Most Common Reasons Travelers Miss Flights
The routine of flying from one place to another can see many variables come into play. Every airline tries to offer the best experience for travelers making a trip. One common thing offered on most flights is the option to pay a small percentage of the flight as an extra fee for those fearing a potential cancellation. This is due to many people missing their flights due to many different reasons. A flight being such a time sensitive thing makes it understandable how someone can miss their time. Airports and airlines suggest people show up two hours early to the airport to ensure everyone can get to their flight on time.
There are quite a few common reasons for travelers missing their flights. Understandable variables can cause someone to show up late or just not show up to the airport. There are also some bizarre reasons out there that have caused travelers to miss their flight in ways no one could have predicted. Either way, there are many stories of people failing to get to their destination as expected when purchasing a ticket. We will look at both sides of the issue with the most common reasons travelers miss their flights.
13. WAKING UP TOO LATE
The beginning of the first Home Alone movie featured the family oversleeping and rushing to make their flight. It leads to the parents forgetting their young son at home and leaving him on his own. Luckily, parents don’t typically forget their kids at home these days, but the oversleeping part is definitely a common reason for missing flights.
Many people forget to set their alarms and will wake up too late. The delayed transit makes it a tough route to get to the airport in time and check in for the flight. Quite a few travelers have suffered this unfortunate mistake leading to them having to take the next available flight.
12. EATING BAD FOOD AT AIRPORT
One of the least fun ways to miss a flight at the airport comes from deciding to have a meal before your flight. Most airports offer quite a few dining experiences, from upscale restaurants to chain restaurants to snacks offered. Unfortunately, there is the rare case of travelers getting sick after eating a meal at the airport.
Food poisoning has been an issue to cause a few people to miss their flights. Eating the wrong meal can make you instantly sick right before having to sit on a plane for many hours. A few people have admitted to getting food poisoning and being forced to miss the flight due to a bad airport meal.
11. FORGETTING SOMETHING AT HOME
Packing before a big trip is among the most important parts of preparation. Most airline experts suggest packing a few days in advance of your departure date to ensure everything is ready to go. Forgetting something important at home is among the most common reasons for missing flights.
Many people will leave their ID, passport or important possessions needed for the trip. The route back home before heading back to the airport could easily cause one to miss their flight time. Putting together a list of everything needed before packing and getting your luggage set a few days before is the best way to avoid missing your flight due to a silly mistake.
10. LONG TSA LINES
Security is the one aspect of flying that no one can skip. TSA has many rules set that travelers must follow to get through that part of the airport. Most other things are easy to get done in a timely fashion. The security line is something no one in line can control.
One problem with someone in your line could force you to wait longer than expected. TSA agents are required to ignore anyone complaining about missing their flight if someone in the line may be a threat risk. The unpredictable nature of the security check point has forced many people to miss their flights.
9. MIXING UP AM AND PM
A surprising reason a select few people have missed their flight is rather embarrassing. There have been a short list people willing to admit they misread their flight information while confusing the AM and PM.
Some people travel a lot and buy their tickets on little sleep. It still is not a great excuse, but we have to give some credit to our fellow humans. Regardless of how much you want to judge it, mixing up AM and PM hours is a rare reason a few unfortunate folks have missed their flights.
8. LOST BOARDING PASS
One of the most common excuses said to people at airlines is that someone lost their boarding pass. This used to be the most popular one years ago when a literal pass was needed to get on the plane. It is very easy to lose a piece of paper when traveling to the airport and getting through the process.
Today, boarding passes are more convenient with mobile passes and printable kiosks offered to get on the plane. Some people still rely on having a physical boarding pass and lose it before the boarding process. Always be sure you have your boarding pass ready before flight time.
7. GETTING DRUNK AT AIRPORT BAR
Bars have become a fixture in various airports all over the world. Many people love to have a drink or two at the bars or restaurants closest to their terminal. It often helps to get a bit more relaxed before flying on a long flight.
A few people decided to have too much fun at the bar and drank a little bit more than planned before their flight. It led to them being too inebriated to make their flight. Having a few drinks before the flight is not discouraged but getting drunk before flying is a horrible idea that has caused lots of people to miss their flights.
6. CAR ISSUES
The trip to the airport is an underrated part of taking a trip. Everyone must plan to get to the airport early enough to get through the process before their flight. Some people like to skip the suggested timeline of getting there two hours early.
Unfortunately, it has led to many travelers missing their flight due to car troubles. Things like accidents, a flat tire or the car breaking down have caused people to get to the airport too late. It is an even bigger risk to drive your own car and expect to park it at the airport. The popular move is to get a friend or a driver to drop you off to avoid any issues like this.
5. DELAYED FIRST FLIGHT BEFORE CONNECTING FLIGHT
Connecting flights are among the trickiest things when it comes to flying to a destination. Some places are impossible to get to when taking one single flight. There’s typically a layover with a connecting flight needed to get to the ideal airport.
Most people try to schedule the connecting flight relatively quickly into their landing time. The idea of two long waits before each flight is a headache. Unfortunately, many people miss their flights due to delays on the first one. The long wait on the first flight forces quite a few people to miss their connecting flight. Some worst-case scenarios see them having to wait a full day for another flight.
4. REFUSING TO GIVE UP BANNED ITEMS
The rules for TSA agents are very important to follow. No one will be able to talk their way out of getting a banned item from the list. Every airline will give a disclaimer requesting travelers read up on the TSA rules before getting prepared for their flight.
Some people refuse to read the guidelines and show up with something banned. The agents will not allow anyone past the security check-point with such items. There have been many cases of folks refusing to give up the item and instead just opting to miss their flight. They view the items as too important to throw away.
3. NOT REALIZING FLIGHT CHANGE
It is very important to pay attention to all updated flight information leading up to it. Various issues will cause delays or changes in the flight time, terminal information or any other small thing that can become more important.
Most travelers should get up-to-the-minute updates on their phone via text messages or emails. Not everyone checks those things or remembers to update their number if getting a new one before the flight. This has led to quite a few people getting confused when showing up at the wrong time or going to the wrong part of the airport to miss their flight.
2. BAD WEATHER
Bad weather is the most frequent reason for airline flight delays, but it is also a big reason that many travelers miss their flight. Rain or snow can slow down a travel time when it comes to driving to the airport or finding a way to get there.
Many people get to the airport too late due to the poor weather and are forced to miss their flight. Other folks will flat out refuse to fly out due to the bad weather and choose to skip the flight altogether. A bad weather day can cause one to miss a flight
1. TRAFFIC
Traffic is always a terrible issue for those that live in busy cities. Even smaller areas will have their annoying times of traffic causing a drive to take much longer than expected. The worst possible time for traffic is heading to the airport for a flight.
Airports require travelers to show up two hours before a flight mainly due to knowing how much time is required to get there. However, the traffic being a problem is a reason they don’t want people slacking when it comes to getting there too late. It doesn’t always work out as traffic frequently causes folks to show up late and miss the flight.
