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What happens if I miss my flight? Your rights, and why you should still turn up at the airport
Plus, the rescue fees you don’t know about from airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz
You could miss your flight for a number of reasons – traffic jams on the way to the airport, getting held up in long security queues or even misplacing your passport. Here are your questions answered on rebooking, refunds and travel insurance.
Whether you’re eligible for compensation, a refund or the chance to be rebooked onto another flight depends on several factors. These include the reason you missed the flight, the airline you’re flying with and even the discretion of a member of staff on the airport check-in desk.
But when you miss your flight, what should you do to get your travels back on track?
Read on to find out how to maximise your chances of being rebooked for free or for less than the cost of a new ticket, how to avoid further fees and return-ticket cancellations, whether you’re entitled to compensation or refunds and what to do if you’re about to miss your flight because of airport queues.
If you're in the airport and missed the flight because of long queues at airport security, or you simply missed the gate announcement, contact the airline via telephone as soon as you become aware you’ll be late. If you can’t get through, send an email or chat noting that you’ve tried to call.
This can maximise your chances of being rebooked onto another flight free of charge, or for less than the cost of buying a new flight. Some airlines have a ‘rescue fare’ or ‘rescue fee’ for people who miss flights, but in some cases these are available for only a short period after the original flight's departure. If you plan to claim on your travel insurance, this may also help your case.
If you miss the flight because of traffic, transport disruption or anything else that has prevented you from getting to the airport on time, but you still want to fly, the best advice is the same. Contact the airport as soon as possible, and continue to travel to the airport if possible.
Will I be fined if I miss my flight?
No, but turning up at the airport can also ensure you aren’t charged a ‘no-show fee’, which some airlines (mostly long-haul carriers) impose on passengers. They will cancel not only your outbound flight, but also your return flight.
Every airline has its own policy, and this can change according to the circumstances and availability of new seats.
Can I get a refund or compensation if I miss my flight because of airport security queues?
Queues at the security check are the responsibility of the airport rather than your airline. Your airline isn’t liable to pay compensation or refund you if you miss your flight because of long queues at security.
Unfortunately, it will be difficult to get the airport to reimburse you. No large UK airport has a policy to compensate passengers who have missed flights because of long security queues. In law, passengers could possibly claim a 'frustration of contract' and argue that the airport is at fault for them missing their flight – but this would almost certainly require going to court.
If you’re about to miss your flight because of queues, your best bet is to make a fuss. Most airports will bring you to the front of the queue if your flight is due to depart shortly, so try to find a member of staff and explain that you've been called to the gate.
What about queues at the airline check-in desk?
Some passengers have reported long queues at airport check-in desks and bag drop. This is the responsibility of the airline, even if it has outsourced the service to a third party.
If you've arrived at the airport at the time you were instructed to by the airline, and you miss your flight because the queue at check-in or bag drop was too long, you may be able to claim against the airline under the Consumer Rights Act. Again, this is unlikely to be straightforward and may involve a court case.
Some airlines, such as easyJet and Ryanair, offer 'rescue fares'. To take advantage of this, you will usually need to have been at the airport two hours before your scheduled departure time. You should contact the airline immediately for help.
Both airlines' rescue fare fees are high, but may be cheaper than rebooking a new fare. EasyJet charges a £110 rescue fee, and Ryanair charges a ‘missed departure fee’ of £100 per passenger to rebook a missed flight.
Wizz told us that if a passenger misses check-in, they will be charged £106 to be rebooked onto the next available flight on the same or an alternative route. But it told us that 'if a passenger misses the flight, they will not be allowed to use the missed flight option and be rebooked'.
'If a passenger misses their flight, they may still be able to travel later that day by presenting themselves at the airport. In many cases, rebooking onto the next available Virgin Atlantic flight is offered at no additional charge, provided the passenger arrives the same day and continues with the same itinerary. Should a passenger call our Customer Centre in advance, to make us aware that they are going to miss their flight due to an ‘event beyond their control,’ our teams will determine whether the ticket can be amended free of charge or if there are additional charges.'
Jet2 has a similar policy. It said:
'For Jet2.com customers who miss their outbound flight due to factors outside of their control, we will look to book them onto the next available Jet2.com flight free of charge. For customers who miss their flight, and it is deemed their fault, our team will assist in looking for an alternative flight, with the full cost of the new flight being the customer’s responsibility, with no refund of the original fare.'
Emirates told us:
'If you have missed the flight due to circumstances outside of your reasonable control, such as force majeure, a significant road closure or a road traffic incident, you will not be charged a no-show fee, and you may be entitled to change your flight without any change in the fare.'
It also said that for passengers who miss their outbound flight and contact the airline within 24 hours after the scheduled departure, it will not charge no-show fees or additional charges to keep their return flight.
British Airways previously said it would try to rebook you without charge. But when we checked in August, we weren’t easily able to find information about its latest policy, and it didn't respond to our questions.
Can I claim back the taxes for my missed flight?
You'll see some advice suggesting you claim your air passenger duty back from the airline if you miss your flight. All airlines are obligated to issue this refund, but most also charge a fee that costs more than the refund you’ll receive.
You’ll be due £13 for economy class tickets in Europe. Ryanair charges £20 for its Government Tax Refund Administration Fee, and Jet2 charges £25.
Check with your airline to make sure the refund you’ll receive outweighs the charge.
Does travel insurance cover missed flights?
It depends on your travel insurance policy. While some policies include cover for missed departures, not all will cover you if it's caused by long queues at the airport.
This isn't always well defined in the policy. Insurers often cover extraordinary circumstances for missed departures (such as sickness or the weather making roads impassable), but not those things within your control (which they may decide includes airport security).
If you do want to claim, it will be crucial to provide evidence that you turned up at the time advised by the airport or airline. This could be a bus ticket or parking stub that marks your arrival at the airport with a time and date, or a receipt from a shop or restaurant inside the terminal.
I missed my flight due to weather – what should I do?
If weather conditions led to road closures or impacted the public transport you planned to take to the airport, take photographic evidence at the train or bus station, from the transport provider website, or from apps such as CityMapper or Google Maps if you’re using them.
Screenshot proof of current weather conditions, for example from your weather forecast app, severe weather notifications or relevant news articles from trusted sources.
This can be helpful in making a travel insurance claim.
I missed my flight due to traffic or a breakdown – what should I do?
Collect evidence of traffic conditions. You can do this by taking a screenshot of the commute on a travel app such as Apple Maps or Google Maps, both of which highlight severe traffic in red. If you arrive at the airport by a ride-hailing app or taxi, you could show the length of the journey by screenshotting this information from within the app or asking the driver to provide a timestamped receipt.
