Missed flight because of late boarding announcement
May 18, 2023, 12:38 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 877
I have a bit of a paranoia in missing flights... Since LH removed the wardrobe with storing space I tend to board as early as possible - especially if you sit in the first rows. Better wait a few minutes at the gate than get no space for your luggage or miss the plane.
For a delay I tend to have multiple sources of information:
- The LH App shows the current state of the inbound flight. If it is not there, no need to wait at the gate.
- Some lounges - especially at smaller airports have aporon view - so you easily can see if your plane arrived.
- I sometimes ask the agents at the lounge if they have any current information
- Flightradar shows the position of your plane.
- Of course the official boards.
When the plane has landed I slowly move to the gate. I have seen incoming flights with only a handful of passengers or packed full planes. So deboarding can take very long or can be over very fast. So mostly I will arrive when deboarding is finished and it then takes only a few minutes before the boarding starts. When the Flight is delayed I did spend enough time in the lounge, so a short and slow walk is a good way in passing a bit of time.
I did many flights in my life. I only missed a flight once, where the Autobahn was blocked for 4 hours by a truck accident. Better save than sorry.
For a delay I tend to have multiple sources of information:
- The LH App shows the current state of the inbound flight. If it is not there, no need to wait at the gate.
- Some lounges - especially at smaller airports have aporon view - so you easily can see if your plane arrived.
- I sometimes ask the agents at the lounge if they have any current information
- Flightradar shows the position of your plane.
- Of course the official boards.
When the plane has landed I slowly move to the gate. I have seen incoming flights with only a handful of passengers or packed full planes. So deboarding can take very long or can be over very fast. So mostly I will arrive when deboarding is finished and it then takes only a few minutes before the boarding starts. When the Flight is delayed I did spend enough time in the lounge, so a short and slow walk is a good way in passing a bit of time.
I did many flights in my life. I only missed a flight once, where the Autobahn was blocked for 4 hours by a truck accident. Better save than sorry.
Moral of the story, time it to be 30 before the depature time and you will be fine.
May 18, 2023, 12:55 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,752
I am on @flyertalker7 side here:
- I prefer to board last
- I prefer to stay in the lounge than wait at the gate
- I use and trust technology to save time and make life better.
In 98% of cases Lufthansa is good at getting the information technology (app, boards, sms etc) right so it all works out great. In 2% of cases I suspect the airport has little automation and the gate agent forgets to manually move the status to boarding and the .... hits the fan. I think I have been saved so far by always checking in a bag, which moves the pendulum more from offloading me at the first opportunity towards making an announcement and letting me onboard.
- I prefer to board last
- I prefer to stay in the lounge than wait at the gate
- I use and trust technology to save time and make life better.
In 98% of cases Lufthansa is good at getting the information technology (app, boards, sms etc) right so it all works out great. In 2% of cases I suspect the airport has little automation and the gate agent forgets to manually move the status to boarding and the .... hits the fan. I think I have been saved so far by always checking in a bag, which moves the pendulum more from offloading me at the first opportunity towards making an announcement and letting me onboard.
May 19, 2023, 1:42 am
#19
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: VIE
Programs: SAS EBS / *A Silver, Hilton Diamond, Radisson VIP, IHG Platinum Ambassador
Posts: 3,770
May 19, 2023, 2:31 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Geneva
Programs: LX SEN, AFKL Platinum, BA Bronze,
Posts: 5,627
Tell the OP which North American airline flies intra-Europe from FCO and he will follow your advise.
May 19, 2023, 5:36 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: ITA Executive, LH FTL, AT Silver
Posts: 43
Sorry to add to the pain, but the LH Group has contracted the new Plaza Premium Lounge, which is in the mezzanine close to the gates. No more need to go to the super far Star Alliance lounge, thank god.
May 31, 2023, 7:43 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 12
Thank you all for the replies.
Summarizing, it seems that there is not much I can do.
The flight left on time, so I arrived late in the gate, later than 15-20min before. Typically I trust the electronic boards, as often there are small delays that are not announced (up to 30min), so I have been following the boards, which in my experience have been quite reliable. It seems that in this they forgot to announce the "boarding" on time.
I guess I won't do this any more.
Funny thing, I was in the gate after the closed doors, and I would listen to my name being called at the main airport speakers... yet the doors were already closed.
I was at least able to keep the return segment of the ticket and I bought a flight in the next day.
Summarizing, it seems that there is not much I can do.
The flight left on time, so I arrived late in the gate, later than 15-20min before. Typically I trust the electronic boards, as often there are small delays that are not announced (up to 30min), so I have been following the boards, which in my experience have been quite reliable. It seems that in this they forgot to announce the "boarding" on time.
I guess I won't do this any more.
Funny thing, I was in the gate after the closed doors, and I would listen to my name being called at the main airport speakers... yet the doors were already closed.
I was at least able to keep the return segment of the ticket and I bought a flight in the next day.
Jun 1, 2023, 12:14 pm
#24
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,512
