leave 15 to 20 min before it.

Howard Long

rapidex

Oh dear, I hope your leg recovers. Merry Christmas and Happy new year. See you for a beer in GIB

Gig103

"Long story short: Michael Corleone takes over the family business, becomes more ruthless than his father."

Sometimes the storytelling and the journey are part of the destination!

chrislondon2

Obsessive checking doesn't always work if you're checking the wrong screen! I was in the middle of a tier point run, relaxing in some godforsaken lounge somewhere in Europe just playing round on the internet killing off the remaining time on a multi-hour connection before my next flight (to London). I was using a PC in the lounge, watching the clock on the PC and thinking how much time I still had to waste before slowly sauntering down to the gate. For want of anything better to do I checked the flight screen in the lounge only to find no sign whatsoever of my flight in the next hour or more. It probably took a good 20 seconds for me to realise that the PC's clock was an hour slow and that my flight's departure time had, in fact, itself departed 10 minutes earlier. My flight was on the flight screen in the lounge but right at the top, because the flight had been delayed - nothing to do with me, I eventually learned from the staff at the gate. Just like the OP it caused me massive panic and induced a mad dash from lounge to gate, where boarding had been completed 30 minutes earlier but the plane inexplicably still hadn't taken off and the gate was still open. I must have looked a complete idiot, breathlessly staggering to my seat when all those around me had been in their places for half an hour already, just waiting for take-off. The cabin door closed right behind me and the plane taxied out almost immediately - I could see at least a couple of passengers looking at me thinking that their delay had been caused by the pilot having to wait for this madman to make a delayed connection from another flight. I neither had enough breath, nor enough courage, to explain that the delay was nothing to do with me being an important passenger for whom the plane had to be delayed so that I'd make the connection, but that my dramatic, much delayed and very breathless arrival on the plane was totally caused by my own utter stupidity.

Moral of the story ... check, check and check again, especially when transiting, that you're sure how long it is before your flight leaves, and don't rely on strange PCs in an unfamiliar lounge.

OldVines

flatlander

Don't feel too bad. I once showed up confidently expecting to check in my bag a few minutes before... what turned out to be the flight departure time, not the checkin close time.

I managed to get on the next flight to my destination.

anniegray

Koru Flyer

OldFruity

My festive thanks to all that have read and or contributed to this post. Cant cut n paste quotes at the Mo (IT numpty ) so shall perhaps answer any questions via PM. Just to say though that forums are a conduit for sharing and belonging through stories, experience's anecdotes or whatever. I see that this tale has resonated with a few on the Board and bought at least a smile to one face @anniegray.... . it is Christmas after all. IMO the BA forum is world class hence my continued presence on it and the odd contribution...even though I am definitely a minnow in traveller terms at only 150000 miles per annum. @PUCCI GALORE please note most of my GUF s are for 2 yet only one seat ever taken...Gig 103 nicely said.... my way of thinking....'Today we make Tomorrows memories of Yesterday'
If you havent been you should come - Gibraltar Mar 2019.

OF

Travelling Inspector

I recommend TripIt Pro very highly - it's not 100% reliable in updating flight details if they change after submitting the e-ticket, but is useful if you keep an eye on it. Most helpful feature are emails and/or text messages (as selected in your profile) for (a) "Flight is on time" at T-4 followed by any updates about delays/re-timings, which they usually have sooner than departure boards, and information about gate and gate changes simultaneously or sometimes before the boards. The messages are independent of any local time you may have set (and got wrong) on your device, and unless you're passed out dead drunk in a lounge the arrival of a text message (free of course throughout the world) should be a sufficient nudge. US$49 a year is very good value in my experience.