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travel 101

Missed Your Flight? Don’t Panic. Here’s What to Do.

Sometimes even your most valiant efforts aren’t enough to get you to the gate on time. Here are some ways to get your trip back on track.

Credit...Weston Wei

Oct. 31, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET

The dubious social media trend known as “airport theory” holds that travelers can arrive at the airport just 15 minutes before their flight because the plane simply won’t leave without them.

Don’t believe everything you see online: Your plane will leave whether you’re on it or not.

Sometimes, though, it’s not your fault. Even if you give yourself plenty of time, you may be stuck in an unexpectedly long security line, or you could get a flat tire on the way to the airport. Flight delays may cause even the fastest gate-to-gate sprinters to miss their connections.

Whatever the reason you missed your flight, here are some tips to get moving again.

Contact your airline as soon as possible.

If you know you’re going to miss your flight, don’t wait until you’re at the airport to seek help. Call your airline, tell the representative you won’t make it and ask about rebooking options. If your airline’s app has a chat feature, you can use that too.

Some carriers, including Delta Air Lines, say that if you miss your flight, your entire itinerary, including your return trip, may be canceled. Notifying the airline as soon as possible can prevent that from happening.

If you’re already at the airport, head to your airline’s customer service desk or, if you’re through security, seek out a gate agent.

Rebooking policies vary by airline. In most cases, however, airlines will rebook you at no cost if they’re at fault (your prior flight was delayed) but not if you’re at fault (you showed up late to the airport). Because booking a new flight at the last minute usually means paying the difference between the old and new fares, you’ll very likely pay a premium, even if the airline doesn’t charge a rebooking fee.

For a primer on your rights when the airline is at fault, check the Transportation Department’s Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard, which offers side-by-side comparisons of the 10 major U.S. airlines’ policies regarding flight cancellations and significant delays.

Consider taking a few simple steps in advance — downloading your airline’s app, enabling notifications and joining its loyalty program — to help you beat the crowds if many people are trying to rebook at once, said James Ferrara, the founder of InteleTravel, a network of more than 60,000 travel advisers.

You may also be able to rebook more quickly if you have access to an airline lounge, Mr. Ferrara said. Receptionists at lounges can often handle rebooking.

For flights booked through a partner airline, seek help directly from the airline operating your flight. Either carrier could rebook you, Mr. Ferrara said, but airlines don’t always have real-time data on seat availability for partners’ flights.

If the next available flight is full, you can ask to be put on standby even if you’re already rebooked on a later flight. And if your airline has no other options to get you there, it may agree to book you on another airline or give you a refund.

You may also be entitled to food and lodging. Every major U.S. airline has committed to covering the cost of a meal when passengers are stuck for more than three hours because of a cancellation within the airline’s control (weather delays are not considered controllable). Nearly all will also cover accommodations for passengers delayed overnight.

Ask about a ‘flat-tire rule.’

If you miss your flight because of unforeseen circumstances — say, car trouble — ask if your airline has a “flat-tire rule.”

This type of policy, more of an unwritten understanding than an official rule, can differ by airline. But carriers can be more forgiving for a passenger who encountered a mishap than they would be for a passenger who arrived late out of negligence.

“Our teams work to assist customers on a case-by-case basis when they miss their flight after encountering an unexpected setback on their way to the airport,” said Erin Jankowski, a spokeswoman for United Airlines.

Delta follows its own version of a flat-tire rule that gives its employees “situational flexibility to help when life gets in the way,” said Samantha Facteau, a spokeswoman for the airline.

Put yourself before your bags.

If you checked luggage on a flight but didn’t make it on board yourself, reuniting with your belongings may feel like a top priority. But United warns to deal with that later.

“Make sure to rebook yourself first and then speak with someone about your bags, as seats fill up quickly when disruptions happen,” the airline says on its website. “If your bags arrive at your destination before you do, we’ll hold them for you until you claim them.” You might want to put an AirTag inside your bag, just in case.

Keep your cool.

Missing a flight is frustrating. But patience goes a long way, especially since the employee helping you often has leeway to determine how you’re rebooked, fed and accommodated.

“Don’t panic,” Mr. Ferrara said. Instead, focus on how you can make the most of your options. “If you go into it with all that fear and panic,” he said, that “makes it harder for the people who can help you to help you.”

Gabe Castro-Root is a travel reporter and a member of the 2025-26 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.

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