It happens: you forget to set the alarm – or snooze it too many times -, you get stuck in traffic, you are sick or your other flight is late. You are probably about to have a meltdown when you realize you are most likely going to miss the flight. What should you do now to salvage your trip?

Call the airline or your agent

If you booked independently, the second you realize you are likely to miss your flight, call the airline. Immediately. Explain the situation and beg. Depending on how many empty seats they have on the next flight out on the route, you may get away with paying only the airline penalty or even get a free change. It depends on the airline and on how the phone conversation goes. If you have membership with the airlines, be sure to mention this and you may get some benefits. Try the local number first and try not to yell, please.

If you booked through an agent, call them immediately. Some of your flights may be bundled with others and missing one will cause a domino effect which will get the rest canceled. That’s especially true if you miss the first flight in a sequence. Again, keep your calm. Also remember that the agent is not allowed to make any changes to your tickets without your written or verbal consent.

Tip: if the circumstances are out of your control – example: there was an accident on the highway – you may get away with changing for free, but it does depend a lot on the airline and agent.

Missing a connection

Whether you booked via an agent or independently, your best bet is with the airline. Reach out to them the second you realize that you are not making the connecting flight.

If it is the airline’s fault – for example your first flight was delayed and that’s why you didn’t make it – and the flights are on the same ticket, the airline needs to help. Plant yourself at the gate (or check in counter) and , at the same time, call their local number. Ask to be put on stand by for the next flight if they cannot confirm the seat.

If your flights are on two separate tickets, the airline doesn’t have to help you. They will though , for a fee (airline penalty as well as any fare difference). Again, ask to be put on stand by for the next available flight.

You can call your agent to tell them about the situation but they may not be able to speed it up.

How to avoid missing other flights

When it comes to delays because of the airline’s fault, weather , terrorism or political unrest, there isn’t much anyone can do to prevent missing flights. In this case, your best bet is just to asses the situation and talk to the airline.

But when it comes to the traveler being the reason of missing the flight, there’s a lot that can be done:

1. Travel carry on only

Not only most airlines don’t charge for carry ons, but this also eliminates the need to stay in check-bag lines.

>>check out these backpacks suitable for carry on only travel

2. Check in online prior to the flight, when possible

Some (most) airlines allow you to check in online prior to the flight. The industry standard is 24 hours but more and more airlines open online check in a lot earlier. WizzAir now opens it 30 days before the flight. Do yourself a favor and get the check in done so that you can go to the security check line only.

3. Learn to pack and dress so that you zip through security check

Take everything out of the pockets, stow the laptop / tablet in a separate compartment and make sure the liquids fall within the rules. Don’t wear anything metallic – even bras with underwire are known to trigger the alarm (ahem!). Belt off, jacket off!

4. Arrive at the airport 2-3 hours before the flight

Especially with the increase in security checks nowadays , you want to be at the airport ahead of time. Depending on the airport and route you are taking, allow at least 2 hours for the procedures to get to the gate.

5. Make sure to account for traffic

Some airports are serviced by trains or metro lines, which is amazing because the schedules are available and you can be quite certain of how much time you need to allow for getting to the airport. But when you take a bus or a car, always account for traffic and delays. You never know when an accident blocks the road or something happens to your ride.

6. Prepare your phone

Make sure you can make international calls from your phone. If your usual plan doesn’t allow that, put some money on your Skype account or just get a local SIM card. Also, make sure you have the contact number of the airlines you fly with. Note them down in an app such as Evernote. The local number as well as their 24/7 number should always be handy.

7. Wake up call at the hotel

If you stay in a hotel, ask the receptionist to wake you up. There’s such a thing as a “Wake up call” service and , in general, it works. We asked for it once and the receptionist forgot to call us. Oh well, glad we had the alarms on the cells.

8. Don’t snooze the alarm

Seriously, don’t. Set more than one alarm if you need to, but don’t snooze it.

9. Book one way tickets, when possible

Sometimes buying one -way tickets is not only affordable but also saves you the head ache of having to figure what happens when you miss a flight. Especially in the case of low cost carriers, it is well worth it to get flights by segment rather than bundled.

10. Don’t get drunk the night before the flight

Flying with a hangover is not nice, but it’s even worse when you get sick or cannot wake up on time. Limit your alcohol intake the night before the flight so you avoid unfortunate situations.

11. Get travel insurance

Depending on what type of travel insurance you get, you may get away with recuperating your money in case you have to make changes or get a new ticket because you missed a flight. Those insurances do cost a lot and the cheaper ones won’t include anything in the “I was stupid” category.

>>read here about what to do when your flight is delayed or canceled

Have questions? Drop me a line! With previous experience as a travel support specialist, I can help you with tips and ideas!