Airport security systems help please!

[Helpmechooseausername]

Hi, we had a bit of a situation coming back from holiday abroad and wonder if anyone knows anything about airport systems?

To cut a very long story short, we accidentally went to the wrong gate, scanned our boarding passes and got let through. We missed the flight we were supposed to be on because we didn't realise we were at the wrong gate, so we had a buy tickets for another flight.

Do we have any chance of a refund on the new tickets? I can't help thinking the machines shouldn't have let us through to wait at the wrong gate. Apart from anything else, surely it's a massive security risk?

Thanks!

Was the machine not just the one you go through before security, or passport control exiting the EU? Neither of which effect what gate you walk to after that.

I doubt the machines are sophisticated enough to discriminate. It’s a “do you have a boarding pass” check not a “do you have this particular one out of 500 possible boarding passes today” check. That’s why they have actual people doing the processing when you board. What’s the security risk?

It was the one immediately before going down the stairs to the plane

Yeah, maybe you're right. I thought the machines would be cleverer then that now!

The machine won't stop you from boarding the wrong plane so unfortunately there is little hope of you obtaining a refund.

I think the boarding pass does have pretty detailed information on. Well, according to this, it does What Is a Boarding Pass? Simple Guide - Skycop https://share.google/8C9ufbu5Z55WhFhA4

You used to hear of people getting on the wrong flights but I assumed that would be flagged at the gate. Intrigued now.

What airport was this?

Were there no screens with info? No gate numbers?

It was an airport in Spain. There were information boards but the family member in charge misread it! So, it was his fault for misreading the board but it just seemed odd that we would be able to get through to the wrong gate. We would have realised his error and got to the right gate in plenty of time had we not been able to get through.

What a nightmare, I really feel for you 🌹 and I have actually made the same mistake recently - I went through the main general gate / passport control, and walked to gate 5 after looking at the screen, massive queue round a corner, left the queue momentarily to have a quick look at how long the queue was and realised it was to an airport I was not going to. Managed to re-correct myself and move to gate 6 just in time to board my flight. I just misread the screen, one flight up on the rows. Would have been completely my fault if I had not made it as there were multiple flights going from multiple gates. However, many gates have staff on that scan your boarding pass to make sure you are on that flight, and then put you in a holding area by the gate until you board. Although noted that the staff are often general airport management staff (e.g. Swissport) although not always. If the latter, then I think you have more chance of recourse, but it may not be easy, especially if there were no staff and it was a self-scan situation, and the onus may come back onto the passenger to check they are going through the right gate. I would get home, dust yourselves down, work out what actually happened, and whether you feel justified in pursuing it, and then talk to your insurer. And for anyone who comes along and says "it should have been obvious", it isn't always ! - my near mistake was in Eastern Europe, but when I went to a busy airport in South East Asia recently there were multiple flights going to the same destination from multiple gates with multiple airlines and you really had to be on your toes.

To be honest, l suggest very doubtful. If the new flight was with the same carrier you have nothing to lose by contacting them, setting out the facts (l suggest numbered bullet points) and see what sort of response you get.

lf the airline refuse, you could try the insurance company.

That aircraft would have flown with your unoccupied sears though.

I've never been in an airport where the last check before the plane wan't done by a human, is this a new thing?

I can appreciate someone misread one of the general departure boards, but there will have been another board at your gate either the flight number and destination!

Were there not tannoy announcements for you? They hate offloading bags, so my experience us they will put out at least one call for you before searching for your luggage.

Where the airline staff check your boarding pass and scan it?

You would have been at the wrong gate before that though?