Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 23, 2007)

What happens when you miss your flight? Do not panic – in many cases, airlines provide you with free or low fee options when you miss your flight.

The Deal:
If you miss your flight or realize you will miss your flight, contact the airline as soon as you are sure that you will miss the flight. You generally have two options:

1) standby on the next flight (generally free) or

2) get confirmed on the next flight that same day for a fee

The Inside Scoop:
Your chances of being reaccommodated after missing your flight vary based on the agent who reaccommodates you and how late in the day you arrive at the airport. Generally, the free standby option only applies for the same day as your original flight. If you were scheduled on the last flight of the day, then you may have to pay a large fee to be reaccommodated. If you miss an earlier flight, you have a much better chance of standing by for free.

Being kind to the gate agent can often go a long way towards being reaccommodated for a small fee or for no fee. Also, the agents at the airport (as opposed to the ones on the phone) generally have much more discretion to waive fees in these kinds of cases.