How often do you miss flights?
Dec 13, 2009, 4:34 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: AA EXP, Eurostar CB
Posts: 94
How often do you miss flights?
Hey ft'ers.
I've got a really horrible confession to make... but since it's the new year, and i'm two flights from being EXP, (after starting this year as nothing), i want to make some atonement.
I miss flights.
Like, a statistically relevant percentage. Like, this year, i've missed 5-7 out of 36 segments.
It's pretty bad.
I've missed flights by a day, i've missed flights by ten minutes. I've turned up as the plane was taking off. Worst, i've missed a flight whilst sitting in the lounge at LHR. (i was kinda tired, and napping, though..)
I recognize this, and always make sure my flights can at least be changed, even if i have to pay a fee, and ensure i don't fly out on the last flight of the day, if i can help it.
But here's why I want to atone:
I've had my flights moved after turning up late more than once, for free, by respectful, kind and empathetic check in and gate agents. I've been kindly standby'ed for flights that were insanely full (like JFK-LAX on friday) and got on.
I've been moved from international flights with silly routing (cost, not mr) to direct flights with upgrades intact.
So, thank you AA for realizing i'm a moron and can't make it to the airport on time.
And to the rest of the FT'ers here: what's your miss percentage? c'mon, share and make me look stupid.
Thanks,
imajes
I've got a really horrible confession to make... but since it's the new year, and i'm two flights from being EXP, (after starting this year as nothing), i want to make some atonement.
I miss flights.
Like, a statistically relevant percentage. Like, this year, i've missed 5-7 out of 36 segments.
It's pretty bad.
I've missed flights by a day, i've missed flights by ten minutes. I've turned up as the plane was taking off. Worst, i've missed a flight whilst sitting in the lounge at LHR. (i was kinda tired, and napping, though..)
I recognize this, and always make sure my flights can at least be changed, even if i have to pay a fee, and ensure i don't fly out on the last flight of the day, if i can help it.
But here's why I want to atone:
I've had my flights moved after turning up late more than once, for free, by respectful, kind and empathetic check in and gate agents. I've been kindly standby'ed for flights that were insanely full (like JFK-LAX on friday) and got on.
I've been moved from international flights with silly routing (cost, not mr) to direct flights with upgrades intact.
So, thank you AA for realizing i'm a moron and can't make it to the airport on time.
And to the rest of the FT'ers here: what's your miss percentage? c'mon, share and make me look stupid.
Thanks,
imajes
Last edited by dstan; Dec 14, 2009 at 12:02 pm Reason: updated thread title and restored OP title
Dec 13, 2009, 4:47 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP 1.5MM, AC Member, Marriott Platinum, HHonors Diamond, Emerald Club Executive
Posts: 513
0% here. I came close once in April or May though when my alarm failed to go off before an 8:30 am departure from MIA. I made the usual 45 minute drive from my home in under 30 minutes, the queue at the D concourse checkpoint was short and I arrived at the gate 5 minutes before they started boarding.
Dec 13, 2009, 4:50 pm
#6
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
Holy smokes! It had to happen - my sister has signed up for FlyerTalk! 
In over 60 years of flying I have never missed a (commercial, charter, military, client's or private) flight due to my action (or inaction) - though the airlines and weather have certainly caused a goodly number of misses and near-misses / close calls.
In over 60 years of flying I have never missed a (commercial, charter, military, client's or private) flight due to my action (or inaction) - though the airlines and weather have certainly caused a goodly number of misses and near-misses / close calls.
Dec 13, 2009, 4:52 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: AA EXP, Eurostar CB
Posts: 94
haha! unless she had a sex change along the way, i think we're different people 
I guess you can't really miss military flights really- they don't wait around, but i suspect you'd be court martialed pretty fast if you didn't make it to muster. :P
I guess you can't really miss military flights really- they don't wait around, but i suspect you'd be court martialed pretty fast if you didn't make it to muster. :P
Dec 13, 2009, 6:28 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: FLL -> Where The Boyars Are
Programs: AA EXP 1.7 M, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*, AARP Sophomore, 14-time Croix de Candlestick
Posts: 18,669
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (SymbianOS/9.2; U; Series60/3.1 NokiaE71-2/100.07.76; Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 ) AppleWebKit/413 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/413)
When I first started booking on aa.com, I once showed up at the FLL ticket counter for my 6:30pm flight, only to discover I had booked the same day's 6:30AM flight
I was allowed to stand by and made it out, only a little bit late.
When I first started booking on aa.com, I once showed up at the FLL ticket counter for my 6:30pm flight, only to discover I had booked the same day's 6:30AM flight
I was allowed to stand by and made it out, only a little bit late.
Dec 13, 2009, 6:43 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: AA EXP2M, DL 1MM DM ext, UA PP <=> HH G/Marr PE/Hyatt G/IHG P FT RA ( Recovering Addict)
Posts: 4,614
missed 2 flights ever - both on AA
1 in ORD - made it to the gate after they shut the door. (2 pax)
1 in DCA the supershuttle was late and we (6) missed an AA flight to NY-LHR.
AA put us on a BA flight that evening, so we arrived 12 hrs late after going back home. We had to spend 3 hours sitting on the floor at DCA while they made a few calls to BA for us. 4 of us were on paid tickets and 2 on AA awards!
This is on 20 years of flying all over here in the US and abroad.
1 in ORD - made it to the gate after they shut the door. (2 pax)
1 in DCA the supershuttle was late and we (6) missed an AA flight to NY-LHR.
AA put us on a BA flight that evening, so we arrived 12 hrs late after going back home. We had to spend 3 hours sitting on the floor at DCA while they made a few calls to BA for us. 4 of us were on paid tickets and 2 on AA awards!
This is on 20 years of flying all over here in the US and abroad.
Dec 13, 2009, 6:51 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: AA EXP, Eurostar CB
Posts: 94
Dec 13, 2009, 7:08 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
I always try to cut it very fine and as a result have missed 2 flights out of JFK due to be stuck in traffic. That said I have left midtown Manhattan at 5pm and gotten on plane to LHR from JFK at 6pm. I figure the countless hours i've saved cutting it fine make up for the very few times I've missed
Dec 13, 2009, 7:12 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: AA LTP 2MM, Marriott/SPG Rabid Plat w/Ambassador, HHonors Gold
Posts: 696
I'll bite. Back when AA still flew out of OAK, I once accidentally showed up at SFO instead, because I didn't remember that I had booked the ticket out of OAK (since I usually just flew out of whichever airport was cheaper, which had been SFO the previous few times). There wasn't enough time to physically get to OAK in time (although that's what they originally told me to try anyway, and hope for a delay), but I ended up flying standby out of SFO instead.