Even the most carefully prepared passengers can be caught out once in a while and unfortunately miss their flight, especially with the mayhem that has been well-documented at many airport security gates. If you find yourself on the wrong side of the departure gate at East Midlands Airport, your rights depend on why you arrived late.
As reported by Derbyshire Live, the first step you should take after missing a flight is to contact the relevant airline, either in person at the airport or by phone. Staff will be able to talk you through your options and give you information about how to catch the next available plane.
It is always best to inform the airline of issues as early as possible. But if, for whatever reason, you end up missing your plane on the day, there are still options available.
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I missed my flight and it was my fault
Not being able to make a flight because you overslept or travelled to the wrong airport are not reasonable excuses for your airline to put you on the next flight free of charge, according to holiday company TravelSupermarket. Booking onto a later plane will either cost the full ticket amount again or a "missed departure" fee, depending on the airline.
Travel insurers will not pay out without a valid reason, which those listed previously are not. A successful claim will require you to provide evidence that you did everything in your control to get to the gate on time.
I missed my flight because of an event outside my control
Suffering a flat tyre on the journey to the airport is a nightmare – and thankfully airlines are usually more understanding in these kinds of situations, where events are occurring outside of your control. Try to call up as soon as possible to inform them of any issues.
TravelSupermarket says there are many stories of holidaymakers who managed politely to negotiate their way on to a flight for little or no extra fee. Travel insurers will likely see a situation such as this as a valid reason for a successful claim.
I missed my flight because of queues at security
Long security queues have become commonplace at many UK airports this season as post-Covid staff shortages impact waiting times. Airlines are not liable to refund you if you are delayed reaching the departure gate because of queues, despite how frustrating this can be.
Passengers may be able to argue that the airport is at fault for them missing their flight, according to consumer group Which?. However, successfully getting reimbursed would "almost certainly" require going to court.
In these circumstances, it is worth checking the terms of your travel insurance as you may be protected. They could argue that you should have arrived at the airport earlier to allow for delays.
