Do you have any sympathy with people who turn up late for flights?

Question

Just watching the Airport program here and it seems that people who turn up late seem to think it's the fault of the airline and start to kick off or turn on the water works.

When the airline says be there 2 hours before and they turn up after the check-in has closed, should they be let on the flight?

I have mixed feelings about Ryanair who the pogramme is based around, i can't ever imagine flying with them because they sometimes seem to be awkward for the sake of it.
However, the staff do seem to have some right scumbags, drunks and really nasty people to deal with every day.

Personally i think they are bang right to stop people travelling when late when we have all the security problems we have, or the 'i know i'm wrong but going to kick off anyway' attutude of some customers.

Answer 1

Passengers always want to blame the airline. Passengers always want something for free or something for nothing. Airlines can be 5 minutes delayed, yet passengers are asking for free tickets or some type of compensation. It's basically because they hear friends talking about all the free stuff they got because of a delay or something that happened.

Airlines have guidelines to compensation that is given based on the delay.

If you are a late arriving passenger then no, we don't have much sympathy... On a personal level, I will help you the best I can, but I will not hold the aircraft for you. Some people want that, yes really. Otherwise, I will do my best for you.

Answer 2

Until last year I would have said no, I work for a travel agents and the amount of people that turn up late for flights is incredible plus I live on an island where the furthest point from the airport is one hour away so there is no excuse.... However, last year when I booked my flights to escape I had to get two flights (oh the joy of no direct flights to the UK) and I left 3 1/2 hours between the two as I had to take off luggage and re check in unfortunately the company that I was taking the connecting flight with moved the flight forward an hour and then my flight was delayed by an hour and a half so as it was I was still in the air 15 mins before check in was due to shut (panicking and cursing the airline - I had asked their opinion and they had said I would make it no problem) Fortunately for me with a lot of running (I had to change terminals as well) I got to the check in one min before it was due to close and the very very nice and understanding check in staff held the check in for ten minutes as my other half was collecting the luggage and running over! In my case I think my genuine please please I will love you for ever attitude helped and I have seen the same attitude work in different airports but for the people who turn up with the whole I am only 5 mins late and you aren't taking off yet then no I can see why it doesn't. Why should the people who turn up on time wait for those who are late unless it is genuine and if it is then nine times out of ten you can either claim on travel insurance or the airline will believe you!!

Answer 3

I have some sympathy as I always leave early so as to have plenty of time for check in etc... but twice I was stuck in a traffic jam in the M25 for four hours, a few miles out from Heathrow. Also I have been in airports where there are not enough check in staff and queues are a mile long, or other passengers have enormous piles of luggage and the wrong paperwork, therefore holding everybody up. You can also get picked on several times by security staff if you are travelling alone.On one occasion, I got searched three times at JFK...before a return flight to UK. ( I am female, tall, blue eyed, fair-haired and was fifty-six at the time...Clearly a prospective terrorist)
Irrespective of this, if a flight is due to leave at a certain time, it should do so.
What I really object to is people who have checked in and when their flight is announced do not go to the gate...There are several calls made specifically for them and still they don't turn up. Then one has to wait for their luggage to be unloaded from the hold, the plane misses its scheduled slot for take off........More waiting...

Answer 4

Without sounding harsh no. People know what time they need to get to check in, especially because of TV programmes like airport and airline. So it's not difficult to work out how long it will take to get to the airport, and allow a little longer incase of traffic probs etc.
Airlines shut check in at a certain time for a good reason, not to annoy people. People who are late should not be allowed to check in even if they are only 2mins late, as airlines need a cut off point.

Answer 5

Amazing how it's never their fault. They know the flight times. BE THERE ON TIME. It's not that hard.
Whenever I fly, I'm always there early, book in, grab a coffee. Board the plane wait for take off. If the plane sat and waited for other passengers because they're running late, that would then make a whole plane load of passengers become late for connecting flights and/or people meeting them at their destinations.
It is much better for those late passengers to miss their flight, then for 2 or 3 hundred passengers to be late for their commitments.

Answer 6

I think that people who are late should not get on the flight. They are told to be there 2 hours before take off yet you see them (on the airline prog) turning up 2 mins before take off.
A few mins late is OK but 2 hours late? There is no excuse.
A bus or train would not wait for late passengers so neither should a plane.

Answer 7

Every rule has it's exception and someone might have a sufficiently good reason for not making the flight on time. So yes, I have sympathy for those few folk, but only those ones and not EVERY person who shows up late.

My having sympathy for any of them doesn't mean I feel the flight should be delayed to accommodate them, however. Unless there is good reason for them catching that flight, such as that they are donating a kidney to someone who needs it asap, then they shouldn't inconvenience others simply to convenience themselves. The other people on the flight have things to do and places to get, also.

Answer 8

Nope none at all!! I alway get to the airport waaaaaaay in advance and then just sit waiting so why shouldn't they?? I love when they are late on that show and then get so angry because they are only late because of traffic!! Funny how the rest of passangers on the plane managed to plan for traffic.

I think they are awkward for the sake of it (Ryanair staff) but I also think it would be very dificult not to let it upset you when people who cannot manage time blame you for their ignorance. But let's face it, those late passangrs make the show worth watching, god I love that show!!

Answer 9

absolutely not, their boarding pass says be here at this time and come X hours early for security reasons. I do feel bad when people have certain reasons i.e. medical ect, but when they got waisted at a bar and just realized that their flight was departing in 5 minutes then that is thier fault and i feel so sorry for the ground staff who have to handle them

Answer 10

Absolutely not if they live in town! If it's a connecting flight then the airline has a responsibility to do something for them, seeing that some of these airports are so huge and one can easily get lost in them.