We’ve all missed a train, but missing a flight is every traveler’s worst nightmare.
Mrs. Lou Lou Smithfrom Britain, took to TikTok to explain what exactly happens when you make the dreaded blunder.
Within two minutes clampthe former check-in agent explained what you can do to save the day – and what to do if you can’t.
She recalled a rare incident where her manager allowed a passenger to board after the flight had closed.
She then emphasized that it was the first time she had seen it in her five years in the role.
People were quick to offer their own unfortunate anecdotes, and some seemed to show goodwill from airline staff if they got up a little late.
Mrs. Lou Lou Smith from Great Britain explained on TikTok what exactly happens when you make the dreaded blunder: missing your flight
She started the video: ‘I used to work as a check-in employee and therefore these are the things I will always continue to do. So what happens if you miss your flight?
“For example, say you get to the check-in desk and for some reason there’s been a car accident on the highway and it’s taking longer to get to the airport, or for some reason you’re missing your flight.” you missed’.
Ms. Lou Lou then explained that once the flight is closed, they are not allowed to reopen it to accommodate late passengers, even if they are only one minute late.
She continued: “If we close the flight, that is obviously the case: we are not allowed to open the flight again.
‘There has only been one situation where a flight has been reopened and that was because there was a four or five hour delay on that particular flight.
‘So my manager ignored it and the woman was only a minute late at the check-in desk and he just said, “I’ll open it back up and let her go through”.
“But that only happens once in the five years I worked there, so it’s not as common as you think.”
The content creator explained why airline staff can’t just open flights, attributing this to the boarding process that would have already started by the time you’re a minute late.
But you might be in luck: ‘If that’s you, and you’ve just missed check-in, I would normally recommend going to the airport baggage hold, it’s like a locker system.
Especially if you’ve checked in online, take your hand luggage and go through the other side – you have 45 minutes and there’s a good chance you’ll still catch your flight.’
However, if you are late with this, she has instructed you to go to customer service.
‘You have to pay a rescue fee, which can be anything from £250 and they will put you on the next available flight.’
Ms. Lou Lou reminded viewers to keep in mind how busy the period you are flying is; you may not be lucky enough to get a flight back whenever you want.
She also went through the procedure in case you missed your flight at the boarding gate.
‘They send you to a waiting area and then someone takes you through the other side and again you pay the rescue costs.
TikTok users were quick to respond to the video, with one happily confessing: ‘I forgot my passport at home once and the nice BA customer service lady put me on a flight the next day.’
It seems like more people than you might think have missed their flights, judging by the comments on Ms. Lou Lou’s clip
Another had the same luck: ‘I missed my flight to London, was traveling with Delta and they just put me on the next available flight for free!’
Another user wrote: ‘I missed a flight from Stansted to Dubai once, I watched it drive away, so depressing. However, Emirates gave me one from Heathrow the next day for £56!’
But not everyone was so lucky: one of them somehow missed his flight ‘after check-in’.
Another had witnessed a financial tragedy: ‘Someone flew back to the US from Dubai, they thought their flight would be at 2pm and not 2am! Apparently missed and paid over £1,000 for a new flight.’
And another user theorized: ‘If you miss your flight with easyJet you can pay £110 to be put on the next available flight. It’s called an IROP.