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How to not miss your flight, and what to do if you do.
The prospect of having to deal with what happens when you miss your flight is one of the biggest travel anxieties out there.
Few things trigger an anxiety attack quicker than the sudden alteration of a plan. The unexpected and uncontrollable will destroy your carefully thought out itinerary, leaving you in a state of panic.
Sound familiar?
Unfortunately no matter how much you research or take precautions, there will always be some events you can not anticipate.
Learning how to cope with these events is key to surviving travelling with anxiety.
I was recently confronted by one of my big travel fears: what if I miss my flight?!
Read about my stumbling adventures here! Travel Tales: Stumbling on the way to Paris
Normally I stay at the airport the night before my flight to avoid this type of anxiety. (The Gatwick North Terminal Premier Inn is my ultimate pre flight safety net!). But since my flight wasn’t until 4:45pm, I figured I had plenty of time to make my way there.
Alas, despite keeping a close eye on the live running of the trains, my train was cancelled whilst I stood on the platform. Then the subsequent trains began to get delayed. And so panic began to set in. I was going to miss my flight.
With two hours to get to the airport before security closed, I was at the mercy of the train network.
You can read my full drama as part of my Stumbling Series of Travel Tales.
The good thing that has come out of this situation though, is I can now impart what I’ve learned should you miss your flight (and how to avoid getting in that situation if at all possible!)
Planning Ahead
First things first. Do everything you can in advance to not miss your flight. This means planning!
Firstly, consider your transport options and the pros and cons of each.
Driving
Driving to the airport puts you in control of your timing (traffic notwithstanding) which can ease a lot of anxiety. You are far less likely to miss your flight if you are the only human factor in your transportation. There are always unexpected issues which can occur of course, but if your car is in good working order and you drive safely, this can be the least stressful option.
When driving, you’ll have to factor in the cost of parking at the airport. If you book your airport parking in advance it will be much cheaper. Plus, if you are travelling with others, splitting the cost may well work out cheaper than individual train tickets.
The downside of driving is you will have to drive home, and thus return to the same airport. Quite often in my hunt for cheap flights, the returning airport is different to the departure flight. Especially when flying out of London. I always use Skyscanner to find the best deals, and sometimes even factoring in commuting to the airport, it’s cheaper to use different airports.
If this isn’t an option for, then driving might be your best bet when it comes to peace of mind. Book your parking early, and keep an eye out for special deals. Travel Supermarket has a useful comparison tool, just remember to factor in distance from the car park to the terminal. If you have to take the shuttle to the terminal you’ll want to arrive an extra 30 minutes early so you definitely won’t miss your flight.
Train
Catching the train means you can sit back and relax without fear of traffic. However, there is always the risk of delays (especially in the UK!). If you want to use the train, then consider leaving much earlier to make sure you don’t miss your flight.
Also, be sure you have time to resort to a Plan B (taxi, getting a lift, etc) should the train network let you down entirely.
(I did not do this, hence the anxiety attack!)
Generally I would recommend train travel despite the current frequent delays. Public transport is more environmentally kind, and I like being able to sit back and relax with my book. If you book in advance through The Trainline you can get some great deals. And should your train be delayed or cancelled, the network operator will honour your tickets on later trains. The Trainline also participates in the network operator’s delay repay schemes.
On my recent return journey to Gatwick I recouped 75% of my train fare back due to delays. Whilst this doesn’t alleviate the anxiety I experienced, I am at least not out of pocket! Had I taken my own advice and left earlier, I also would have avoided the fear that I was going to miss my flight.
Hotel at the airport
My top tip to avoid worrying you’ll miss your flight due to transport problems, is to simply stay at the airport the night before your flight.
If you book in advance then most airport hotels are a reasonable price. I’m particularly fond of the Premier Inn at Gatwick North Terminal. In the past I’ve used the handy bus to go into Crawley the night before my flight. I catch a movie, have a meal, and enjoy some cocktails. Then in the morning just roll out of bed, grab a coffee, and head to the terminal completely stress free.
(Just don’t relax so much you oversleep and miss your flight!)
Timing Truths
The general advice your airline will give you, is to arrive at least two hours before your departure time. However, if it’s an afternoon/evening flight I advise you arrive in plenty of time (my magic number is 4 hours before departure time) so you can’t miss your flight.
There are plenty of things you can do to entertain yourself at the airport. Have a meal, shop, get a manicure, read a book, or simply plug in and watch Netflix on your phone. Waiting doesn’t have to be dull, and alleviating anxiety from the get go means you’ll be relaxed and ready for your adventure.
(If you’re feeling particularly fancy, why not treat yourself to a place in the airport lounge? There are some great deals available so you can relax in style!)
There are also some time saving tricks you can adopt to make getting to the gate as stress free as possible:
Check in online
Most airlines allow you to check in early online, and download your boarding pass to your phone. This means no queuing at the desk, and you can head straight to bag drop off or security.
Be Security Ready
If you are taking a carry on bag onto the plane, get it security ready before you leave for the airport. Put any liquids in a separate bag (or an airport approved clear plastic bag if you have one!) and make sure they are under 100ml. Keep laptops, tablets, and e-readers accessible as they will need removing to go through the scanner.
And check the list of restricted items before you pack.
If you need help being a Packing Pro then check out my ultimate guide to maximising your carry on luggage here!
Also, don’t wear jewellery or belts that set off metal detectors, and make sure you can kick your shoes off easily. Whilst you hopefully won’t need to rush through security so you don’t miss your flight, being able to get through quickly if necessary is a good idea.
Airline Apps
Most airlines now have their own apps, and by allowing notifications, you’ll get gate information and departure alerts on your phone. This means if you are having to rush to not miss your flight, you’ll have all the information you need in the palm of your hand. No need to look around for departure boards!
I highly recommend downloading the app for your airline and familiarising yourself with it before you travel.
The EasyJet App for example has not only your boarding pass loaded, but updates with live departure information. So you’ll never have to stare up at those gate information boards again! Just remember to turn on notifications!
Arriving Late
Despite all your plans and best efforts, sometimes things don’t turn out the way to intend. So this is what happens if you arrive late to the airport.
If you make it to the airport before the gate closes, your priority must be getting through security as quickly as possible.
Let the airline staff know you’ve arrived, even if you’ve already checked in online. They will be able to get you to the front of the security queue and to the gate.
Be polite, apologetic, and sincere. You are not the first person who have arrived late for a flight, and you won’t be the last. The airline staff will help you as best they can, and your appreciation of their help will go a long way to getting you the help you need.
Missing your flight
Once you know you aren’t going to make it to the airport on time, you need to call your airline ASAP. There are options open to you, and things can still work out okay.
If you can arrive within two hours of your flights departure, your airline will try to get you on the next available flight at no additional charge.
There is a much better chance of getting put on standby for the next flight if you are proactive. Call the local number for your airline (usually found on the airport website) as this will get you through to the right people much quicker.
If the next flight isn’t until tomorrow, you will have to either pay to stay in a hotel at the airport, or go home and try again tomorrow.
Whilst the situation is frustrating, it doesn’t have to be anxiety inducing. So long as you are making the effort to get to the airport, you almost certainly will get put on the next flight.
Learning how to cope with the unexpected is a big part of the travel experience, so don’t let fear stand in your way. Thinking I was going to miss my flight was not fun, and I suffered the after effects of anxiety for a couple of days. But I now know what would happen, and have been able to share that info with you!
In the future I’ll be sure to take my own advice, and hopefully avoid a more dramatic stumble!
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