Ever missed your flight? [Archive]

Anansis

15th Nov 2009, 01:56

I frequently travel short haul in Europe and South East Asia. I'm not a fan of waiting around at airports so I usually check in online and arrive at the airport as late as I dare leave it. I'm usually okay but I have come unstuck a few times. My question is this. What do different airlines do if you miss your departure? I know easyjet will allow you to fly on the next available flight if you pay a flat fee of £43 but what about the rest? Loco and legacy, long haul and short haul?

The reason I ask is because recently I missed a ryanair flight from BHX-PRA by five minutes (ironically after leaving plenty of time to get to the airport!). The ground staff told me that if I wanted to travel to Prague the next day I would have to pay the full price fare. Apparently this has something to do with the introduction of online check in- once you have checked in there's nothing they can do. Is this true? If so why?

I fly with lots of different airlines so if anyone knows the policies of different airlines regarding late passengers I would really appreciate hearing from you. I would also be interested to hear any stories you might have regarding turning up late for flights.

If I may offer one of my own stories, a few years ago I was traveling HKG-BKK with Orient Thai. The ticket agent in Bangkok wrote the wrong departure time on my ticket and upon turning up at the airport for the return leg, I discovered that the flight was due to depart in twenty minutes! In the end the ground staff escorted me through security with ALL of my baggage (liquids and all :eek:) and I had to carry my 'checked' baggage with me in the cabin. Shocking I know, but it did make for a quick exit after immigration in Bangkok! :E I doubt they would have been so accommodating if it was my fault though...

stepwilk

15th Nov 2009, 03:06

Back in the old days (the early '70s), my secretary told me I was on SAS Flight 600 at 9 p.m., JFK to Stockholm, first class. She actually told me I was on Flight 900 at 6 p.m., but I mis-heard her.

Missed the flight, of course, since I got to Kennedy at about 7:30, but it turned out there actually was a 9 p.m. SAS to Stockholm. Everybody at JFK who'd arrived early to board it was put onto the 6 p.m. flight, since a hurricane was approaching and SAS predicted that the 9 p.m. flight would never get off the ground. SAS of course put me on the later flight.

Well, it did take off, and I was the sole passenger in first class. Got a lightning strike on climb-out that blew a small hole in the 747's radome (which of course was about four feet in front of me), but I spent the entire trip being waited on hand and foot by eight or nine beautiful Nordics and all the food and drink they could ply me with. I do remember a side of smoked salmon about the size of a tuna, but as I say, it was The Old Days.

BOAC4ME

15th Nov 2009, 05:25

This might sound obvious but it is what it boils down to, it very much depends on the 'quality' of the carrier, and by that I mean service.

Some low-cost carriers will charge you a missed departure fee, and the difference in fare between your original flight and the one which you are transfering to (usually more expensive due to being last minute), however some low costs charge full fare even if you just miss check in.

Charter Airlines / Tour Operators will usually reprotect you onto their next flight for approx £100 per seat, or onto another charter airline that is in the 'mutual aid' agreement for around the same price.

With full service scheduled Airlines there are 22 (at my last count) different ticket classes (some which are basically the same) and those fares have different rules as to what you can and cant do with them. For instance J class would usually allow you to transfer onto the next flight FOC, and to make changes FOC in advance. Q class would be the equivalent of a low cost ticket, and no changes are permitted and is not transferable.

Basically, with a few exceptions it boils down to like pretty much everything in life, you get what you pay for. Low cost is great but by the very virtue of the business model you will not get anything for nothing if you pay £10 return, however if you purchase a Singapore Airlines Biz class ticket for £2500 return, then you will.

tezzer

15th Nov 2009, 07:24

I'm afraid that I am at the opposite end of the spectrum. If check in opens at -2hrs then I am there at -2hrs and 5 mins if at all possible. I usually check in on line, but it makes no difference, I am alaways there WELL ahead of time. Drives my wife mad, so thats a bonus.

However in 15 years of doinf probably 100+ sectors / year, I haven;t missed one.

I have however spent an eternity sitting in airports, but thats another story.

Coquelet

15th Nov 2009, 11:33

From Ryanair "Travel questions" :

Passengers arriving late at the boarding gate will not be accepted for travel. For travel on a later flight, you will be required to purchase a new ticket at the applicable fare

Gassy

15th Nov 2009, 16:16

Tezzer, Im the same as you. And havent missed a flight yet.

Although, Im quite happy to spend an hour sat in a bar having a drink and breakfast/lunch/dinner whatever.

But it helps that I only fly about 14-20 sectors a year. If i flew more than that, as most of you on here do.......I expect I would be trying to cut down my airport time.

I agree with the comments above about what you pay is what you get in this situation. Look at it like buying a car.........Buy a 1 year old BMW from a BMW dealer, expect full help when the exhaust falls off a week later. Buy it from a private seller for 5k less out the classifieds......expect a different service. Bit of a strange comparison I know.

HandyAndy

15th Nov 2009, 16:23

Travelling independently, I usually get to the airport with at least an hour to spare. Last Monday travelling HKG-CEB on CX, we arrived at the airport -40mins :eek:

I took the family (wife + 4 kids) plus a neighbour and child to HKG for 4 days whilst I was working there. The thought of all that checked in luggage makes me break out in a sweat remembering it := .

Cheapest Y fare and we were moved to the head of check-in and rushed through. We were lucky the queue at security was not too long and the gate wasn't miles away and we got on board -10mins.

We were billeted at an airport hotel and I begged 'er indoors not to go to TST and Central at midday (bearing in mind our flight was at 1600hrs), it was just too tight. She wouldn't hear of it and off she went with the friend and 5 kids. They had to get a taxi back to the airport where I met them with steam coming from my ears :ugh:.

Cathay were nothing short of terrific. I think it just boils down to the quality of the carrier and staff and airline loyalty. I admit I do have a gold card with CX and that will have helped. 12 hours after arriving home, I was on the next flight out of CEB to HKG again with a connection to SFO (which was more than in my mind whilst waiting for the troops at the airport the day before.

greggx101

15th Nov 2009, 16:32

Missed a Virgin flight from LAX to LHR once due to LA traffic.

They simply put me on standby for later flight the same day - no charge, no problem.

jethrobee

15th Nov 2009, 17:18

I am usually anal about getting there early, why not enjoy the lounge and relax a bit.

I have never missed a flight, although the closest I have come is 3 times in Frankfurt airport. Mainly due to local guys I work with underestimating the traffic to the airport on a Friday afternoon.

One of these times I was actually able to get to the gate as they were giving my seat to a standby passenger... fortunately they let me go.

ex-XL-in-exile

15th Nov 2009, 18:24

I think I've posted this before, but two friends of mine were away on a lads' break to Tenerife with MON from Manchester. One of my friend's passports was deemed (quite rightly, it was a real dog's dinner) to be unacceptable and they were refused.

However, a top effort from MON to accomodate them. They sent my pals packing off to Liverpool for a new passport and kept in regular phone contact about flight options later in the day.

My pals eventually got sorted, returned to Manchester and were sent up and away on the 6pm-ish flight. No charge.

A corking story which always makes me feel that Monarch are up there with the very best British carriers. And no, I don't work for them.

Eboy

16th Nov 2009, 03:03

I arrive at the airport way early and go to the lounge. Not to relax, but to work. Fewer disturbances than at the office or home for finishing reports or other writing projects.

anotherglassofwine

16th Nov 2009, 08:59

missed 4 so far this year. Don't have the luxury of time
Most recent was LGW - had to fork out 300 euro for a ticket back to Dub with BA 2 hours later :mad:

1DC

16th Nov 2009, 09:31

Arrived late into LAX from Oz one day with a connection to Houston.Lady at the transfer desk refused to check us in and said we had to get ourselves and our bags to the departure terminal. We managed it and were told we were too late to board, by 2 minutes. I then noticed the flight was due to depart 10 minutes earlier than was stated on our tickets when this was pointed out Continental fast tracked us and we and our bags caught the flight..

racedo

16th Nov 2009, 10:00

A few LCC ones but one T/A I was very close.

Flying PHX-DFW-LON and booked the 1st sector to give me a couple of hours in DFW, course the 1st sector flight was delayed by couple of hours so ended up running like hell through Terminal, staff had already finished all checks and door had just been shut. They looked and asked me are you X and which poiint in time produced ticket and passport, door open and got on board, crew already standing to do safety briefings.

Someone had pinched allocated seat and F/A was asking him to move but as I saw flight was half full with lots of seats I told guy to stay where he was as he looked comfortable and I will find another seat.

F/A on final checks stopped and said thanks for not making an issue as pax in my allocated seat had been difficult earlier and he would have started again, did get looked after well on the flight though.

PAXboy

16th Nov 2009, 19:30

One afternoon in the late 80s, I was doing a taxi dash to LCY with my American boss to go to the Paris office. LCY was new and traffic from the City was total. I was fretting about missing the flight and he said: "Sod's Law is in operation. Since there is no urgency to catch this flight [the meeting was the next morning and there were alternative flights] we will make it. If the meeting was this evening and we had no flexibility - then we would miss it."
:p
He was right! We made the flight.

G-BPED

16th Nov 2009, 21:43

During the last 12 years of flying on business I have had 2 occasions of possibly missing my flight.

1) July 2009. Arrived at LHR T5 -25mins (accident on M25) for CDG flight. No luggage but, fell foul of the "conformance" criteria. BA put me on the next flight, no fee due to flexible ticket.

2) October 2009. Mis-read flight times and arrived for Air Malta flight MLA-FCO (luggage to check-in) at -15mins. Given boarding pass and advised to "walk fast" I made the flight and, so did my bags. Thanks KM.

I generally try to arrive in plenty of time but, on these 2 occasions I dropped the "ball" but, with differing results.

Tinwacker

22nd Nov 2009, 09:24

How do we do it.....

Wife and I arrived early for our afternoon flight from HKG to LHR on CX.
I know where the gate is plenty of time to sit and have the extra coffee.
Strolled to the gate indicator to find gate at the other end of the terminal and required to use the train. Panic now setting in and on arriving at the gate with lots of nice people holding placards for silly pax found our bags were being offloaded...

CX were very good in the circumstances with no fuss and immediately rebooked us onto the next flight that evening. Very good as it was my fault and did I get an ear bashing from HER..:=

TW

Capot

22nd Nov 2009, 10:24

40 years of catching flights about once every 14 days, on average, has taught me that to be in a traffic jam in a car, bus or taxi, or on a delayed connecting flight, or in a delayed train with an hour in hand is totally stress-free. So I always leave for the airport with an hour or early, if I haven't stayed overnight within a mile or so of it.

It's Risk Assessment time:-

Leaving without allowing for delays - risk is total loss of flight, return home, buy new ticket perhaps, lose money, trip and meetings disrupted.

Leaving with allowance for delays - risk is 60 minutes extra in departure lounge and cost of extra coffee. Possible risk of additional shopping cost with Mrs C if she has come too, but not if one obtains her card and hides it........... "Oh dear, did you leave it behind?".

It's a no-brainer. But she still hates it and invariably complains if we arrive too early. This is not changed but exacerbated by me reminding her that travelling on her own she has missed several flights.

FN-GM

22nd Nov 2009, 19:52

I have never missed a flight, i am always keen to be there before checkin open just in case.

My Parents have only missed one flight that happened to be Quants Flight 72 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_72) - Good job they missed it.

IRRenewal

22nd Nov 2009, 20:07

anotherglassofwine wrote:

missed 4 so far this year. Don't have the luxury of time

All depends what price you put on your own time.

Most recent was LGW - had to fork out 300 euro for a ticket back to Dub with BA 2 hours later

Few of us would put THAT kind of price on our own time. For the sake of being maybe 15 minutes earlier you could have saved 300 euro. That equates to 1200 euro an hour for 'not having the luxury of time'. Luckily you seem to have the luxury of excess money.

Anansis

22nd Nov 2009, 21:50

Cheers guys. Some interesting (and highly amusing!) responses. For me personally, the value of time is not just a literal monetary issue- its also about quality of life. I usually do around 50 sectors a year (a little less at the moment as I'm in my final year of university). Turning up two hours before departure as opposed to an hour before equates to around 50 hours a year. That's over two whole days every year!!! I don't want to get all spiritual but our time is limited and I'd much rather spend those extra two days a year doing something other than waiting around in an airport. In fact, when the airlines first introduced online check in, that's how they marketed it.

Most recent was LGW - had to fork out 300 euro for a ticket back to Dub with BA 2 hours later Thats quite shocking. If it were easyjet you would (probably) have paid much less for your ticket in the first place and would only have had to pay £43 to get on the next available flight. Neither airlines serve free food and both charge for seat selection (easyjet speedy boarding/ BA online). At the risk of instigating thread drift, what exactly is the benefit of flying BA short haul? Are they perhaps more lenient on routes where they compete with easyjet?

All in all there seems to be little consistency with airlines responses to late pax. I know ticket class is a factor but it doesn't explain everything. Do ground staff maybe have an element of discretion? Is it maybe 'luck of the draw' but with certain airlines such as CX being more lenient due to a different corporate culture that is more customer orientated?

Solar

23rd Nov 2009, 01:15

Not exactly loco but I recently returned from San Diego and when I tried the self check in I found the flight had departed, I was a day late!!!!!!.
United check in staff very helpfull and put me on that days flight at no cost. When I got to Heathrow the Air Lingus transfer desk said there would be a charge but she couldn't get the appropiate person on the phone so she let me go again with no extra cost. As someone else has said depends on who you fly with.

BOAC4ME

23rd Nov 2009, 08:47

In terms of acceptance after check-in closure time this is bound to be inconsistant, but not due to different airlines neccesarily but each individual circumstance operationally.

As you know there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in order to 'turn' an Aircraft, you might turn up late on monday but the A/C is running slightly late in which case the dispatcher has not started/filed his/ her paperwork so you may be accepted.

Then you turn up late on tuesday at exactly the same time with a different airline, but the A/C was in early and everything is done and ready, as soon as the check-in closes, exact male/female/bag breakdown will be used to FINALISE the loadsheet, in this instance the dispatcher probably wouldnt do an LMC.

To you that would understandably appear inconsistant, but there is a reason for everything that happens.

The only thing that impacts on acceptance after 'positive close out' from a different Airline perspective, is certain low-cost carriers, you know who you are ha ha, wont accept pax who are late under ANY circumstances in order to get you back to their ticket desk and buy another ticket.

As for other Airlines charging a great deal of money on the day, well thats just business im afraid, you need to get somewhere and they can offer you a seat, in short you need them more than they need you, so they charge accordingly.

I suppose the only way to make it consistant would be a uniform all airline policy of zero tolerance of acceptance of PAX after closing time, personally I would rather it appear inconsistant, the amount of PAX who are accepted when they have no 'right' to be has always amazed me, as it creates much more work and stress, but circumstances dictate you wont always be that lucky. :ok:

anotherglassofwine

23rd Nov 2009, 09:43

"Few of us would put THAT kind of price on our own time. For the sake of being maybe 15 minutes earlier you could have saved 300 euro. That equates to 1200 euro an hour for 'not having the luxury of time'. Luckily you seem to have the luxury of excess money."

Excess money - I wish that were the case. I'm trying to get a startup off it's feet in the middle of a recession. Every second of every trip I take at the moment has to be utilised to the max. In the example of missing my flight at LGW - the extra 5 minutes I had with a potential investor secured their signature. Offset against that, 300 euro with BA was nothing.
At the moment I am travelling perhaps once or twice a week. Out of my last 40 flights I have missed 4 - I just can't justify paying the extra for flexi fares every time I travel.

JTG

23rd Nov 2009, 09:46

Get to airport early have a seat at the gate. Wake up and everyone and the plane is gone.:confused: Last flight out and stuck for the night in St. Louis.

racedo

23rd Nov 2009, 12:56

Get to airport early have a seat at the gate. Wake up and everyone and the plane is gone.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/confused.gif Last flight out and stuck for the night in St. Louis.

Thats where using mobile phone's alarm clock comes in handy, have been in that situation where sheer tiredness meant couldn't guarantee being awake, after a while people get so annoyed with phone they wake you up just to shut it off just before ready to board.

Rush2112

25th Nov 2009, 02:46

Only ever missed one flight: returning from Paris on my first ever overseas business trip. I asked the office whether I needed to book a cab from the hotel to CDG for the following morning, to be advised oh no need, just get on the RER, it only takes 30 mins. All the other visitors from HO just do that.

Of course, halfway to CDG and the train grinds to a halt and sits in the tunnel for an hour due to some industrial (in)action. I arrive just as the gate is closed and have to purchase a single ticket which, IIRC, was about twice the price of the original ticket.

I had extreme amounts of p!ss extracted back in the office for months after that.

Now I am at the other extreme, always always always far too early, and enjoy the free food and drink in the lounges!

Load Toad

25th Nov 2009, 04:08

I've missed flights due to late connections. The first time it happened and I was very fresh of the boat I got to Heathrow and missed the flt to Manchester. I called my mate who was my boss at that time and said 'What th' F do I do now?'
'Are you standing in the middle of the domestic departure area?'
'Yeah.'
'Turn around 180o - what do you see?'
'Er - a bar...just the bar..?'
'Yeah - well go and get some beers down you whilst you wait for the next flight.'
'Sorted - ta!'

The only other time was in JKT & after a Friday night going to the finest (..well actually..) places in town I was so sakit scali I not only missed the flight to Singapore I missed the next day.

kingston_toon

25th Nov 2009, 10:56

I usually allow 1 hour when I've checked-in online, and two hours where I have to check-in at the airport.

I'm yet to miss a flight (well, except by sleeping in by five hours after a really heavy night out but that was my own fault!). However, I came close at Stockholm Skavsta airport last year. Most people probably take the direct coach to / from the centre of Stockholm, but me being me, I chose to use the train via Nykoping. It was a holiday period and Swedish Railways were running a reduced service, although this wasn't a problem as I found trains which tied up nicely. On the way back, the ticket vending machine wouldn't give me a seat reservation, which I initially found a bit odd, but then I forgot about it and popped off to a pub for a final pint. Returning to the station 10 minutes before departure, I found the train, and squeezed on. It was PACKED... all the seats taken, and hundreds of standees, but no different really to trains here in the peak. However, departure time came and went, and I started to worry when we still hadn't moved 20 minutes later. Eventually, there was an announcement (in Swedish) and all standing passengers started to grumble, swear and move. I asked someone, and they said the train crew had refused to take the train out as it was too busy. Therefore, everyone without a seat had to get off and wait for the next train, two hours later! ARGH!

To cut a long story short, a lot of people refused to get off, and eventually they were "encouraged" to do so by the local police. The train was being prepared for departure 45 minutes late (already tight for my flight) and I was begging the conductor to let me on, else I'd be stranded. At the last second, after he blew the whistle, he opened the back cab door and pretty much pushed me in, climbed in himself, and off we went. I was the only person who had not originally had a seat to travel, and to cap it all had a great view out the back cab window and spent the journey chatting to the conductor.

Made it to Skavsta 25 mins before departure, and was last on the plane :)

Malaysian28

27th Nov 2009, 10:43

I Missed an Emirates flight from Kuala Lumper once.
I was in the hotel on a tuesday night looking at some travel docs seeing my homewardbound flight leaving on Wednesday at 00:10 looking a my watch it was 23:50 Tuesday.

The Airport was over 2 hours drive away.
You might be able to work out the rest.

3 Nights in KLIA was Rough.

smala01

28th Nov 2009, 01:13

A warning to all who print their own boarding passes...

Although this has not happened to myself i have seen on 3 separate occasions (Gatwick) people missing their flight because their on-line printed boarding pass did not scan at the security gate.

It appeared on two occasions the easyjet/Ryanair bar code was simply absent from the document, and on the third occasion the bar code could not be read at the security checkpoint.

Despite protests security flatly refused to accommodate and sent them to the check in desk with prospect of another 1 hour Q.

On another occasion in Istanbul the whole plane had to check-in as the airport equipment was broken to scan the home-made passes.

I have personally witnessed these incidents over the last 12months so i assume this must be quite a common problem!

My Own Rules for online checkin

O Arrive with enough free time to be able to traditionally check-in should an issue arise.
O Try and print your boarding pass with a laser printer
O Keep the boarding pass (at least the barcode) free from creases
O Ensure a barcode is actually printed on the document

Smala01

Johnny F@rt Pants

28th Nov 2009, 08:40

I've missed dozens, literally, over the years. My best effort was to miss 3 out of 4 in one holiday:\.

I was also once booked on a flight from Heathrow To Paris CDG, not only did I miss the one I was booked on, but I missed the next 5 available:eek: I was that late.

Willum4a

30th Nov 2009, 11:16

The only time I ever missed a flight was entirely due to a computer induced brain failure. I'd put the flight times, allowing for the time zones, into my PDA before leaving home, then on arrival in foreign parts I set the 'visiting' which put it in the local time, GMT+2. What I didn't realise was that it also applied the time difference to the local time I'd entered. So ... when we arrived at the check in desk to come home, I was asked to wave at the aircraft departing the stand, as it was the one we should have been on! :uhoh:
Ive been flying for years with times scratched on a fag packet, never missed one, but modern technology got me.
After 5 years I still havent lived it down.

Cunliffe

30th Nov 2009, 12:23

A bit OT but my wife arrived at St Pancras on the Eurostar last week with an hour to wait for her connection northwards. Needless to say she lost track of the time and missed it.
Nice Ticket Inspector wrote on her ticket "delayed due to hold-up on the underground" so she could get the next train. Just like Ryanair?

operator

1st Dec 2009, 01:07

Thankfully have not yet missed a flight but witnessed someone who did. Flight was LHR with a refuelling stop in Bangkok and on to Bali. Three British gents who were in the their late 40's got on board and sat not far from us. They had obviously had quite a few drinks in the bar before boarding and had brought a bottle onboard. At Bangkok allowed to get off the plane for 45 minutes to get a coffee etc. Two of the said gents also get off with one in bare feet !!!. Just before the doors close only one of them returns, minus the gent in bare feet. As they were close heard the conversation along the lines he couldn't find his mate anywhere in the terminal and his passport was onboard. God knows what the Thai authorities made of this Brit in bare feet with no airline ticket and no passport.

NWA SLF

1st Dec 2009, 04:38

Last 10 years my flights have been mostly international. Last year 42 flights, a rather typical year. In the 10 years I haven't missed an originating flight, but missed several connections. After becoming Elite Plus/Platinum Elite, I always got treated well on the missed connections since they were the airline's fault. My reason for not missing flights - arrive very early. My contacts are worldwide so I live by cell phone and computer. Can do that in the airport lounge/bar/restaurant as well as at the office, and I have an excuse to avoid meetings.

mmeteesside

8th Dec 2009, 23:11

Happened twice to me so far (only 19 so plenty more opportunity yet... :})

First one
Travelling back from Los Angeles to Newcastle with the family, booked via Atlanta with Delta to Gatwick, and then completely separate BA to Newcastle.
To cut a long story short we were diverted to Augusta due to weather and then eventually arrived into Atlanta around 2 hours late, meaning we missed planned Gatwick flight. No bother, Delta had automatically rebooked us on the one 2 hours later, also leaving 45 mins late due to delays etc. Arrived at Gatwick around 2:30 later than originally planned, leaving us 30 mins to make connection to BA including reclaiming baggage etc. Anyway we strolled through the terminal thinking we had no chance, arriving at BA check in about 20 mins before departure, check-in staff radioed dispatch who very kindly accepted us and our bags, and after a sprint through the North Terminal we were onto the aircraft and cabin crew got us some drinks seeing us very hot and bothered. Arrived at Newcastle to find only 1 bag (out of 8) had gone missing (as it had to be separately handled at LGW), well done BA! Reunited with final wheely box the next night, delivered to our home.

Second one was more annoying.
Going to Belfast for the day with some mates from university, one of those silly 2p Ryanair flights, 1p each way. Anyway friends car broke down, so another mate drove up from Clowne to Sheffield and then all the way back to East Midlands, accident on M1 meant we arrived with 30 mins before departure, long queue for security = no chance. Had a day out in Skegness instead, not quite the same but fun nonetheless.

nicolai

8th Dec 2009, 23:46

Many moons ago I was, frankly, having an extended domestic argument with the then other half in the airport and lost track of time. United Airlines were very nice about it and put me on the next flight, so I was then obliged to spend more hours with the then other half, the mutual atmosphere didn't improve much...
And one time the Victorian transport system of London suffered a complete breakdown and I got to the checkin at LGW about 59 minutes before departure. Much punching of buttons by the Continental checkin staff still couldn't get me on the flight since it had been closed automaticaly (they probably tried hard because it was the Business checkin, but as we all know BAA's airports' security don't care about service to anyone, premium or not). They considered it to be an involuntary reroute and immediately put me on a different connection a few hours later.
And then more recently I completely f:mad: up the train connections from central Tokyo to Narita and showed up 2 hours after the ANA departure. They were, in the end, not entirely unreasonable about it and slapped me with a GBP200 ticket change fee (on a nonchange nonrefund thought-I-was-doomed ticket) and put me on the next day's flight.
Oh, and then there's the time I misread the departure time as the checkin opening time for an EZY flight and missed it by an hour and some... a few minutes at the service counter and GBP50 later and I was on the later flight.
I expect being very polite helped me out in all cases when it was my fault, but really, if you've made a mistake yourself, go shout at the responsible party in the mirror in a room on your own, not any staff who might help you if they feel inclined...