What happens to these people in airports?

[Helpmethinkofasolution]

Nearly every time I fly I hear a call out for people who have seemingly checked in, checked in their bags but then are late (really late) for boarding. I'm pretty scatty but I've never had so much fun at the airport that I've forgotten to check that my flight is boarding! Do they just get distracted?
Not judging just wondering how common it is for people to be 'un-boarded' and what happens?

USA is almost the only country in the world where you can’t do an airside transfer

That's why I'm so surprised so many people suddenly realize they're far away. Though I'm British I live in the US and travel frequently. In my local airport the boards are updated in real-time and I know which gate to head to before I've even got through security.

Both. But on some airlines it’s Champagne on boarding in both Cabins. You could have wine if that’s what you’d prefer but it’s Champagne that’s offered.

That's why I'm so surprised so many people suddenly realize they're far away. Though I'm British I live in the US and travel frequently. In my local airport the boards are updated in real-time and I know which gate to head to before I've even got through security.

I can only reiterate what I mentioned upthread, writing gates on cards, putting it on screens prior to security works at some airports but it really won't work as places like LHR T5 where what is known as the "stand plan" (for there is one) sometimes changes at the last minute and the gates themselves can be the best part of 20 minutes apart, worse case, and to complicate things even more there's supposed to be a one way flow through the departure process.

OTOH my local small regional airport staff are very keen to biro a stand number on boarding passes, but it's only a choice of about 12 gates and if there is a last minute change (e.g. Aer Lingus is late pushing back, so Easyjet arrives to turn around on the same gate , finds it blocked, and has to move to the next gate) there's a quick announcement and everybody picks up their bags and moves one gate across.

Horses for courses, what will work depends on the airport.

My local airport is a regional hub, though. Two terminals, both domestic and international flights. They make it work. Surely you just manage the gates in groups - at our airport, it's terminal 1 and 2, gate groups A-D - and make changes as necessary? As long as you keep the flights in the same grouping, a numbered gate change shouldn't be that big of a deal.

I've been in this position twice - the first time we were flying from Manchester (live in Scotland) on a very early morning flight, so we had travelled down the previous night then were up early morning to get to the park and fly car park. However we got to the car park to discover it had closed that week without anyone telling us, so we had a very stressful time trying to find the airport itself then find out where to park etc, having given just enough time to get there. We made it through security and thankfully there had been a delay at boarding due to someone getting their hand luggage stuck in the size check basket lol, but we were last in the queue for boarding and were included in the 'any remaining passengers go to gate " call.

The second time was a work trip, and I was going with 2 people I didn't know who had done the same trip many times and said the gate was always right next to the lounge we were in so we didn't have to rush. Surprise surprise they decided to use a gate at the complete opposite end of the departure lounge, and I was recovering from a knee injury so I couldn't run, and we were getting name called by the time we arrived. Thankfully it was a small prop plane so only 15 or so people were watching us as we boarded! I've learned to check now rather than just take other people's word lol.

My local airport is a regional hub, though. Two terminals, both domestic and international flights. They make it work. Surely you just manage the gates in groups - at our airport, it's terminal 1 and 2, gate groups A-D - and make changes as necessary? As long as you keep the flights in the same grouping, a numbered gate change shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Probably TLDR but I'll give this a go.

Problem for example specifically at LHR T5 is you have the three terminals, A, B, C. and obviously (?) each one is segregated departures/arrivals and the two communities can never meet, not even on the transit train that links the three sub-terminals.

If you are departing T5 then you enter the system in A and if you are headed to a C gate you can train it, along with other departing passengers out to B and C....OK simple so far..you get to C and your planned gate really early.

Problems start if there is then a gate change back from C to say A......you are still a departing passenger...you cannot get the train back from C to A because travelling in that direction the train is set up, segregated and policed to ensure it's for arriving passengers..

The only way backwards through the system to return to A is to use one of the two segregated pedestrian tunnels..that's it's about a half mile plus C>A walk (which BTW it is quite pleasant and has much to recommend it over the monorail if you have time).

Hence the T5 authorities really don't like people heading off to the outer gates well ahead of schedule ...and hence the gates are not written on boarding cards or advertised on TV until about 45 minutes prior to departure, at best.

I take the point about trying to keep the flights within a group of gates to faciliate change more easily but there isn't the gate space, certainly early AM to be able to say we'll only ever gate change within A or B or C....

Other airports obviously have different issues and I know do things differently.

Ahhhh- explains it perfectly!

@Frazzled2207 also Zimbabwe, as shown by my anecdote!

Plenty of times in BA Heathrow airline lounges. Once we were sitting enjoying an umpteenth glass of fizz because the flight was showing as delayed. It went from 'delayed' to 'boarding' to 'flight closing'in about 30 seconds.
We flew out of there but I had chosen the North lounge and the gate was on the south wing and it was easily a 12 minute walk. We ran through T5 scattering other passengers while hearing our names being called and arrived at the gate just as they were closing the door.
Thankfully the lounge lady had called the gate to let them know we were coming and to hang on

But not everybody is like you.

The thing is a lot of these can be avoided by being like this. I don't understand how you can just forget you are catching a plane. Also it often impacts other passengers too not to mention costing a pretty penny for a new flight.

Those affected by gate changes, short transfers, baby poonamis etc can't be helped and it sounds mega stressful

@0live maybe it depends where you are arriving from. As I said we transitioned through Schiphol last week and had to go through security (everyone from our flight did and quite a few of us missed connections because if it). They did try and speed through people who had connections to make but there were too many of us. Their new security scanners don't help - took about 2 min per person.

Imagine you fly twice a week for work. Domestic and international long haul. You get to know the cadence of your airline and airport. You start to cut things a bit fine. You start only thinking about going to the gate when they say 'boarding' because you know you will be standing around waiting for half an hour otherwise. You get engrossed in writing an email or a phone call or you start to think you can finish your glass of wine, go to the loo and wander to your gate with plenty of time only to find the gate changed to somewhere half a mile away.

I get that someone who rarely flies may be anxious about making their gate in plenty of time but if it's a weekly occurrence and you are often exhausted from a week of working away it's v easily done.

@HairyMcLarie

Well said...

I think there's some pretty judgemental comments been made upthread.

Yes I know in theory/sometimes in practice a passenger being late might effect a flight but in recent years there's been an increase in regulation on things like start up times and runway slot times. If a flight misses either of those target times and it can end up with long delays at many airports (over an hour not unknown).

As a consequence I think you'll find more and more scheduled airlines will be adapting an increasingly robust attitude to getting bags off and doors closed on time.

I had this once at Brussels Airport. My plane was delayed, so I was waiting in the area just before baggage check in and waiting for the gate to be announced. Suddenly, the sign went from "Waiting for Gate" to "Last Call" I rushed to the baggage area which took about 30 minutes, as there was a pensioner group who took forever. When I finally escaped that, it was another 15 minutes walk to the gate, just as I arrived, I heard my name being paged. I made myself known and was bundled into a car and driven to the plane...on the other side of the tarmac. I received a round of applause when I boarded.

So it's not always that simple.

Me and my mum were going on holiday once and we’re spraying perfume in Duty Free when we heard our names being called. We have absolutely no idea how we lost track of time but security took forever. We had to really leg it to catch our flight

I was called once. Was in Milan for a trade show, PR person kindly offered me a lift back to the airport, but ran out of petrol on the motorway right before the junction (I could almost touch the planes on the runway...), rescue was going to be hours, so I hitched a short ride on the hard shoulder from a very nice Italian lorry driver. Last to check in, RAN through the airport and was the last (rather sweaty) person to board full flight. Crazy day. The tiny airline bottle of gin was very welcome.

Had this at Stansted a few Xmases back. I only managed to board my plane because I asked which check in queue would be for Hahn from a passing staff member.

Parallel to us was a check in queue for Belfast that opened - get this - one hour before the flight departed. They checked in about 20 passengers, and then told the rest of the queue that they couldn't check in, "as you didn't check in 40 minutes before the flight". An almighty row erupted and eventually, Ryanair (who else?) let people with tickets for Belfast check into a Dublin flight, but they would need to get themselves via the Enterprise to Belfast at their own expense.

Although I arrived at the airport 2 and a half hours prior to the (very early) flight, I JUST made the plane and we took off more or less half empty.

We took a wrong turning at KL airport, it was our 3rd & final flight. We could hear them calling but didn’t know where to go. Luckily they saw us running & come to get us, they pulled our luggage with one arm & us with the other 😆

In the queue at the gate at Manchester in May. We were sat waiting for the queue to subside, 3 police turned up watching the queue, and took a 30 something man out of the queue, leaving his partner and child in the queue. A short chat, and the nan was taken away. We then had an hours delay while they found and removed his luggage from the hold. If someone misses the call at the gate, their luggage has to be taken off as it is a security risk.

The last 3 flights I’ve taken this has happened. One moment we’ve got loads of time and I’m enjoying food and drink next things we are rushing for our plane. Every time I try stay on top of the time and every time I fail dunno what it is LoL just last month I almost missed flight to Dubai 🥲

Happened to me once. My flight was delayed for 40 minutes then 4 minutes before the gate showed it changed to another 50 minutes. So I fed my daughter (7 months at the time) checked the board again which said gate shown in another 30 minutes, so I went to change her nappy and while i waiting as there was someone in before me, I heard my name. The board changed around 5/6 the last hour but must of gone from gate shown in 30 to go to gate 16.

I am sure the people potentially delayed on the plane because of you are Lol too 🙄

Sat at the wrong gate. Got engrossed in a book. By the time I looked up and realised I was at the wrong gate, the flight took off. And didn’t offload my baggage. Fairly recent.