Can't tell you how many times this happened to our customers at DTW in the World Club. I had a few regulars that would tell me to please take note of there flt no. and name and give them heads up about 1/2 hour before departure. Weren't many, and I saw them come through a lot, so I didn't mind. I also would give them a glance as they walked out the door and see if their briefcase and hat were in place.

Back in the 90s, my brother and I were going to Puerto Rico for a quick vacation, flying DCA-BWI-San Juan. Well, we didn't hear the alarm clock and woke up too late to make the DCA-BWI flight. I called a girlfriend and asked if she could drive us up to BWI. She lived in the District and I lived in Fairfax. She sped out to my apartment, picked us up and we got to BWI in time to check in, but not to check our luggage (including 2 sets of golf clubs). We were told to sprint (literally) to the gate with our luggage and they would gate check everything. Needless to say, getting through security wasn't a breeze, but we made it (again, all pre-9/11). I think I stopped sweating about halfway to Puerto Rico. Not a fun way to start a vacation, and my brother doesn't hesitate to remind me. Now I set a couple of alarms the night before a trip!

I've missed several connections, but only came close to missing an originating flight once, last September. Flying ORD-ICN on KE in the midst of several days of heavy rains. Get to the exit for ORD just in time to see a state trooper close the exit due to flooding around the airport. Tried several ways into the airport to no avail. Parked at a McDs within sight of a roadblock (Higgins and Manheim if anyone cares). Called KE and was informed that, since they have a crew and a plane, it will depart, whether PAX can get to the airport or not.

After a wait, roadblock is lifted. Drove like a maniac to T5. Checked in 45 minutes before departure, cleared security, changed Little Elephant's diaper, and made the gate just in time for boarding.

On the taxiway out to the runway we could see that pretty much all the detention areas around the runways were full, including some that were under construction and had submerged construction equipment in them.

I have never missed a flight because I hate to be late. I always try to get to the airport early.

I almost missed a connection a few years ago. I was flying on NW: SDF/DTW/BOS and then BOS to ISP on AA. My flight to DTW arrived late and I had less than 2 minutes to get to the gate for the flight to BOS. I had to run full speed to the other end of the terminal. When I got to there the GA told me that the flight was closed. As she tried to rebook me on a later flight, she noticed that my last leg was on AA metal. She quickly picked up the phone and asked for permission for me to board the plane still at the gate. As I waited for an answer, another pax arrived for the same flight. Permission was granted for both of us and I got bumped to first class while the other pax sat in the last row in the back.

Only missed one originating flight:

Last year I was booked on Zhangjiajie (a very small city in China) to Shenzhen (a much bigger one). There is only one flight per day, about 6.30am. So I set my phone to wake me up. Unfortunately it was a Saturday and I forgot to set the alarm to "include weekends"....woke up at 5.50am, ran out of hotel, into a taxi and got to airport at 6.10am to see plan still on stand. Check in closed, no way I could even bribe the airport manager

I had to get to Shenzhen that evening latest (about a 2 hour flight). Only option was to get the taxi to take me to the local bus station and get a bus to Changsha, a much bigger city that would have several flights to Shenzhen. Well, finally got on a bus at 9.45am that toured around the mountain passes rather than the highway....got to Changsha about 3pm.

Had to buy a new ticket for next available flight about 5pm, got to Shenzhen 7pm and into the city 8pm. Missed the dinner but at least I made it

Never made the same mistake with the phone alarm again...

nickyboy

Last week almost missed a flight due to using phone alarm and the phone crashing overnight. Lucky my colleague woke up and called me.

One time I did miss a flight with a broken cell phone alarm was BCN-FRA, connecting onward. Managed to get on a later flight and connection. The phone was flashing "alarm" on the screen but no alarm to be heard.

So far, I've missed only one flight through the fault of my own. MAD to JFK, I took my sweet time getting to the airport and stood in the huge check-in line. By the time it was my turn, the flight had closed. Iberia had overbooked all their flights, so many of us were stuck for a few days. Had I checked in a few minutes earlier, they would have put me up in a hotel and offered compensation money. Lesson learned.

I was in San Francisco a year ago this week, and the BART was experiencing severe delays –.I waited 20 minutes for a train at my origin, and then had to get off the train at I think San Bruno and wait another 20-30 minutes to get the rest of the way. I hadn't printed out my boarding pass at the hotel, and I was past the kiosk cutoff time. I was MVP on AS, but I didn't make it to the counter in time to convince them to give me a BP. I lost an upgrade SFO-SEA and had to get on the next flight two hours later.

I missed a flight last year from ORD-MSP because the power went out in my condo and my alarm clock didn't go off. I woke up 45 minutes before the flight was supposed to leave, threw my things together hopped in a cab (from downtown Chicago) and got to the gate 7 minutes before takeoff. Doh! :rolleyes:

almost 3x so far
 

back in 2000, I was coming back from SJC on AS on F, didn't realize how bad rush hour is on the 101 and shopping until T-40. Took 40 minutes to go from Milpitas to SJC, returned the car and make thru security running all the way to the gate Got to the gate just at the last call before the AS flight leaves (before the T-10 closing business now...)

in 2006, naive not to show up earlier (showed at airport about T-65 on a red eye) for AS flight to SEA on business. Problem is AS checkin queue is full of people, their entire area occupied with early travelers....luckily my collegues were at the front of the line and I got to join them. Even stranger, my boss also was there to travel with his family to LGA.

late 2008, naive enough to waste time in restaurant in HKG before security...wittle down to 45 minutes before going thru departure hall...have to haul my behind all the way to the gate (especially with their 'subways' connecting their terminals now...made it to the gate before last call for UA flight.

Lessons learned: get to the airport at least 2 (if not 3 hours) early and get to the gate as early as possible because you don't know if stuff happens...

Guilty as charged.

Was meant to take an evening flight with AirFrance from GVA to CDG. Arrived a few hours early to the airport and decided to kick back a few Guinness at a Bar in the airport complex. With about 45 minutes left for my flight to leave, I go to the wing where EasyJet usually flies from (and AirFrance in this case too) and my god was there an enormous queue.

Missed my flight, but I guess giving the puppy eyes to the check-in staff worked as they got me on the following flight just 1 hour later! (and I believe it was the last one too plus completely full).

Not only that, but got upgraded from Economy to Business! Brilliant job AirFrance ^

I'm really lucky I got that flight, the following day was to be my final business trip for my previous company as I was leaving a few weeks later and this was to be my opportunity to say goodbyes and all that. Plus my girlfriend was taking the train to Paris and had I not been there to check us in to the hotel, she might have been pretty peeved off.

I learned my lesson to be veeeery careful next time :D

I purposely missed a flight recently. I was coming back from DUB, with a convoluted routing of ORD-MSP-STL-DCA to take advantage of AA's double elite miles bonus. The DUB-ORD flight pulled back from the gate on time, then turned around due to a baggage issue (an incorrect bag was taken from the flight during the loading process). Then a passenger started feeling sick...and of course his heart medication was in a checked bag. We eventually departed about an hour and a half late and never made the time up in flight. I originally had a 2:10 hour layover, now whittled down to a half hour connection time.

I breezed through immigration and made it to Terminal 3 in about 10 minutes. Then I got a call that the MSP-STL flight was delayed, giving me only 10 minutes connecting time in STL. Since I would most likely miss the last STL-DCA flight for the day, I decided to just make it a direct flight to DCA. But to prove something to myself, I wanted to see if I would have made the MSP flight. I got there a few minutes before the flight closed, but turned around and went to the Admiral's Club to get that direct flight to DCA. Later, I checked that the MSP-STL flight arrived about half an hour after that final STL-DCA flight left. I'm glad to have avoided an overnight in STL.

I missed one flight I didn't deserve to, and didn't miss one that I totally deserved to.

The one I did miss: Bought my ticket from USAirways' web site, way back in the day (years ago), and unbeknownst to me there was a glitch that saved it only as a reservation - this despite my having (thought that I) paid for it! Got to the gate in time, only to be told that I needed to buy a ticket and would now have to pay the full walkup fare. DOH! Got on the phone with USAirways customer service ... eventually the agent realized that I had in fact bought the ticket, charged my card the correct price, and put me on the next flight - since I had the singular experience of watching my own plane pull up, load, and take off without me.

And the one I didn't miss: I was scheduled to fly home from IAH (near where I lived at the time) to PIT after my last final exam was over. I'd calculated it so that I'd have just about the right amount of time, no problem... well, that was all well and good until they couldn't find the exam booklets! My time cushion evaporated before my eyes as they s-l-o-w-l-y located new exam books and handed them out. I got to the airport something like 3 minutes before an on-time departure - and this shortly after 9/11, when it was supposed to be 3 hours! God has a sense of humor, I guess ^ because I did get on the flight. Suffice it to say I didn't have to wait very long for takeoff!

On time at airport
 

I have been traveling back and forth from US to South American once a month for some years now.

I find that when I schedule flights an hour to two hours between flights works well. About 50 % of the flights I take now are late. Have missed several flights due to planes being late.

I try to be at the airport at least 1 1/2 hours before flight leaves. In Peru I want at least 2 hours to go throught security and immigration.

This means I spend extra time at the airport but make my flights.

I think my first missed flight was about 3 years ago on AA. I was ticketed HNL-SFO-JFK. There were flights at adjacent gates in HNL, and I misread the departures board and sat in the area for HNL-LAX by mistake. Whoops.

I never heard them paging me, but when I noticed the aircraft at the next gate pulling away (while wondering why "mine" wasn't boarding) and went to the counter, the staff were very helpful... they put me standby on SFO-LAX; I couldn't get on the first LAX-JFK after I arrived, but did get on the last one of the night, and got into JFK only 45 minutes behind schedule. Not a bad delay for missing a flight 5,000 miles from my destination. :)

Familial Habits
 

Well, it must run in my family. My father once gave the keys to his rent car to the agent at the bag check because he was running so late. (Car got returned). My mother had to have them drive her on to the runway in Paris in the 60's.

Of course I have missed flights - It is a badge of honor, but the one I have to share was when I was applying to medical schools, and I was flying Braniff home from DFW to IAD. My mother was taking me to the plane, lost track of time, and was really late. She got nailed doing 70 at DFW. The cop took pity, and was quick about the ticket. I got to the gate - late, but barged onto what I knew was an overbooked flight, bags in arms and all. Not a seat to be had. The Gate Agent was trying to ensure the flight was settle, and I gave him a pathetic look of "no seat?!". He replied the flight was overbooked, to which I replied "Does this mean I get bumped and a free round trip?" He confirmed it did - in the middle of the jet. I happily walked off, to catch a direct AA flight to the same destination 45 minutes later (arriving before the Braniff flight which had 1-stop). I got off and in line for my rebook and voucher and the other agent said, "He does not get a voucher, he was late." The original agent replied, "I told him he does" and stood by his word.

Boy to I miss Braniff. The year was 1987. I I think I flew round trip WAS to DFW 5 times that fall on two tickets. The Sunday flights on Braniff 1-stop ($200) were always overbooked and you could get bumped on to the non-stop AA ($600).

I'd have to say, with all the frequent travellers here, I'm astonished there're not more missed flights!

As a consultant, I travelled round trip at least once a week for many years. Plus a lot of personal / vacation travel. So I've missed my fair share of originating and connecting flights -- because I HATE airports, so try to travel using the "just-in-time" approach, which doesn't always work.

Some of my more memorable stories:

- In the early days of the Internet and having a laptop, I frequently stayed up far too late...and often overslept the next morning, including the time I was meant to fly ORD-LAX for a friend's wedding shower and just never heard the alarm. Got on the next flight fortunately, and made my one-and-only in-flight call to my friend who was picking me up to advise that I'd be late -- fortunately, was still in time for the luncheon!

- can't remember the details on this one (think it was EWR and I am sure I was in F), just remember the jetway was still out but the door was closed...and I stood and waved at the pilot...who had the door opened again for me.

- Left a party in New Jersey and couldn't find the darn Turnpike...finally did, but in the wrong direction...and got to EWR about an hour after my flight left. Fortunately, I was Gold at the time (probably CO...or was this in the TWA days?), and the agents all knew me, and they just put me on the next one.

- and the most annoying... my first year living in Sweden, I was flying home to LAX for the winter holidays - CPH-FRA-LAX. Snow storm in CPH delayed take-off, but there was still a chance I'd make the connection as FRA also had weather delays...but it wasn't to be. When I got to FRA, they had me go to the lounge to rebook, and they booked me FRA-IAD-LAX and advised that my luggage would not make the flight. Okay, no problem, I was prepared for that. Problem was when I got to IAD, they weren't...and wouldn't let me out of immigration without my bags. I had plenty of time for the connection...but it took them over an hour to reach someone in Frankfurt who could confirm that my bags were still in Germany (or on their way to LA)...then they finally let me go, but had to rebook me on an even later flight IAD-LAX. Got home about half a day after I was meant to, and missed meeting a friend who was only there that half day. Very annoying.

The only time I recall missing a flight turned out reasonably well.

The Love of my Life and I had just finished up six weeks in Kenya on the cheap, squeezing in trips to game parks, a slog up Mt Kenya, getting an elderly Range Rover stuck in Mt Elgon mud at 10,000 ft, and a week at the coast without getting malaria. The time had come to start winding our way back to the States via another six weeks in Europe. We showed up at the Nairobi Pan Am counter (this was back in 1987) brandishing our tickets, only to be told by a highly irate agent that our flight left about 10 hours ago. Apparently I had difficulty distinguishing 12:30 AM from 12:30 PM. Luckily, she relented and rebooked us for the next flight, exactly one week later. We spent the time by taking the night train back to the coast and lounging around, again without contracting malaria.

I'm not convinced it would work out the same way nowadays.

The misses that weren't
 

Prior to 9/11 and security my preferred mode was to walk up to the gate and be settling into my seat when they closed the door. I do NOT like hanging out at airports for extended periods (except maybe for F lounges).

This served me well for a long time until that stormy night on the way to PHL to catch the non-stop to SFO (they had such in those days). I knew I was cutting it too close so I parked illegally at the curb, tossed the keys to the rental agent desk in the terminal and ran to the gate -- just in time to see the plane backing out and the agents packed up.

While I pondered what to do now that there were no more flights that night and the end of my string of making flights I noticed some activity around the gate. Eventually I went over to look. The plane had a mechanical problem and was coming back to the gate! They docked for a while, the agents got me on - and all was well. I counted that as a made flight.

The one I'll never hear the end of was not my flight. Taking my parents to the airport for their return after a visit I thought there was adequate time to get them to OAK. While driving thorugh Oakland someone asked "Aren't we going to SF?" Their flight actually was leaving from SFO! Oops. U-turn, Bay Bridge, etc., getting them to the terminal JUST in time to catch their flight. However, their bags did not make it - and I am reminded of it fairly often.

Now, of course, the security regime forces us to spend a lot more time at airports. I wonder what the total hit is on global productivity and personal time spent?

Different days - different times
 

The one time I missed a flight was on a courier flight between NYC and Helsinki ($50 R/T !!)

I had a great time in Finland and returned to the Helsinki airport for my SAS flight to Copenhagen via Gothenberg. Looking up at the departure board I see a SAS flight with the same routing leaving an hour before mine. I think "That's odd that they would have two flights with the same routing so close." Looking down I don't see my flight (as listed on my ticket)

At the counter I find out that the flight leaves different times on different days and the person who booked my ticket put the wrong time on. It was too late to make the flight, but thankfully they put me on a Finnair flight that got me to my connection in time.

Only once: The day after Super Bowl XLI I was flying FLL-DFW-SFO on what was supposed to be a through flight. After sitting through the monsoon that accompanied the game, we stayed up all night and went to FLL early for our 0630 flight. (The local airports on the day after a Super Bowl rivals any day-before-Thanksgiving madness you can imagine.)

I was asleep before the door was closed, and only woke up when the crew was cleaning up at DFW. I asked if I had time to grab some food before we left, and she said sure, we won't be leaving for Colorado Springs for 45 minutes. Excuse me? :confused: Apparently I slept through the announcement of an equipment and gate change at DFW. Luckily, the next flight was only a couple of hours later.

I asked the pizza delivery guy to deliver me to the terminal
 

About a dozen years ago I had joined a new company. I was going to my first company annual meeting about a week after I had joined. I was scheduled to have drinks with the President upon my arrival before the festivities began. I was a seasoned travler and arrived at the airport and checked my bags at the curb more than an hour ahead of time. I then proceeded to park in the cheap parking (being a good new corporate citizen.) Unbeknownst to me, the buses from this remote parking lot weren't running on schedule. They were supposed to make pick-ups every twenty minutes. After parking my car I went to the overcrowded bus stop and people were already complaining about how long they had been waiting. Twenty minutes past by, no bus. Thirty minutes pass by, no bus. Forty five minutes pass by, no bus! OK, now I'm getting nervous. After waiting for an hour the bus still has not arrived (nor would they be able to fit all of us on the bus at this point.) I see a pizza delivery guy deliver a pizza to the cashier at the exit of the parking lot. I sprint over to him and offer the pizza delivery guy a $20 tip to drive me to the terminal. He jumps at the chance but to no avail... as I arrive in the gate area I see my plane backing away from the jetway. My bags make it to the conference (this was pre 9-11) but needless to say I didn't get to have drinks with the company President.

Yes
 

I missed a 9am flight from MSP to DTW because of traffic missing my first meeting. I called NW while in traffic. They put me on the 10:40, no questions or fees. I don't take 9am flights from MSP anymore... 7/8am or 10am.

(Actually...that one worked out well, I ate lunch at DTW waiting to be picked up, and met a liquor salesman who had three 'sample' fifths of vodka sent to my office the next week...took a little bit of explaining...)


The other major time was in Dallas, missed it by a matter of seconds. It was early afternoon Thursday before 4th of July weekend. All flights were booked solid, but an hour with the gate agent and she was able to get us on the 6am flight. I was traveling with a colleague who was plat, I was not but she got us both on anyway, though apparently she shouldn't have prioritized me over others...
I felt bad though, we missed the flight and there as a kid there who also didn't make that flight, but had been on standby since 8am that morning and wasn't able to make it on. We returned for the 6am flight...he was still there....and still didn't make it on....

My one missed originating flight occurred because I didn't carefully check all the tickets I was issued. Back in the days of paper tickets, I showed up at ATL one Sunday afternoon to board my string of CO flights home, handed them my stapled stack of tickets, only to be told my flight had left 24 hrs previously on Sat!

My first year teaching, I had been sent by my university to some workshop (Thur/Friday/Sat morn.) in a city I formerly lived in. I asked to return on Sunday afternoon rather than Sat., so I could stay with old friends Sat night. My university was going to reimburse me for the workshop/flight/hotel, but insisted that their travel office had to make all reservations for official travel, even though it was being charged to my personal credit card (as a new faculty I didn't qualify for a university credit card). On my travel request, I clearly stated that I only needed hotel reservations for Thur. and Friday; no hotel Sat and return flight Sunday. Travel office put in the wrong date in when booking and had me returning Sat, when the other workshop participants did. However, the cover letter/itinerary that came with my tickets had me returning as I requested on Sunday. I never looked beyond the first departing ticket to confirm my name was correct, so it's my fault I didn't catch it.

A little hung-over after a late night partying with the old crowd, my friends drop me off at ATL Sunday afternoon and leave. I go to get my boarding pass and am told I'm 24 hrs late! The first agent said I would have to buy a new ticket and I must have looked like I was going to break down crying, because he got all nervous and called a supervisor over. I was a poor, broke, brand-new professor and certainly didn't have any additional room on my credit card to afford a full price fare ticket (in ancient times when credit card limits actually had some relationship to your income/debt). I had had to ask for a credit line increase just to book the original trip expenses. The other agent took pity on me and put me on the last flight out with only a $50 change fee. Luckily they were able to book me on all my needed connections, though I didn't get home until midnight.

To rub salt in the wound, the university refused to reimburse me for the change fee, even though their staff member was the one who had booked it wrong.

In 2001 was due to fly WLG AKL SYD on Air New Zealand after visiting my parents. Got to the check In agent and she said ‘Oh you were supposed to travel yesterday’. I nearly had kittens until she said 'Don’t worry we have plenty of spare seats’ and I flew back on the same flights I was supposed to be on the day before at no extra cost

I felt such a goose!

I was at LAX last year and a Swedish family were checking in for the NZ flight to LHR with an onward connection, when the check in agent announced ‘Actually, you are flying tomorrow’. Later I saw a very heated discussion outside Terminal 2 with the wife and husband with 3 crying kids in tow taking place. I felt sorry for the husband

I have never missed a flight of my own volition/control/etc., but I got IIROP'd into something quite odd. Thanksgiving freakish storms in Florida, supposed to fly home PBI-EWR. Inbound flight gets rerouted to FLL. Drive to FLL instead of PBI. Delays cascaded to the point that we were going to stop in JAX to pick people up. K, fine. Finally get to JAX, and as we're taxiing in, pilot says "Ladies and Gentlemen, for those of you that were connecting here to make your flight home to Newark, if you look out the right side of the aircraft, you will see the plane that you're supposed to be on." :rolleyes: Forced layover in JAX, and on top of that we have to go to MSY. Fly JAX-MSY, and then finally MSY-EWR. Phew.

I never missed a flight
 

In all my years of worldwide travel I never missed a flight. I always make it a point to arrive at the airport at least 2-3 hours before the flight as I would rather sit in the lounge and relax as opposed to being stressed out. I also fly out of SJC where the airport is small and get a flight as early in the morning as possible when the roads are clear. If I am out of LAX or SFO my rule is to arrive at the airport between 2-3 hours before the flight just in case. I always pint my boarding pass at home too.

I would rather plane spot, enjoy a drink in a lounge and enjoy a cup of coffee before the flight. When checking luggage I go to the counter and then go through security right away to avoid the delays. It helps arriving early to reduce stress.

However I know there are unforseeable circumstances which makes one miss their flight. I am Jewish and I feel bad that you missed the Seder. I know how it feels needing to attend a religious ceremony only for you to miss the flight.

Closest call
 

Staying four nights at the Del Mar Hilton a few years ago. Out till 4am on the last night with an 7:50am Sunday departure out of SAN. Woke up at 7am, luckly passed out in my clothes and my bags already packed. Was in a cab in front of the hotel by 7:15, offered the cabbie $50 tip if he could get me to SAN by 7:30 which he did (I-5 pretty light @ 7:15am on a Sun). Had only 1 carry-on and pre-printed boarding pass. Made it thru security and to the gate by 7:40 give or take a few min.

I think the only reason I even attempted it was because I was still drunk.:D

Wooow... And here I am leaving home 1 hour before boarding starts at IAD!!! (and it takes me about 45 minute to reach the gate when returning an Avis car Monday morning.)

You would be one of those in my post #34!

Last missed flight:

We (family of 4) missed our LHR-IAH on New Year's Eve by 2 hours! My husband had to go back to our hotel to retrieve my wedding band/ring that I had forgotten and left behind. BA agent said there were no more seats on the next available flight (which was the next day--on New Year's Day) and the earliest possible direct to IAH was two days later. My five year old busted out in tears, bawling that he had to get home, so the agent took pity on us and booked us on the very next (supposedly full) New Year's Day flight--I guess someone else hadn't made their flight.
Thank goodness we were able to book a room at a decent hotel at a decent price--even last minute.

Lesson learned: When traveling with kids on New Year's Eve in London, give yourself some time.

Last almost missed flight: MIA-IAH (just last week in fact-during that horrible storm in Houston)
They changed the departure gate last minute and had not changed it on the monitors when we last checked, which was about 45 min. before takeoff--we missed the several announcements somehow (that's what having small kids will do to you). After noticing that no one was sitting near us waiting to board at the gate even though there was only 30 min. left before takeoff--I checked at a nearby gate and what do you know--they were boarding our flight! We actually were the last ones to board on that one. At least we made it!

I only ever missed one, which really wasn't my fault, but I've made plenty that I shouldn't have.

The Bad Experience: Ryanair, London -> Vienna. Ryanair isn't a company I would ever have chosen myself, but the flights and stayover were a gift. Horrendous problems with the tube and trains meant that we arrived an hour later than we intended, but we still made it to check-in with 10 minutes to spare before it was meant to close (and about a hour before take-off). Check-in desk is lit up, the flight displayed on the screen, but no staff to be seen. My wife waited at the desk and I wandered around to locate some staff to check us in. It took me 10 minues to find a staff rep and drag them over to the check-in desk, at which point he proudly told us that we were now 2 minutes late for check-in and wouldn't be boarding. I explained that we were only late because nobody had been present at the desk, and we only had carry-on bags and 45 minutes to get through a deserted security to the gate, but they stood firm and refused to check us in. Never flown with them since.

The Good Experiences: BMI have outdone themselves several times to ensure we got connections following earlier delays, often by the skin of our teeth and by mad dashes through airports with them holding the gate open for us. Top marks go to BA though, for a trip I took London -> Manchester some 8 years or so ago, when I was so late to the London check-in that I arrived only 15 minutes before take-off, but they still checked me in, pushed me through security and onto the plane. I then managed to oversleep in Manchester the next day and made the Manchester check-in with 10 minutes to go before take-off, and they did the same thing again, smiling all the way. Hats off to the BA staff working that week.

Fly anything up to half a dozen UK domestic flights a week, and invariably miss a few of them.

I would say I probably miss one a month at least because of client meetings running late, or more commonly being stuck underground helpless on the Tube because of leaves on the line, wrong kind of snow, or some inconsiderate git who decides to end it all by jumping in front of a packed train rather than doing it in his own home and not screwing up everyone else's day as well (!)

Fortunately I've always been able to transfer onto another flight the same day, sometimes at a cost and sometimes not. Being friendly and smiling at the staff at the ticket desk sometimes works wonder.

Missing flights and some other close calls
 

So far, I've missed only one flight due to my fault. The good part, is that My Ph.D. supervisor, my father, and myself are probably the only people in the world to miss an OA flight to the islands (from Athens to one of the greek islands) that leaves at afternoon. We had to drive to Athens ~400 km in a greek traffic (and signs), and I was the driver (I was the only one with valid driving license and insurance (long long story)). We had a colleague on the flight, so he told us that they are actually taking off on time (16:00!). Still, after stopping at curb side at 15:55, I ran for my life, and let my father take care of returning the car, but we were too late.

I had a close call with SK, BRU->CPH (to a job interview!). I OLCI the day before on SK site, just to arrive to the airport and sent back to the counter as OLCI in SK is not a real CI. I ran like crazy through BRU to terminal A (darn tunnels!).

I also had some fun time when I tried to board a plane a day earlier (in SFO), I remember booking a flight on the 23rd, but the computer insisted that it was the 24th (thanks AA for taking care of that).

The really weird thing that happened to me was with the Thalys. I bought the tickets my self, and due to an error, gave the wrong return date, but I forgot about it. Only after boarding the thalys, I find out that the ticket is not valid for this train, but for the train the day after. Now, they won't de-board me in the middle of the trip (throwing someone out the door at 300 kmh is not easy) but god knows...

So the conductor comes to us, asks for tickets. I nonchalantly gave him my ticket, and he stamped it. While he extended his hand to return me the ticket, he stopped, looked at the ticket more carefully, and decided not to cause any havoc. After all, the ticket is already used...

and I am not counting the times I had to run through MUC, ORD, or IAD because some airline was late...

I'm an early arriver too, hate the last minute hassles ... but one time driving from Lakewood to DEN I was so enjoying the conversation with my colleague that I mistakenly headed up I-25 (?) towards Boulder ... realized Rockies were on the wrong side of the car...

turned around and headed back the right way, told her to not look at the speedometer but look far ahead for cops/radar, and not to worry, I have over 1,000 miles of high speed on-track performance driver training.

I never knew a Camry could cruise so comfy at 105mph but we made it to rental return ---> bus to terminal ---> and to the plane door about 3 seconds before they closed it and didn't miss the flight!

We were sure we'd missed it.

cheers,
Jon

great NWA save at NRT
 

2004. xmas season. i was leaving japan after 6yrs there. sent 3 of my 4 checked bags to the airport's luggage storage 3 days before. but too many last minute "finishing up" errands on my final half-day led to delay after delay in getting across tokyo to NRT. i arrive at check-in 45mins before scheduled intl departure - AND flight's dep time has been moved UP by 20mins. so just 25mins to say my goodbyes, claim my stored bags, check them, check in, clear security and (outbound) immigration, get to my gate and in my seat. somehow, the local NWA staff pulled it off. they took my tickets and passport and checked me in while i went to claimed my stored bags and an one of them hustled me to the front of the line at security and had me whisked through. what a blur ... i still don;t know how they did it but i was thankful because i know it would be nearly impossible to duplicate. the people there to say goodbye to me had long since given up on me, and since i had cancelled my mobile coverage and didn't have time to locate and use a payphone, i had to call them and say my goodbyes using a mobile borrowed from a sympathetic fellow pax just before the door closed.

My craziest missed flight experience: ORD to IAD, on a Sunday. I was visiting family a few years ago, and didn't realize how long it would take to get to the airport. (Those driving me, who did know, never spoke up. Ah, family...) I got to the checkout counter only to be told it was past the cutoff time, but I could try for standby.

Since going back to my folks was not an option - no one to drive me back to ORD the next day - I tried for standby but all the flights that day were seriously overbooked. As I trudged from gate to gate with no luck, I kept running into the same group of people, also trying to get home. After about 8 hours, 5 of us (who had never met before) pooled together, rented a car, and drove to D.C. Our bags flew, and we had to go to the airport to pick them up.

:D :D

I miss flights all the time. Normally early morning ones after a long night out before.

Last time I was out in SIN for very late and then had some fun in the hotel. Left the hotel about an hour before scheduled departure time and checked in about 30 minutes before. No problem at all. I was flying in paid SQ F though. Had time even to check out emails before departure.

I probably miss one flight a year, and it sgenerally due to a traffic accident - either the car I am in or more often some accident which slows down or shuts down a road) and I NEVER EVER shoot to arrive at the airport more than 1:15 before any flight (I actually shoot for an hour). I average 120 flights a year, every year for going on two decades now, this is all about percentages........... If I showed up an hour earlier to each flight I would LOSE 120 hours a year. That is five days out of my life. Similarly I rarely check baggage, and I figure that this saves me at least a half hour on arrival, another TWO DAYS of my life. So between the two that is ONE WHOLE WEEK of my life saved. Therefore if by cutting it close I miss a plane less than 1% of the time, even if I am rebooked the next day (and more likely only a few hours later) I am way ahead of the game!

You and my husband! When we fly with our adult children, they beg me to tell Dad the flight is an hour before it actually is.:(

Well....
 

If you never have missed a flight before, then there's NO WAY you could have flown that much...

Roughly, 2654 segments in the 22 years. Probably missed around 30-40 flights easily )-:

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