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What to do if one member of the family can't fly on booked flight

30 replies

LostInTranslations · 26/05/2023 21:24

Sorry couldn't phrase it well in the title!

Myself, my partner and my two children are due to fly on Monday. I've been sent a link from the airline to check in online, but my partner now has to work and can't make the flight. It's flight only and cheap so he's not worried about losing the money, but my question is do I just check us all in and he just doesn't turn up on the day? Or do I try and change something now? There is an option to cancel the flight, but that seems to be for the whole booking and not just for one individual person.

Annoyingly, even though I booked the flight, and it's on my frequent flyer number etc, because he is a man he is the lead person on the booking. (I'll be complaining about that separately - how bloody stupid!)

Anyway, any ideas welcome! I will try and call them tomorrow but don't hold out much hope of actually getting to talk to someone!

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SheilaFentiman · 26/05/2023 21:28

It feels wrong to check him in because then he would be on the passenger manifest and the count would be short. Plus you might risk the bags being checked under his name and then offloaded if he isn’t on the plane.

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SheilaFentiman · 26/05/2023 21:29

As you have a frequent flyer number, presumably you have a specific number for those with flyer club status to call?

I would ask this question on Flyertalk, with the airline named, someone will know

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Casimira · 26/05/2023 21:30

Can you just check in at the airport on the day?

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Stoodley · 26/05/2023 21:30

My DH was ill and could fly out on holiday with us. I didn’t check him in an mentioned it at the airport desk. They didn’t seem too bothered. I think they over book flights for this reason.

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PuttingDownRoots · 26/05/2023 21:32

People checking in and the not showing happens frequently. Thats why people get on flights from standby lists last minute...

They know you haven't been through security.

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FettleOfKish · 26/05/2023 21:32

Check him in online and he just doesn't go. No issue at all, they'll know on the day he's not there as he won't scan his boarding pass to go through security. No impact on manifest whatsoever.

(I work in the travel industry, heavily involved in flight operations).

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FettleOfKish · 26/05/2023 21:35

Ps.. if you're doing bag drop obviously you use your boarding passes / ID so they'll be attributed to your names.

Thousands of people check in online but don't travel (especially now some airlines have check-in up to a month ahead, anything can happen in that time). Totally run of the mill and nothing to worry about.

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LostInTranslations · 26/05/2023 21:37

For some reason the luggage are attached onto the children's bookings, so there wouldn't be an issue there.

If we check in at the airport on the day we risk not being able to travel seated together - we haven't pre booked seats so the closer we leave it to departure the greater the risk of not being seated together (I would guess, although kids are 12 and 14 so they probably wouldn't care)

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LostInTranslations · 26/05/2023 21:41

Oh I've just checked and actually the baggage is on the kids names on the way out and on our names on the way back. Grr. I'll have to call them tomorrow. Have checked FAQs and cancelling the flight online cancels it for all of us, not just him.

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roses2 · 26/05/2023 21:44

When you check in online it normally asks you to select the passengers. Don't check hi in otherwise you'll hold up the flight as they will be looking for him.

Gove them a call tomorrow to see if they will move the bags to your name.

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FettleOfKish · 26/05/2023 21:53

Nobody will be 'looking for him' if his boarding pass never scans through security. If they held up flights looking for people who checked in but never entered the airport nobody would ever get anywhere.

OP, call them and see if you can have the bag moved to your name.

It'll depend on which airline you're with if they'll do it but as you've mentioned frequent flyer I assume it's not easyJet or Ryanair who probably won't.

Enjoy your trip.

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LostInTranslations · 26/05/2023 22:00

Thanks @FettleOfKish - no it's a small local UK based airline so fingers crossed they can sort the baggage issue out (and have actual people to answer their phones!)

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LIZS · 26/05/2023 22:18

Can you check in the three travelling and not him? Who is lead name?

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Elisheva · 26/05/2023 22:23

I had this in the summer when DH couldn’t fly with us. I couldn’t cancel just his seat, and it wouldn’t let me complete check in without him. I checked him in online, and then when we got to the airport I told them he wasn’t coming. They just nodded, nobody cared!

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LostInTranslations · 27/05/2023 09:14

LIZS · 26/05/2023 22:18

Can you check in the three travelling and not him? Who is lead name?

He is the lead name, because he is a MAN! The booking was made by me, under my account, my frequent flyer number, with me as the passenger whose details I put in first. But he is the lead name because he's male. I shall be complaning!

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LostInTranslations · 27/05/2023 09:14

*complaining

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LostInTranslations · 27/05/2023 09:15

They have resolved the luggage issue, but I still have to check him in as he is the lead name on the booking so I can't check any of us in without checking him in!!

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LIZS · 27/05/2023 09:16

And they won't change lead name?

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GiveupHQ · 27/05/2023 09:17

because he is a man he is the lead person on the booking.

oh don’t be daft

you could have input your details in the lead traveller section 🙄

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itsmylife7 · 27/05/2023 09:19

GiveupHQ · 27/05/2023 09:17

because he is a man he is the lead person on the booking.

oh don’t be daft

you could have input your details in the lead traveller section 🙄

The OP did input her details as lead !

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GiveupHQ · 27/05/2023 09:21

Well then she will be lead

FGS the system won’t overrule the details input In the lead booker section when they realise there’s a male travelling

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LostInTranslations · 27/05/2023 09:27

GiveupHQ · 27/05/2023 09:17

because he is a man he is the lead person on the booking.

oh don’t be daft

you could have input your details in the lead traveller section 🙄

I did!!!

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LlynTegid · 27/05/2023 09:28

Hope you can sort it out and even if afterwards, complain about the sexism of the presumption the lead person is a man.

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LostInTranslations · 27/05/2023 09:28

I would never have put my OH as the lead person, I'm too much of a control freak for that!!

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maranella · 27/05/2023 09:30

Check in the whole group of you online as normal, but he'll just be a 'no show'. It's VERY common. Barely a flight leaves without at least one person/family not showing up. FGS don't cancel or you'll all be cancelled. The airline factors in a 'no show' rate of 1-1.5% per flight.

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