“It's a simple thing to do, but it makes things easier when you plan the details ahead of time.As a Airport Passenger Service Agent you are expected to provide the highest standard of customer service at all times and portray the airline's image at all times. “I keep that little list on a sticky note next to my bed, so if I wake up at any point during the night I can refer to it,” he explains. He writes down his flight departure time, when he needs to arrive at the airport, leave his house, and, finally, wake up. Mark Chesnut, a New York City-based travel writer, consultant, and founder of, a website focused on Latin American travel, works backward from his departure time, a strategy that is especially useful for early morning flights. “Better to show up three hours before than a minute too late, and you’re not going anywhere, and it will be at your own expense to get on your next trip,” Couch-Friedman says. It bears repeating that best way to avoid missing your flight is to arrive at the airport well in advance, with plenty of extra time for scenarios like a no-show Uber or an insanely long TSA line. “If you bought a ticket and don't show up on time, too bad.” “They generally treat it like a theater or movie ticket,” explains Chris Tomseth, a frequent traveler and co-founder of SkySquad, a service that provides travelers with personal assistance in airports. Low-cost carriers also tend to be quite strict with missed flights that are the fault of the passenger. Choose direct flights whenever possible, and watch out for budget deals that offer basic economy and multiple-carrier itineraries, both of which offer little protection for passengers. Starting with the planning stages of a trip, passengers can take several precautions to avoid missing a flight. Whatever your strategy, “always be as proactive as you possibly can,” Orlando advises, and always be polite and appreciative when speaking to a rep, which can go a long way in achieving a favorable outcome. In the case of a long wait time to speak to an agent on the phone or at a help desk, try online: Many airlines’ apps allow passengers to easily rebook themselves. If you fail to show up for your scheduled flight, you’ll fall into the “no show” category, meaning that the airline can cancel the rest of your itinerary, leaving you with minimal options for refunds or rebooking. Regardless of whether you, the airline, or weather is to blame, one of the most important things you can do when it looks like you’ll miss your flight is to contact the airline as soon as possible. (Pro tip: Remember that European airlines mark time with the 24-hour clock, so for a U.S.-based traveler, a departure time of 17:15 is easily-and incorrectly-misread as 7:15 instead of the correct equivalent of 5:15 p.m.) You’ve missed your flight: what next? The situation becomes more complex if your missed flight isn’t the airline’s fault, underscoring the importance of arriving early at the airport. Anyone traveling out of a European airport is covered, and EC 261 enables passengers to receive compensation between 250 and 600 euros (approximately $300-700) for many types of flight disruptions. “In Europe, the reports are coming out fast and furious about confusion and 8-hour wait times, because people are trying to put together multiple forms of documentation and rules are changing every day.”Īir passengers traveling in Europe have the benefit of EC 261, one of the world’s most comprehensive passenger-rights regulations. “We can’t stress this enough: Do your research and prepare your documentation ahead of time,” Orlando says. To avoid missing a flight, passengers need to make sure they have all required entry documents, COVID test certifications, and other necessary paperwork squared away well in advance. International travel has become infinitely more complicated, time-consuming, and stressful during the pandemic-perhaps even more so as many countries start to welcome overseas visitors. In addition, websites like and airports’ social media accounts provide up-to-date information about security lines and other potentially problematic issues, while programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are invaluable in avoiding long security lines (and potentially missed flights).
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