Someone plans their travels much in advance and buys tickets six months in advance, and then waits impatiently for the appointed date, someone flies every week for work or other circumstances and considers the airports a second home, someone chooses something average ... But all passengers are united by one thing: the need to correctly calculate the time of arrival at the airport. Therefore, everyone at least once wondered: "If you are late for the plane, what should I do?" Let's try to figure it out.
Reasons for being late
First of all, we will consider situations due to which passengers are most often late for an airplane. In the first place, of course, is the late arrival at the airport. In large cities, for example, in Moscow, this is due to traffic jams that can catch at the most inopportune moment.
The second most common reason is time confusion. This happens in most cases with people who bought night time tickets - from zero hours. Remember that after zero hours - this is the next day. For example, your departure time is 00:30 on August 15th. Then you need to arrive at the airport on August 14th. No matter how ridiculous it may sound, there have been cases when, having bought a ticket for a long time and thoroughly prepared for the trip, as a result, the passenger was late for the plane.
Another possible reason is relevant for connecting flights. We will consider this view in more detail separately. But in short, we note that there are many offers on airline ticket sales sites at very attractive prices, where connections between flights are twenty to thirty minutes. In no case should you fall for such tricks and purchase these tickets, even if you are sure that you are well oriented at the indicated airports and have time to land without re-registration. Do not have time. Yes, and lose in money and ruin your trip along with your mood. However, about what threatens you if you still do not have time for the plane, a little later.
What to do in order not to be late for the plane
Check in advance (preferably two or three days) the time and date of departure. Especially if the tickets were bought long ago or a charter flight. In the latter case, the departure time may constantly change. But even if you are flying on a regular route and have purchased a travel document recently, you should still double-check yourself. In the future, this simple action will help you avoid wasting nerves, money and a frantic search for answers to the question: "If you are late for the plane, what should I do?"
Many airline ticketing sites have a reminder function of an upcoming flight for the day. You can also set yourself a reminder on your smartphone. This will help you minimize the risk of being late for a procedure such as check-in.
Count your travel time
Be sure to leave some stock. It’s better to arrive half an hour or forty minutes earlier than the last to run for registration. Or come running and see on the board that check-in or even boarding is finished. Unforeseen situations on the road can always happen - traffic jam, repair work, car breakdown, etc.
Remember that check-in for international flights usually starts three hours before and ends forty-five minutes before departure. With domestic flights, things are less stringent: the start is one and a half hours, the completion of registration is half an hour before departure. There may be slight variations of this time, depending on the airline you choose. More accurate information can be seen on the purchased ticket.
In addition, check out the information about the airport from which you will fly. If you have not been to it before, of course, you don’t need to go specifically and study the location of the terminals. But it will not be superfluous to go to the airport’s official website (if any) and see the latest news. It is possible that some of the terminals is closed for repair, in which case you will need more time on the road.
Also, before getting to know the airport, it is advisable to look at its diagram, think about how long it will take to get to the desired terminal, read reviews. This is especially important if you fly at the peak of the tourist season, when most airports in the resort cities are overloaded, employees work slowly and the line moves slowly.
Always pay attention to the tariff conditions.
Do this even if you do not have any preconditions that you may not have time to land and you have never wondered before: "If you are late for an airplane, what should I do?" As they say, who is warned is armed, therefore, in case of unforeseen circumstances, read this information. You should especially read the point where the exchange and return of airline tickets is agreed.
If you bought travel documents for connecting flights or, especially, for flights with transfers, this item must be fulfilled. Too careless attitude and the hope of the absence of flight delays can subsequently cost you very much.
You are still late for registration. What to do?
Do not panic. Remember that check-in for international flights ends forty-five minutes, for domestic flights - half an hour before departure, so if you have about that much time left and you are standing at the very end of the general queue, look for a special check-in counter for late passengers. Unfortunately, it is not available at all airports, and this service may be charged for the economy class - about two thousand rubles. But this is your real chance to use a ticket and catch a plane. If there is no counter, try to find your airline representative and explain the situation to him. The main thing is not to do nothing, but try to spend precious minutes wisely.
You are late before you arrive at the airport
If you realize that you are still late at home or on the way to the airport, be sure to let the agency through which you purchased the travel document know about this agency or contact person. If you can call before the check-in is complete, you will remove the charge of no-show on your flight, which will allow you to make at least a partial refund of the cost of the tickets, if this is stipulated by your fare, or rebook the seat for the next flight.
When you do get to the airport, contact your airline representative as soon as possible. Try to calmly explain the essence of the problem and carefully listen to what the employee will offer you. You can either be transferred to the next flight, or, if you wish, return tickets, some of the funds will be returned in accordance with your fare.
In the latter case, passengers of the economy class and charter flights are least lucky: they are returned only airport taxes or nothing at all. When buying a business class ticket, it is possible to return the full price.
If you have a connecting flight
First, as previously recommended, do not buy tickets with short connections. In addition, try to know in advance at which airport the transfer will be made, because it may happen that you have to travel long from one point to another.
It’s better to calculate the necessary time for connections based on the following factors: leave at least two hours for a transfer at the same airport (so that your luggage can be reloaded), if you are with children, add another hour to this time, if the transfer is at another airport, then you need at least three hours.
Remember that you need a boarding pass for transplantation , therefore it is better to register for two flights at once. If you fly with different airlines, use the online check-in service.
Late for boarding
Another problem that can cause a delay in a plane. You don’t need to ask a question: “How to get a boarding pass?”, You checked in at the airport or online, but then duty-free shops appeared before your eyes ... And, having forgotten about the time, you were carried away by shopping. And maybe everything is much more prosaic, because you still have to have time to pass security control at the airport, which can be a slow procedure in high season or simply due to the leisurely work of airport employees.
If you see that the line is moving too slowly and you do not have time to go through passport and customs control, go to the airport specialist and try to explain the problem to him. You may be able to get through this procedure in accelerated mode. But if there is nobody nearby who you could contact, try to negotiate with those who are standing in front of you in line.
You are still late. Landing is completed. What to do?
No matter how sad it may sound, but such cases are not uncommon. And it’s not so important whether your plane is still standing on the ground or is already gaining altitude - if the landing is over, you will not be allowed into the cabin. The fact is that airlines bear heavy fines for flight delays, the risk of aircraft collisions in the air increases. Nobody wants this, so now your actions should be next.
Having arrived late for the plane, go to the front desk of your airline and explain the situation. The specialist will find a solution: if you were to fly in business class, you will be sent on the next flight, subject to availability.
If you had an economy ticket, most likely you will have to purchase a new travel document. It’s good if you get some part of the amount of the unused ticket. In both cases, it all depends on the chosen fare, so always carefully study the conditions of exchange and return of the purchased ticket.
Finally
So, once again we answer the question: "If you are late for the plane, what should I do?" First off, do not panic. Secondly, try to stay calm and follow the recommendations. Thirdly, remember that there are no hopeless situations , and there are always people around you who can help.