Knowing that you’re about to miss your flight is a highly stressful experience. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, the plane takes off without us, and even the most prepared and avid flyers can’t avoid it. The whole ordeal can become even more devastating when you know you missed your flight with little or no fault of your own.
As it happened to this woman, who didn’t make her departure because her sister left to run errands and left her daughter with her. Because of this, she had to get on a new flight, which cost her thousands of dollars. Since it was technically the parents’ fault, she demanded compensation, which stirred up quite the drama.
Missing your flight can be an even more devastating experience when you know it wasn’t your fault
Image credits: LightFieldStudios / envato (not the actual photo)
As it happened with this woman, who had to miss her flight because of her sister’s poor time management
Image credits: Darya Tryfanava / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Lanky-Let-726
Around 2% to 8% of passengers miss their flight
Around 2% to 8% of passengers miss their flight. This comes to about 710,000 to 2,840,000 plane rides that people don’t make per year. Often, they fail to depart due to serious and unavoidable reasons like illness, traffic, car issues, losing a passport, forgetting something at home, long lines, delays and other sorts of incidents.
However, sometimes people don’t make their flight for totally ridiculous reasons, like oversleeping or participating in social media trends like ‘airport theory.’ The viral method suggests that if you arrive at the airport just 15 to 20 minutes before boarding or departure, only with a carry-on and online check-in, you can still successfully make your flight. It questions whether the routine 2-3 hour arrival at the airport is really necessary. As expected, this increased the missed flight numbers, and many people have advised against hopping onto this trend.
In any case, if you missed your flight, there are ways to fix the problem and be on your way to your destination. The first thing to do when you sense you might miss your flight is to contact your airline immediately. The sooner they know about you being late, the more options they have to remedy it. Informing the airline before departure can increase your chances of getting rebooked onto the next flight free of charge. If you’re lucky and manage to convince them you had a serious enough reason not to make it onto the flight.
Not only does this allow the airline to resell the ticket and avoid losing profit, but it also could help you save money, as some flights are very expensive. In case you can’t contact the airline in advance, Peter Vlitas, a senior vice president for airline relations at Travel Leaders Group, has additional recommendations.
“If you are at the counter, be polite, explain why you are late,” she advised. “Was the airport exit congested? Did it take too long to get to the counter? Make the case that you were late as a function of trying to get to the airport or counter or running to the gate.”
These cases are called ‘flat-tire rules’ that some airlines honor and can accommodate passengers because of them. However, usually, if you’re not convincing enough and you missed the flight entirely by your fault, receiving a refund or other kind of compensation isn’t really an option.
For the hero of this story to make her flight, all she had to do was set some boundaries
Image credits: Getty Images / envato (not the actual photo)
For the hero of this story to make her flight, it seems that all she had to do was set some boundaries with her sister and refuse the babysitting request. But as we all know, that is easier said than done, so our previously interviewed expert had some tips on how to establish limits, particularly when it comes to childcare favors for family.
The most important thing to understand is that saying ‘no’ to something is completely fine. It’s actually one of the ways boundaries are established. However, it has to be done in a way that doesn’t hurt your relationships with others.
“Healthy boundaries are all about being clear and kind. That means sharing what you’re comfortable with—how often you’re able to help, what kind of notice you need, and what your energy allows. It’s perfectly okay to say no, or to say yes with limits,” said Catherine O’Brien, licensed marriage and family therapist and author at Happy With Baby, in a previous interview with Bored Panda.
“The key is to communicate those boundaries early and respectfully. Strong families thrive on mutual respect—not obligation—and when everyone’s needs are acknowledged, relationships tend to thrive.”
One tool that O’Brien suggests trying with her clients to help set boundaries easier is the Gottman Method’s ‘soft startup.’ “It’s a way to begin a tough conversation with kindness and clarity. You might say something like, ‘I care so much about you and the kids, and I truly want to be supportive. Right now, though, I just can’t take on babysitting. But I’d love to help brainstorm other options together,’” she explained.
“This kind of approach keeps the relationship intact while gently asserting your boundary. It’s also important to remember that many parents are under a lot of pressure—so even just offering emotional support or helping them think through alternatives can make a meaningful difference,” she concluded.
Some commenters supported the original poster
While others were apprehensive of hers and even her sister’s behaviors
