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?

This happened to me in Schipol too, I was on a flight with a very short connection (that klm said was doable), my first flight was late landing and then you have to go through security and get to the other end of the terminal, I made it with literally two minutes to spare. I wasn't looking in shops or cafes - I didn't even have time to go to the loo. So I guess a lot of those late calls would be people in similar situations, especially in a big hub airport.

I almost missed a flight once because I went to the wrong gate - realised pretty late and then had to go back through security

thankfully some staff took pity on me and let me go through the staff security so I didn’t have to queue again

Came very close at Charles de Gaul a few years ago. We arrived at the airport and checked in 3 hours before our fight. By the time we got through passport control and the idiots on the hand luggage scanners things we had to run and there were only 5 people still to be boarded when we arrived.
The scanner people were playing games with which luggage they were scanning. They had all turned their ID back to front and were pushing some of the trays off of the queue and putting others in their place. Any male had their trays go through no problem and the staff were having them put all their stuff in one tray. All the middle aged women were being made to have one tray for bag, one for electronics and one for liquids. And then our trays kept getting pushed out the queue. Finally there was a chance of supervisor who read them the riot act about their badges and the queues and things started moving. Even then I ended up telling them to bin my liquids as I didn't have anymore time once I saw my handbag had made it through.
On another trip, this time out of Edinburgh, a lot of people needed called. It was actually quite funny in the style of the movie "Airplane". We were in plenty of time at gate 28 waiting to board when the gate had a computer issue. No problem lets use gate 26 instead. So we all move two gates down, less than 50m from first gate. This gate also has an issue so now its 25...then suddenly its gate 3 at the far side of the airport. So everyone is now trying go get to the opposite side of the airport. We had been at the end of the queue and ended up at the front but quite a few groups got lost and had to be called individual while we all waited for a bus to get us from gate 3 to get back to 28 where the plane still was. It was one of those days where there could have been a lot of angry people, instead every one was laughing and cheered when the lost people made it to the plane.

@Frazzled2207 Maybe different protocols for passengers on stand-alone flights as opposed to connections?

Happened to a friend's mum recently at Stansted due to the queues, she's not a seasoned traveller and didn't realise she could have asked to go ahead of others at the 3 hours security queue! She ran to her gate but had just missed the flight, had to come to us and fly again 2 days later.

The worst one I heard of though was a school friend of mine, travelling as an unaccompanied minor aged 13 after a school trip on to a family holiday rather than back home with his class. No one told him you had to go to a specific gate, so he went through security as instructed then just sat there!

I got stuck in traffic on the M25 and got to the gate with 1 min to board

i got literally dragged the 6000000000 miles to the gate by the staff 😂. They were awesome!

The check in staff can only tell you which gate your flight will depart from if the aircraft is already there. It's more thank likely that your aircraft hasn't arrived from wherever it's coming from. Your flight isn't the only one it will do, especially during peak times or if your flight is in the afternoon. Most turnarounds are only an hour too.

Happened to my partner and I twice.

First time was the first time we’d gone on holiday just the two of us. We didn’t realise they close the gate a while before take off so we thought we could get on up until then. We planned to board early anyway so we just about made it.

Second time, we were getting a connecting flight in Germany to Japan. The security line was massively long though. When it got closer to our flight time, employees were sent round to find people on our flight and we got to skip. Our flight was held back slightly for us and there were still people getting on after us too.

Desk! 1 min till the flight closed

then got dragged. Hehehe

This is happened to my Dad once. He and his friends used to take an annual trip to see an away game for their favourite sports team. One year the rest got carried away eating and drinking at the airport bar. My Dad was the only one who boarded on time. He ended up alone in the destination with everyone else's luggage 😂

I've been called once.
My mum was in hospital following an accident. I booked a flight, went straight to the airport, checked in, went through security and before I could get to the gate I was called.

Was that in the last year @Mushroo ? I think a few people have been caught out by the extra queues at passport control in European airports post Brexit.

I was once in one of the lounges when I had to leave for my flight, but just then a smoke alarm went off and they wouldn't allow anyone out. I waited it out for about 10 minutes, then I was fuck it, I'm not missing my flight for your rules. I just got up and left, while they shouted after me to stop.

We once went to the wrong gate (now we all double check and don't believe whoever first notices), and ended up in the wrong lounge, and there was no way to reverse our steps (escalators, locked doors, no staff in sight). There was a phone we could use to contact airport staff, and they came and rescued us and drove us to the right gate - fortunately all in good time - but it could have been a disaster.

Waiting on a connected flight I had sat at the wrong gate, one down. Staff came looking for me as my journey was a long one and they thought I might have fallen asleep and so missed the announcements. I made my flight.

It happened to me in Sam Francisco. We had been asked to stand down from the flight in exchange for free flights anywhere in the world. We accepted and were sent away with a food voucher until it was time to be taken to the hotel. When we reported to the pick up point we were told there had been a mistake and we had to board the plane that was ready to go. They pulled off a couple who were desperate to get home and put us on. Confusing and stressful all round.

Another time, this was in St Louis, I made my flight by a hair’s breadth because the time between connecting flights was brief and the distance between gates was vast. It was so hot, I remember feeling desperately thirsty.

@MigsandTiggs yeah occasionally
staff can be amazing (rare these days with so many people)
c . 2005 I flew from Tokyo to london via Seoul and the flight from Tokyo was pretty late and I had a very small window to make the second flight. I knew it was the only flight to london that day so was pretty stressed.
Imagine my surprise when I got off the plane and there was a golf buggy waiting and a sign up saying “miss frazzled, london”. Hopped on the buggy, off we went, buggy went through a special wide security lane (!!!), got me to the second flight where I hopped on and as I did so the plane door closed.
Amazing.
they don’t do it like that anymore.

We had our flight brought forward by 2 hours and we didn’t know - got our bags checked in and we’re moseying towards the obligatory WH Smith shop and they were calling us.

Everyone on the plane had been waiting ages (and clearly had the email about the times!).

I almost missed my connection in Abu Dhabi as the first leg from Heathrow was delayed. I run from one to the other with staff looking our for me and they just got me on.

I’ve possibly gone to the wrong terminal in Heathrow before now as well! Got bumped off the flight for that one.

Coming back to Canada from Colombia, connecting through the US. TSA decided to open our sealed duty-free items and scan them. We were already tight because of flight delays. Somehow made the plan even though the doors were already closed. Have since gotten Nexus which allows you to fast-track security and customs lines US-Canada. Has changed travelling.

It happened to me once about 10 years ago . I was on a connecting flight and had to run to my flight . I can’t remember what the delay was but I was flying London to Ottawa via Chicago and they had a weird connecting flight area you had to wait to go through . I remember running the hardest I have ever run and when I boarded my flight everyone clapped for me lol. It was Christmas Eve . I thought I was going to throw up from running so hard .

This happened to me and my friend once aged 19. We were going backpacking and it was our first trip without parents keeping on top of the timing! We checked in thinking we had loads of time, walked around all the shops and then sat in a restaurant for food and then heard last boarding call for our flight over the tannoy. I can’t remember if we still had to go through security or if we were just at the other side of the airport but either way it took ages to get to the gate and whilst on our way to it then heard our names which obviously set us into panic! Luckily we did make it though. I think we thought the flight time was the time we needed to be at the boarding gate and didn’t realise the gate usually closes quite some time before the flight departs. Lesson learnt and I’m usually very vigilant now about being at the boarding gate well ahead of time.

@shinynewapple22 it was! It was the first time we’d travelled post Brexit and now we’re extra careful. Lesson learnt!

@alanabennett - when I have flown recently the gate number isn't announced until it opens for boarding .