I’ve missed my business flight – what to do?
If you have chosen to fly on business class, then you have made a good decision.
If you are a frequent flyer in general, then you are likely to miss a flight if you haven’t already done it. Missing a flight may be caused by a variety of factors which may depend or not depend on us. It can happen to anyone but it’s not something you cannot find solution to.
When it comes to business class flights, missing your flight will truly put you in a bad mood but there are some tactics you can use to improve your situation.
It’s certainly not a pleasant experience to miss a business class flight given the considerable prices for business class tickets. But what is the best thing to do in such a situation? The key is to reach your final destination without much expenses.
So you have missed your business class flight? Don’t worry because we will offer you here some helpful tips.
Calm down and call your airline company
If you are traveling to the airport and you think you won’t be able to arrive in time to catch your flight, call your airline. No matter where you are, contact immediately your air company’s customer service if possible. Explain the reason why you have missed your flight.
If you are not at the airport at this time, you can contact your airline company either through their website or their local number. In this way you will be able to contact more quickly your ticketing representative or gate agent. This will save you more time than deciding to call the air carrier’s main number that is written on the ticket.
By doing this you can be charged some change fee and if the ticket fare has increased, you may need to pay the difference in the price. Make sure to make the phone call as early as possible to avoid paying high price to get a ticket rebooking.
If you are in the airport when your flight closes, go to the ticketing counter or talk with the gate agent. Politeness is key when talking with the agents as the outcome of the situation is mostly in their hands. Tell them about your case of missed flight. They should explain to you what possible options you have.
You can be put on stand-by until the other available flight on the same day and in some cases on the next day.
If you have already checked in, passed through security but didn’t make it on time for your flight, then your situation is more serious. You need to exit that airport area because it’s a secure and restricted zone.
At this moment you should find an information desk if you can or contact the ground staff of your airline company. If your baggage is checked too, this means you were offloaded and then you need to make a reclaim.
If you have already went through migration, then this means you have officially exited the country. As you want to enter it again, then you need to pass again through migration.
The good news is that if you have paid high price to your ticket, the airline company is more likely to forgive your missed flight and the result will be to our favor. Another thing that determines the outcome of the situation is whether you bought the ticket from the air company or from an online travel agent.
If you have purchased your business class ticket directly from the company, they can rebook you a seat on the next flight that is available. Most of us don’t buy the most expensive refundable tickets, but we have to try our luck. Sometimes the change fee can be waived for non-refundable tickets.
Some airline companies will charge you a fee for re-booking your ticket but that’s rare. And this depends on the cost of the original business class ticket.
The change fee can go up to 200$ and be even higher for international flights. You may also need to pay the price difference in the price if the flight’s price has increased since the moment you bought your original business class ticket. A timely call can save you this.
If you have used a discount carrier, the price for the re-booking may be higher than the price of your original business class ticket. But if you compare it to the price you are going to pay for a last-minute ticket, it will be cheaper.
Determine the reason for missing your flight
Remember that the check-in staff have heard all types of explanations of why someone missed their flight so they no longer give it much consideration. But they do appreciate timely action from your side. No matter what has prevented you to catch your flight on time, the flight attendants are likely to give you an eye roll when you explain it to them.
An airline company won’t change its flight schedules only because someone missed their flight. But they will be willing to rebook your flight. The idea is that the following flight schedules don’t get confused and all the passengers are happy.
Flat tyre rule
This is one of the unwritten rules of airline companies part of their official policies which they apply for cases when a passenger misses their flight. This rule isn’t published officially and thanks to it passengers are not always made to pay large sums of money when they miss their flight.
So, one reason for a missed flight will help you gain the compassion of the flight attendants and bring your situation to a successful resolution.
If you have problems with your transport to the airport, you can tell the check-in desk staff that your ride a flat tyre during your trip to the airport. The time just has to be reasonable. Arriving within two hours after the missed flight time is considered fine.
It’s also recommended to arrive at the airport not too late after the flight departure. By doing all of the above mentioned things you have a high chance that the airline staff will re-book you a seat on the next flight available given the flight you missed isn’t the last for the day. And you will also save yourself change fees, increases in the fare price or other additional fees the airline my impose on you.
Don’t buy a new one-way ticket
Sometimes buying a new ticket may seem like a good idea since its price will be cheaper than the change fee we need to pay. Buying a new one-way ticket cancels your itinerary. This can be done only if the next flight is the last one from the schedule and you need to catch it.
Call your hotel
If you risk canceling hotel reservation by missing your flight, it’s good to tell the hotel staff about this in advance. This will save you additional charges and prevent transportation employees to wait you at the airport.
What will help you to have your flight re-booked?
Insurance
If you have missed your flight because of reasons that you can’t control such as traffic jam, road accidents, natural disaster,etc., you should ask for help a travel insurer. You can get a financial compensation within a certain time period after the flight departure given you can prove that missing your flight wasn’t in your control. Getting help from a travel insurer will help you get another ticket on the net business class flight at the least expense.
Membership in frequent flyers club
It will really help if you have an elite status as a member of the frequent flyers club of your airline company. Being a frequent business class flyer can add up to your advantage in a case of missed flight.
Don’t hesitate to tell your airline’s gate agents that you have a frequent flyer status as this can be helpful. By mentioning this fact you can pass more quickly through some of the gate lines when trying to get on board in the last minute.
Connecting flight
If by missing your original flight, you also miss a connection, you should contact your gate agent or phone operator. For example, if you got on board your original flight but you missed the connecting flight, most air companies will put you on standby until the next flight. In such a case make sure to call the airport’s baggage claim and notify them to store your checked baggage until you can manage to get them.
Discount carrier
A common practice of airline companies is to cancel the connecting flights that are on the same booking. So if you missed your business class flight, you should tell your airline company’s staff that you didn’t border the connecting flight.
Charter flight
The last option for you is to choose a charter flight.
Tips to follow if you don’t want to miss your flight
- Arrive at the airport at least 2 hours earlier than the scheduled departure time. This gives you some time to get through any obstacles or unplanned situations you may experience before the flight and still be able to catch it
- Keep all the important contacts you may need in the case if you miss a flight in your phone. Besides the air company’s main number these can include also the gate agent’s number, membership hotline number. Needless to say, a full phone battery is a must-have
- Try not to park if possible. Finding free airport parking lots takes time and depending on the traffic, sometimes it can be a real struggle
- Ask a friend to drop you at the airport, hail a cab or use Uber services
