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?

I think these days a lot is also because of online check in so they've never actually arrived at the airport. And most airports now don't announce boarding or boarding gates from the main shopping / restaurant area, it's up to you to keep checking the boards and be at the gate in time to board.
I've had final calls put out for me but I was flying on standby and didn't get checked in until the flight closed so they were boarding and I still had to get through security and to the gate.

I think these days a lot is also because of online check in so they've never actually arrived at the airport.

That seems to become a popular theory here all of a sudden as an answer to the OPs question but think about it: it really doesn't make much, if any, sense.

It really shouldn't come as a surprise to know that at most if not all airlines the staff know (or can find out) who has checked in on line.

Somebody who checks in on line and then doesn't arrive at the airport and doesn't drop bags off is not going to cause a flight to go late...they either turn up and board the flight or not...it's of almost no consequence either way to the airline.

As a result there's often pretty much zero reason for the gate staff to start making PA's for somebody who checked in on-line but then might be stuck on the M25, had a domestic emergency and decided not to travel or maybe have not bothered getting out of bed...

Gate staff might put more effort into finding somebody who has checked in at the airport ...that probably would mean announcements.

They will put effort into finding anybody who has checked bags, so again there will be announcements...but in parallel efforts will be being made by other members of the ground team to get those passengers bags off the aircraft ASAP to try and ensure the flight goes on time.

.... of course at this point it's maybe it's worth a health warning that don't think, as some do, that having checked bags will always stop the flight going without you...

I caused confusion once.

My DH accidentally booked me a flight in my married name instead of my previous name...which was on my passport. The airline wouldn't let him change my name, or cancel just my ticket not his. The cheapest solution was actually just buying ne a whole new ticket.

When he came to check in... he could only check in both of us, not just him. I then checked in on the ticket I was using.

I was then getting the Call at the airport... and it took a lot of convincing that I was actually both people (not UK... the return flight from the UK was easy to sort as they understood the UK passport situation)

When I flew from LHR last week, you had to scan your boarding pass at security, so they will know who has or hasn’t arrived.

@Capri3

When I flew from LHR last week, you had to scan your boarding pass at security, so they will know who has or hasn’t arrived.

Yep..

This happened to DH a few years ago returning from a work trip in France. He'd got himself a a coffee in departures and started working on his laptop but making sure to regularly check the time.
The problem was that time on his laptop was still set to GMT.
Apparently he was called several times for his flight - his excuse was that the announcement wasn't in English.
He missed his flight.
He was able to get plenty more work done waiting for the next flight, I was not best pleased as although it was a business trip his expenses did not extend to him being a f*@#wit and we had to pay for his new flight.

We weren't called, but one flight from Heathrow, we checked in, went through security, went to the shop to buy a snack and reading material for the flight, went to the loo, then walked to the gate. The walk to the gate was like a maze with lots of paths crossing from arrivals to departures and having to wait at a set of traffic lights. We got to the flight and were one of the last ones to board. It was a domestic flight, so in theory we could have got there up to 30 mins before departure. We'd got there 2 hours before and hadn't stopped moving and still only just made it!

Flying abroad in the next few weeks and there's no way I'm being called - I've been waiting for this holiday for 2.5 years and there's no way I'm missing it!

I would have thought as you wouldn't have checked in on the original ticket they wouldn't be expecting you to board anyway. This means lots of calls must be for people who buy tickets & then for whatever reason are a no show on the day. Silly system. They should just call the people who have checked in but not boarded on time is it.

I would have thought as you wouldn't have checked in on the original ticket they wouldn't be expecting you to board anyway

Agreed.

This means lots of calls must be for people who buy tickets & then for whatever reason are a no show on the day. Silly system. They should just call the people who have checked in but not boarded on time is it.

With the rider "checked in at the airport" 😉also agreed.

@nottodaytomorrow and @notimagain I was checked in on both tickets online. This was a small airline at a small airport in a small country, their systems were not as advanced as BA or Easyjet for example. They were actively looking for me as I hadn't registered at the gate.

They only believed I was both people as I had ID in both names (but the other ID wasn't suitable for International travel, just as an ID card in that country).

Our plane got an earlier slot so they called for us as they wanted to close the gate! Apparently they were minutes away from taking our bags off the plane. We were just chilling out as our plane wasn't due to leave for another half an hour. We had to run to the gate in the end!

Some have he their bags scanned and they need to be checked as they've seen something not necessarily suspicious but they want to look at

We nearly missed our flight to Toulouse a few years ago. We were in the bar, dds had magazines and we were all very relaxed.

I used to be cabin crew

I've only been called by name once over the airport loudspeaker. Travelling as a young woman, I had a connecting flight in the USA. However, my transatlantic flight had been delayed, so I got to the terminal just as my onward flight was due to be departing.

The staff at my arrival desk called through to let the staff at the departure desk know I was on my way, and I could hear them cheering me on over the loudspeaker as I ran from one end of the airport to the other.

Impressively, my checked-in luggage also made it in time to transfer to the next flight!

I've never been called by name, and only had the "last call" on a flight miles away from the lounge - I set off when the gate was announced, called in for a quick loo stop on the way and the I was one of the last passenger to board.

Flying around the USA is odd, because it's all internal travel, so when you arrive you don't go to passport control and arrivals, you just get off the plane through the same door at the gate where the next passengers are waiting to get on. A good few years ago I was flying back to the UK from the US, and had a local flight to one of the main East Coast airports, I think it was Philadelphia. The local flight was delayed, and I knew that the international terminal was a long way from the terminal for local flights. While en-route I was planning for missing my international flight. Landed and got off the local plane through the gate - to realise my local flight had arrived at the next gate to my UK flight! So I walked off one plane and straight on to the next, no mad sprints across the airport. It had never happened before or since, and I never worked out whether it was a coincidence or whether they'd seen I was a frequent flyer/business class passenger and wanted to make sure I got that UK flight, along with my suitcase. I don't think it would happen today because they seemed to introduce an extra security/passport check for UK flights a few years after that.

They could be nervous flyers and simply couldn't go through with the flight

The reason why BA did not tell you was this man was after a bribe. I can't believe after all this time no one has told you?
You didn't need a visa he saw a vulnerable woman and tried to take advantage. you lady in the story was a fucking hero. If you really needed a visa he would not have let you go.

I travel a lot for work and often see people fast asleep in various corners of airports. Some have been up since silly o’ clock. Others have drunk too much.

It causes potential delays as, if they do not board and they have checked in luggage, their bags need to be off loaded from the hold.

That was me too - aged 19. Second solo flight, we were only drinking coffee in a cafe.

I'm significantly more organised these days!

We were clapped as we walked onto the plane.

@sleezeandwineparty oh I grew up in Africa, I knew very well what was going on! But act (and other people h the flight knew that, having changed planes there before, so had their cash ready). I still think that BA should have made that information available to their customers, as it is an unusual situation.

oops sorry about about typos (part of my post wiped out!). I meant to say that it was however in fact the case that a transit visa was required, although I did not know this, it being such an unusual situation. And other people on the flight, having changed there before. knew this and had their cash ready.