What to Do If You Miss Your Flight at the Airport

Have your booking reference, boarding pass, passport or travel document and baggage receipts ready.

- **Before security:** go to the airline’s check-in or ticket desk. If it is unattended, ask airport information which handling agent serves the airline and use the airline’s app or contact number. - **After security:** speak to the gate team if they are still present, or ask for the airline’s customer service or transfer desk. - **At a closed gate:** ask staff to confirm your flight’s status. A departure board alone does not tell you whether you can still board.

Explain whether you arrived late, were held up at security or missed an incoming connection. If you need assistance with mobility, communication or travelling with children, tell staff immediately. Airport information staff can help you locate the right team, but ticket changes usually need the airline or your booking agent.

Before buying another ticket, ask the airline:

- Can this booking be changed, and what is the total cost? - Are there any missed-departure options under the ticket’s terms? - Will missing this flight affect onward or return flights on the same booking? - If rebooked, what are the new check-in, bag-drop and boarding deadlines?

Some airlines may cancel later sectors after a no-show. Ask them to confirm the status of every remaining flight rather than assuming your return booking is unaffected.

If a delayed incoming flight caused you to miss a connection on the same booking, ask about rerouting and any assistance due under the applicable passenger-rights rules. Separate tickets may not have the same protection; contact both airlines promptly.

Missing a flight through lateness does not automatically create an entitlement to compensation, meals or accommodation. If the airline cancelled the flight instead, follow the separate advice on [what to do after an airport flight cancellation](/guides/flight-cancelled-at-airport-what-to-do).

Keep messages, screenshots, receipts and a short record of what happened. If you have missed-departure insurance cover, check its conditions and contact the insurer before making significant new purchases where possible.

Tell the airline or handling agent about every bag you handed over, including any pushchair or cabin bag taken at the gate. Show the baggage-tag receipts and ask staff to check each item’s status.

Do not assume your bag travelled, was automatically returned or will appear on a public arrivals carousel. Its location and handling depend on the flight and the airline’s procedures.

Ask these questions before moving elsewhere:

- Is the bag being retrieved, held or transferred to a replacement flight? - Where should I collect it, and how will I get there? - If I am rebooked, do I need to collect and check it in again? - If it cannot be returned now, what reference and contact details should I take?

Baggage retrieval may take time. Tell staff if essential medication or a child’s necessary equipment is in the bag, but do not assume immediate access is possible. If staff cannot locate your baggage, ask whether a baggage report should be opened and keep its reference. Our guide to [reporting delayed or missing baggage](/guides/lost-delayed-baggage-uk-airports) explains what details to record.

If you have passed security but are no longer flying, ask airline or airport staff for the authorised route back to the public area. You may need to wait for a staff-led exit. Do not walk backwards through security, use emergency exits or follow arrivals signs without instructions.

Explain that you missed your flight and say whether you have checked baggage to collect. Staff can tell you whether you need an escort and whether any border or customs procedures apply to your route.

If you are connecting internationally, permission to enter the country is separate from permission to remain in transit. Speak to the airline and border officials before planning to leave the airport; do not assume you can go to a hotel outside the terminal.

Keep your travel documents and baggage receipts accessible until you have completed the exit process.

Get confirmation of your replacement flight and a valid boarding pass before treating the new journey as settled. Check the departure airport, terminal, date and baggage allowance, particularly if the airline or route has changed.

Ask staff whether you can remain airside or must leave, check in again and pass through security. Your original boarding pass may no longer provide access. A long wait or overnight departure does not mean you can stay in the secure area indefinitely; check the airport’s arrangements.

If you are travelling with children, ask where you can access baby-changing facilities, feeding facilities and any checked pushchair. If you use special assistance, ask the airline to confirm arrangements for the replacement flight rather than assuming they have transferred automatically.

Once you know whether you are leaving or travelling later, contact anyone collecting you. Give them the confirmed terminal and meeting point, not just your original flight details. Ask them to check the airport’s current collection-zone rules before driving in.

For Meet & Greet parking, contact the provider using the details on your booking confirmation before going to the vehicle handover point. Explain whether you need an early return of your car or a longer parking period.

Confirm the revised collection location, operating hours, any notice required and any charges under your booking terms. A car stored away from the terminal may not be available for immediate return. Do not assume a flight change automatically updates the parking booking.

If you are unfamiliar with the handover arrangements, see [how Meet & Greet car collection works](/guides/how-does-meet-and-greet-parking-work). Wait until the provider confirms the plan before heading to a terminal forecourt.