Missed your flight? Here’s what to do

Editor’s notice: This is a recurring put up, usually up to date with new data and gives.

Even although TPG reporters are frequent vacationers, we generally miss our flights. So, it is vital to have a backup plan.

Whether it is you or the airline that cancels the flight, there are steps you need to take to reduce the potential fallout.

What ought to I do if I believe I’ll miss my flight?

Alert the airline to provide it a heads-up. While it clearly cannot maintain the airplane for you, this might higher your possibilities of getting rebooked on a brand new flight.

I missed my flight. What ought to I do subsequent?

Once you have missed your flight, inquire about getting rebooked on one other flight by asking the airline:

• Do you cost a rebooking payment to get on a brand new flight?
• Will I’ve to pay for any fare distinction for a brand new reserving?

You could possibly rebook your flight with out penalty, because of the “flat-tire rule,” which varies by airline:

• American Airlines: A passenger who arrives inside two hours of scheduled departure time will be rebooked on the subsequent flight as a standby traveler with out paying change charges or a fare distinction, per an AA spokesperson.
• Delta Air Lines: Delta handles these conditions on a case-by-case foundation, so clients ought to communicate to an agent on the airport to clarify their state of affairs. Then, Delta will decide if it is going to rebook them, in line with a Delta spokesperson.
• JetBlue: JetBlue says you will forfeit the nonrefundable portion of your ticket should you miss a flight. However, the airline sometimes permits passengers who missed their flight to attend on standby for the subsequent obtainable flight for gratis.
• Southwest Airlines: Southwest passengers can change or cancel flights with out penalty earlier than departure, however they’re going to must pay for any fare distinction. Its flat-tire rule accommodates passengers that arrive inside two hours of scheduled departure on the subsequent obtainable flight.
• United Airlines: United passengers can rebook in the event that they contact the airline or arrive on the airport inside half-hour of their scheduled departure.

Once you have decided any rebooking charges, discover the subsequent flight to your vacation spot and see whether or not confirmed seats are nonetheless obtainable.

If seats are unavailable, ask to be positioned on the standby record. Many airways will allow you to stand by for a later flight totally free should you miss your flight. It’s at all times value explaining your state of affairs and asking the gate agent so as to add you to the waitlist.

Here are the standby insurance policies for the key U.S. carriers:

• American: AA’s standby coverage permits clients to face by for an earlier flight at no cost, although solely AAdvantage members can stand by for a later flight the identical day. Also, the brand new flight should meet sure guidelines. For occasion, it should depart on the identical day, take the identical route as your authentic flight and have the identical variety of stops.
• Delta: Per Delta’s coverage, passengers can stand by for earlier flights totally free if they can’t verify a same-day seat on a brand new flight.
• JetBlue: For $75, JetBlue passengers can request a same-day standby spot on any sold-out flights between the identical cities on the identical calendar day as their authentic flight, primarily based on seat availability.
• Southwest: There are not any same-day standby charges for any Southwest fares, excluding Wanna Get Away fares; passengers with Wanna Get Away fares should pay any distinction in fare. Plus, you possibly can request this as much as 10 minutes earlier than your authentic scheduled departure time.
• United: United passengers can stand by for an earlier flight inside 24 hours totally free.

While a lot of the above airways allow complimentary standby, the value of creating same-day modifications varies by provider. It could also be waived for elite standing holders.

Related: Here’s how the TPG workers is thrashing lengthy maintain instances and getting airline help shortly

What are my different choices if I am unable to rebook on my authentic airline?

Try rebooking on a finances airline

If the airline can not or won’t accommodate you, take into account shopping for an affordable ticket on a low-cost provider, similar to Spirit or Frontier. You could possibly discover cheaper, last-minute, one-way flights this manner.

Assuming you’ve booked two one-way tickets, the return flight will stay intact, however double-check whether or not your authentic airline will cancel your entire itinerary should you miss the primary flight. In that case, take into account reserving two one-way flights.

Try utilizing airline miles to guide a last-minute ticket

If you will have airline miles, attempt to guide a last-minute award flight. Most airways have eradicated close-in reserving charges, and a few carriers have a fame for releasing last-minute award house for seats that might have in any other case gone empty.

Try on the lookout for low cost offers through loyalty applications that use dynamic pricing, similar to United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage.

Or, shortly search applications with award charts to see if saver award house is offered. If you missed a short-haul home flight, attempt reserving United flights with Avianca LifeMiles or American and Alaska flights with British Airways Avios.

Note that some companion applications could not assist you to guide day-of award tickets. For instance, Etihad Guest requires all companion award tickets to be issued no less than 24 hours earlier than departure.

Take a flight at a later date

If neither of the above two solutions work, reschedule your flight for one more time.

What ought to I do when the airline cancels my flight?

An airline could cancel or delay your flight for a lot of causes, from staffing shortages to climate, inflicting you to overlook your preliminary flight and any connecting flights.

Here are 5 steps to take when that occurs:

Get in contact with the airline ASAP

In the case of a delayed or canceled flight, communicate to an airline worker (ideally a gate agent) about rebooking you on a brand new flight. If many different vacationers try and do the identical factor, attempt rebooking a brand new flight through the provider’s cell app.

If the primary two choices fizzle, you possibly can name the airline; you might expertise the same delay although. One manner round lengthy maintain instances is to name the airline’s customer support staff in a foreign country. Those brokers sometimes don’t have the identical name quantity as native brokers. If you’re nervous about worldwide calling charges, attempt utilizing Google Voice.

Finally, you could possibly discover assist at an airline lounge, the place there are generally brokers who can help along with your flight wants.

Double-check your bank card advantages

Many journey bank cards embrace journey delay, interruption and cancellation advantages to guard you on this state of affairs. Contact the issuer of the cardboard with which you bought the ticket to find out if/when your advantages kick in.

Generally, your flight should be delayed by a sure variety of hours for this safety. However, it is nonetheless useful to talk to your bank card firm forward of that window to find out what, if something, it is going to reimburse you for.

For instance, if one of many advantages is that your bank card will reimburse you for a lodge keep close to the airport, you might be extra amenable to the airline reserving a flight the subsequent day.

What occurs to my baggage after I miss my flight?

Each airline has its personal coverage for when and the way vacationers can retrieve their checked baggage after they miss flights.

Airlines will attempt to reroute your bag to your new flight’s last vacation spot.

If you or the airline cancel a flight or should you miss a connecting flight, checked luggage will return to the provider’s baggage declare, the place you possibly can count on to retrieve them.

Some airways, together with Delta and United, assist you to observe your luggage in actual time through their apps, so obtain them.

For much more reassurance, take into account buying and utilizing Apple AirTags, to trace your luggage through Bluetooth.

Am I entitled to a refund?

When your flight is canceled or considerably delayed as a consequence of causes exterior your management, similar to climate or operational points, ask the airline for compensation. Read our information for ideas on the best way to ask for any additional prices you might incur.

However, U.S. federal legislation solely requires airways to compensate passengers who cancel their journey altogether in response to a canceled flight. The U.S. Department of Transportation determines whether or not a delayed flight warrants a refund on a case-by-case foundation.

Bottom line

Though lacking your flight will not be ultimate, it might be attainable to rebook on a brand new flight that very same day.

When you miss your flight, your first precedence ought to be to get rebooked on a brand new flight. You can do that with the airline’s assist or by yourself through a provider’s app or customer support portal. If you possibly can’t get a confirmed seat on the subsequent flight, ask the airline so as to add you to its standby record. Most carriers will allow you to fly standby on a later flight totally free.

If you can’t rebook on a brand new flight along with your preliminary provider, seek for alternate flights on a finances airline or use airline miles to guide a last-minute ticket.

Whether you miss your flight or your airline cancels it, your provider will do its finest to reroute any checked baggage to your last vacation spot or a provider’s baggage declare at your departure airport, relying on the state of affairs.

In both case, appearing as shortly as attainable will assist salvage your journey and safe the subsequent obtainable seat on an upcoming flight.

Additional reporting by Lee Huffman and Kyle Olsen.