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Original poster

What happens to these people in airports?

296 replies

Helpmethinkofasolution · 21/08/2022 11:39

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?

OP posts:
JubileeTissues · 21/08/2022 13:13

Not sure I'd believe the post box story. Sounds like an excuse to me! What valuable couldn't he fly with that was in his pocket but ok to be posted?

PegasusReturns · 21/08/2022 13:13

I got the boarding and flight time mixed up.

Returned to lounge and the receptionist informed me the flight was about to close. She called ahead and let gate know I was coming and I ran I was absolutely mortified that people would think I was just expecting a plane full of people to wait for me.

AdelaideRo · 21/08/2022 13:13

Happened to me once. The check in staff helpfully wrote my gate number on my boarding card.

I went to the gate and then discovered it was the wrong one in a different part of the terminal accessible only by train and I couldn't get back in time.

I missed my flight.

The airline said it wasn't their fault but mine as I should have double check the information their staff gave me.

MajorCarolDanvers · 21/08/2022 13:14

It happened to me more than once because of delays at security.

No fun though sadly.

I have made to the flight in time though.

Minikievs · 21/08/2022 13:18

I've been called once. On a friends hen party in Magaluf years ago, flying home, half of us went for a fag and then to McDonald's.
Making our way to the gate, chatting amongst ourselves, then all of a sudden heard 9 of our names being called.
I've never run so fast in my life. The gate was fucking MILES away too. Just didn't realise the time/missed the boarding call

Cheeseandlobster · 21/08/2022 13:18

Kualma · 21/08/2022 13:03

I’ve nearly missed my flight. I was in a fabulous airport lounge! Wine bar, al la carte dining, massages and a massive bath tub! We made the flight by 30 seconds 😳

I love the sound of that! Where was it?

NanaNelly · 21/08/2022 13:18

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 21/08/2022 13:10

I have some sympathy with your father on flight boarding - the number of times I’ve half run to the gate on seemingly urgent boarding call announcements only to find people just aimlessly milling around at tbe departure gate and nothing approaching boarding

Show quote history

I asked the ground staff in Beirut if they were trying kill passengers by calling last boarding which was a bloody great fib but had people running to the gate just because. I told my cousin about it and she sad, oh I forgot to tell you to ignore it if they did it. 😂

Marluuu · 21/08/2022 13:18

These days my first guess would be that they are stuck in a 2h queue at security.

An acquaintance of mine once got drunk in an airport Wetherspoons and forgot that she even was supposed to board a flight 😂

notimagain · 21/08/2022 13:19

JubileeTissues · 21/08/2022 13:13

Not sure I'd believe the post box story. Sounds like an excuse to me! What valuable couldn't he fly with that was in his pocket but ok to be posted?

FWIW I've certainly known of people having to post small items to themselves that wouldn't be allowed through security.

DessicatedWithering · 21/08/2022 13:19

We were on a plane waiting to go when they kept asking for a member of the Smith family to make contact. Turned out all of the Smith family had checked in and had their luggage on the plane, but not all of the Smith family were actually on the plane. It was a Mark Warner kids club holiday, with only weekly flights and transfers. And the plane was delayed on the stand anyway so it wasn't a last minute trip to the toilet thing! Multiple call outs and then more delay while they took off the luggage of the bit of the family who didn't show - the others went on without them. I would love to know what went on Grin

PuttingDownRoots · 21/08/2022 13:20

DH was once travelling for work. Him and he boss took their first flight, had a 2hr layover so they went their separate ways to get snacks etc. DH found the right gate, boarded the plane... no boss. The calls went out... no boss.

He was met at the airport by his bosses wife (who was giving them both a lift home) who had just had a sheepish phone call (only 30 min flight)... he was enjoying a beer and lost track of time. He had even heard the calls and thought it was wierd that someone else had the same name!

AliceMcK · 21/08/2022 13:23

happened to me twice, once a friends DF offered to drive us to airport we were about 20 at the time, her DF knew a “shortcut” we fell asleep in the car, it was 3am, we woke up on the M25 in rush hour traffic after her DF got lost. We managed to check in but it was bedlam at the airport, we had to plead and beg people to let us que jump.

second time me and my travel companions had accepted an offer for a different flight as ours was overbooked so sat around the bar chilling until someone told us where we’d be staying the night and how we got our free cash. No one had told us we wernt needed anymore until we heard our names being called so we had to rush to the gate.

PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior · 21/08/2022 13:24

I've never missed a plane but got called once. We had checked in on time, been told the flight was delayed an hour so went and got a drink, then all of a sudden it wasn't delayed an hour after all.

NanaNelly · 21/08/2022 13:25

I thought all airports were silent ones now and you have to check the board yourself?

In some places if you are using a lounge they will check you into the lounge and come and make sure you know the flight is now boarding.

DurhamDurham · 21/08/2022 13:26

Oh the shame, this happened to us once. In our very poor defence we were sleep deprived and disoriented.

We got to the airport at the of our holiday, Greece I think it was, and we quiet up to pass over our cases and collect our tickets. We the found the nearest cafe to have a coffee and sat there reading. We heard our flight being called and at that point realised we hadn't even gone through passport control and security 😱
We literally had to run and beg to be let in front of lots of people. We were minutes from missing the flight and when we got on everyone starting to give us a slow clap.
Still don't know how or why we had forgot to actual go through to Departures.

roundtable · 21/08/2022 13:26

Very nearly missed a connecting flight due to delayed first flight. That was stressful and the gate was miles away.

I said to dh - how on earth are they going to get our luggage on the connecting flight?No surprises when our luggage did not appear at our final destination.

It took 3 days to arrive where we were staying. We were driving across country that week too.
We now do connecting flights with at least 6 hours between flights. I'd rather wait!

Hoppinggreen · 21/08/2022 13:28

Happened to us. Pre dc we were going away with another couple. Me and my friend went to look around the shops while the men went for a drink. Then the men weren’t where we agreed to meet them so we waited there for a bit until we heard our names called. We rushed to the gate in a panic and explained that the rest of our party weren’t with us but we didn’t know where they were
They were sitting on the plane - words were had

EmmaH2022 · 21/08/2022 13:30

lickenchugget · 21/08/2022 12:00

They are my IL’s.

They get stuck in toilets, shops or just sit at the gate and don’t look out for announcements… baffling.

Usually after they’ve been at the airport about 4 hours early too.

Getting stuck in a toilet sounds alarming.

worst I've done is go after the last call...was at the bar with a seriously gorgeous dancer! 😂

bigbluebus · 21/08/2022 13:31

I'm usually one of the 1st to the gate once the boarding notification comes up on the screens. However, I was once flying from Birmingham, sitting watching the board which still wasn't showing 'boarding' for our flight even though the screen kept refreshing. Then flights after ours started boarding and it was coming pretty close to the usual gate closing time so I got up and went and checked another screen somewhere else and that was showing that our flight was boarding. We ran to the gate where people were most definitely boarding and there were only a few stragglers behind us. So we weren't actually given the final call but would have been if I hadn't checked a different screen.

Porcupineintherough · 21/08/2022 13:33

This was us last week. 2 hours to make our connecting flight, stuck in a security queue for 2.5 hours. Ended us having to hang around for 7 hours until they could book us on a new flight. Utter crap.

KimberleyClark · 21/08/2022 13:33

We now do connecting flights with at least 6 hours between flights. I'd rather wait!

so would I. We are doing our first connecting flight ever next year -Auckland via Singapore and Sydney - 6 and 3 hour waits respectively. But I’m still a bit anxious!

niceandsimple · 21/08/2022 13:34

Happened to us, we were at the airport with loads of time, very early in the morning, checked in, got a coffee, went to security and baby had the most explosive nappy he had ever had just before I lifted him up. i had to hold him while the very lovely security people helped us with loading everything into the scanner and then had to go and find baby changing facilities. luckily I always pack spare clothes for me and him in carry on luggage. But the closest toilets to the gate were not in use, so had to trek to the other end of the airport. completely changed the 2 of us, and heard the call for boarding so started to make our way, but as luck would have it, our gate was the opposite end of the terminal and had to go through passport control first...
we were the last to get to the gate, and heard the final call for boarding a few times...

Coastalcreeksider · 21/08/2022 13:35

Almost missed flight to France back in the 80s, they called us but we didn't hear them 😳

Did miss flight home from Italy, we got caught up in carnival traffic on way to airport. When we got to check in they said it was already on runway to take off. We just rebooked for the following night and thankfully did make that one.

Ithinkthatisenoughnowthanks · 21/08/2022 13:38

I once came in late from one flight and missed the connection. The airline rerouted me via another airport as it was less time than waiting for the next flight. Got stuck in traffic during the coach transfer. Ran through airport like a lunatic and doors were closed behind me and off we went!

Puffalicious · 21/08/2022 13:42

This is easily done these days. Just 2 weeks ago we flew from Manchester. We could not believe the queues everywhere: for bag drop, security, passport control, food, water station. We arrived 3.5 hours before the flight, but the airport was jumping at 6:15am!

We literally bought a V
Boots meal deal, filled water bottles and last call for boarding was whilst teen DS was in doing a poo! His brother had to drag him out mid-poo and we were almost last to board. Mental!

My older teen DS works at our local airport (Glasgow, so still a big airport) and was shocked at how different and much slower the system is. Be warned Manchester travellers!