[EU_Flyer]

What about if you miss a flight due to airport issues beyond your control? Congestion at security or immigration or a gate located in a remote part of the terminal quite far from security? Who is to blame then?

[rferguson]

[quote quote=986653]What about if you miss a flight due to airport issues beyond your control? Congestion at security or immigration or a gate located in a remote part of the terminal quite far from security? Who is to blame then?[/quote]

I think that’s why airlines ‘recommend’ customers arrive at most departure airports two hours before their flight. Some people interpret ‘check in closes at XX’ as the time they should arrive at the airport.

It’s just common sense to build in buffer time. There are so many variables that can make ‘cutting it to the minimum’ a risky strategy. Transport delays getting to the airport. Security/immigration crowds. Previous disruption leading to previous cancellations and increased passenger numbers and what not.

I don’t understand why people are willing to get themselves into a frenzied stressful state for the sake of saving 30-60 minutes.

I’ve been doing my weekly commute to LHR for about twenty years now. It takes me 45 minutes door to door from my home to T5. I NEVER leave home less than 90minutes before I need to be there. And (touch wood) in all those years i’ve only been late and missed my flight once.

[stevescoots]

I always target to get at airport 2 hrs before check in closes, even if i have already printed my own boarding pass. even with that i have missed 2 flights and had to run for a couple over the years due to traffic delays

1 user thanked author for this post.

alainboy56

[GivingupBA]

[postquote quote=986670][/postquote]

Me too, Steve. I’m always very early, because I hate rushing, being late, and stress. I just enjoy my time waiting in the airport, reading, relaxing, having a drink and a bite to eat. No hurry from me.

But once, in pre-Internet days, thanks to a series of travel mishaps, I arrived at an Indian airport at the exact flight departure time, e.g. I walked in at 10 AM for a 10 AM flight……. And unknown to me there was a 4-hour flight delay (technical issues). I got the flight.

[canucklad]

Hi eperakis
Unfortunately your downfall was off your own making and although you feel let down by Emirates not reaching your high expectations I’d reply to your EK’s riposte and keep your fingers crossed

My best advice for future, over and above what others have bluntly mentioned is to try and remain charming and pleasant with whomever you’re dealing with.

You might not get exactly what you want, but if you’re nice to them, they’ll be more likely to reciprocate in kind and do what they can within their remit.

Good luck on the rest of your travels

[capetonianm]

My best advice for future ……… is to try and remain charming and pleasant with whomever you’re dealing with.

When I worked in public facing positions for airlines we would always go the extra mile for passengers who were respectful, at least. Not for those who were smooth and smarmy, just polite at least.
I always try to remember in dealings with people that it is not them I’m annoyed with, it’s the company. There’s no point in being aggressive to people at the bottom end, complaints need to be addressed to the top levels.

[eperakis]

[postquote quote=986645][/postquote]

You are right, it’s up to the customer. But as I mentioned, it was the heaviest rainfall Dubai has seen in the last years, half of the flights were routed away that day. The annoying thing is not that I didn’t catch the flight but the whole ‘we did everything we could’ attitude, while they didn’t even try. They could simply suggest me to fly without my luggage as I was already checked in and had over an hour. Emirates Airlines is for me on my black list.

[Author]

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