Denied boarding, is it really my responsibility?

mcfisco

I've had some close shaves - time wise - with unexpected transit times through security
Recently Belfast City where I only just made the gate.

I came into Newcastle the other week, off loaded onto a bus and then we sat, parked at the doors through to immigration for 45 mins, when we did get in, there was another 1 hour wait.

At one point I was thinking of giving the Samaritans a call :rotfl:

HelenaHandcart

If an airline advises you to be at the airport at least X hours before your flight departure time and you do arrive at the airport X hours before departure time then you should not miss your flight. If, having followed the airline advice, you do miss the flight simply because the required procedures take too long then it is the airline's fault for giving wrong advice. Many people do not fly on a regular basis and have no idea how long it takes to get through an airport; they rely on the airline or airport for this information so the advice needs to be correct. Of course, if you spend your time having coffee or shopping in the departure lounge then it's your own fault if you miss your flight.

stephb34

lilykim wrote: »

I booked a holiday to Ibiza yesterday and the Thomas Cook agent told me to be at Stansted 3 hours before flight take off time.

If its a Thomas cook flight check in opens 3 hours before departure in the uk and closes 1hr before, so you can check in anytime between but bear in mind they like you at the boarding gate 45 mins before departure.

robpw2

i always arrive two hours before the two hours before they reccomend you arrive , i hate being late for anything although coming back from france in 2003 via ryanair (i didnt book it) i arrived at the airport at 12 pm flight due to go at 5 , the airport did not open till 3pm it was just a cattle shed in the middle of nowhere

stoneman

bagand96 wrote: »

Whilst those points may well be true.... The airline know exactly how many people will be turning up at their bag drop desks at certain times. They know this because they know how many passengers have elected to book hold baggage. They should therefore supply enough desks/staff to ensure that people can check-in in a timely fashion based on the timescale they suggest. This will be done by a third party handling agent, but that is no excuse, the airline should be on top of its contractors.

Same for the airport, they know how many people will be travelling through the airport at different times each day and should ensure there are enough security staff/facilities to cope. I last travelled from EMA a couple of years ago, and then the security queue was way back into the check in halls, so it's obviously a problem there.

That a passenger cannot arrive for a short haul flight 2 hours before departure at an airport the size of EMA,without the fear of missing it, is an embarrassment.

I must say that out of all the replies to this thread this is the one that I am most in agreement with. EMA and RA know how many people are going to be decending on them at that time of day. I even expect that RA know that the day the flights go to Tenerife that they will be getting more people checking bags, but they still advise only getting to the airport 2 hours ahead of time. I do a lot of travel through BHX and they have probably have as many security check points as EMA but it seems as though EMA staff are on a go slow on purpose. I actually had a sample taken from each one of our 100ml bottles (and there were 6 of them) and analysed, then my ipad got swabbed.
Travelers are not expected to be able to guess that some airports are good for getting through and some not. BHX takes me 15-20 minutes tops with the queue out of the door. LHR takes me 10 minutes max. Gatwick had been known to take up to an hour but I don't know about now.
It is up to the airline to advise you, you have no contact with the airport, and if the airline advises you wrongly then they should be liable, to a degree at least. This in not a b1tch about RA in particular, we actually arrived at TFS on time (but that's only because they advertise the flight as taking 4hours 15 minutes when it really only takes 3 1/2 hours)I also think that their reserved seat price is a bargain, £10 and includes speedy boarding, something we didn't get to use unfortunately.

geoffky

I once missed my flight home from Miami because i went for a haircut having been traveling in south America for six months...I had to book in mia hotel and wait 24hrs...typical of my luck

ellay864

We flew home from Rome on Monday. Our flight was 7.35pm, we were at the airport at 1pm due to having been dropped off at that time from our cruise. Not surprisingly our flight (BMI Baby) wasn't showing on any departures board. 2 hours later and it still isn't showing depsite other later flights being there so we asked and were told it was on time and they told us the check in desk, saying we could check in from 4.30 pm. At that time several passengers were milling around only to hear that BMI policy is a 2hr check-in. At 5.30 one person appeared but didn't actually start any check in procedures. At around 5.45 that one person did start checking people in and it took ages - we were 6th in the queue but it was still gone 6pm before we were through check in. Then hand luggage check and we stood another 20 minutes to get through. And our flight still hadn't made it onto any boards even at that time. Then passports, another 20 min queue. Any hope of grabbing food had now gone. Our gate was a fair walk plus a train shuttle away, and when we got to the gate they'd changed the gate number. Another trek to the right gate and the first of us were getting there just after 7pm. By the time all passengers had appeared and they opened the gate it was 7.45 - the plane left at 8.15.
All the passengers were there in plenty of time but the airline and airport were so shoddy we all ended up rushed and late

Bogof_Babe

ellay864 wrote: »

We flew home from Rome on Monday. Our flight was 7.35pm, we were at the airport at 1pm due to having been dropped off at that time from our cruise. Not surprisingly our flight (BMI Baby) wasn't showing on any departures board. 2 hours later and it still isn't showing depsite other later flights being there so we asked and were told it was on time and they told us the check in desk, saying we could check in from 4.30 pm. At that time several passengers were milling around only to hear that BMI policy is a 2hr check-in. At 5.30 one person appeared but didn't actually start any check in procedures. At around 5.45 that one person did start checking people in and it took ages - we were 6th in the queue but it was still gone 6pm before we were through check in. Then hand luggage check and we stood another 20 minutes to get through. And our flight still hadn't made it onto any boards even at that time. Then passports, another 20 min queue. Any hope of grabbing food had now gone. Our gate was a fair walk plus a train shuttle away, and when we got to the gate they'd changed the gate number. Another trek to the right gate and the first of us were getting there just after 7pm. By the time all passengers had appeared and they opened the gate it was 7.45 - the plane left at 8.15.
All the passengers were there in plenty of time but the airline and airport were so shoddy we all ended up rushed and late

Which airport was this?

ellay864

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Which airport was this?

FCO, Rome - it was a mixture of airport and airline in this case

Bluemeanie_2

I am flying from East Midlands on Tues 4th Sept. Flight is 8.10am. Was going to get there for 6am. Shall I get there earlier? It is with Thomson and we are going onto their Cruise ship.