Running late inevitably happens to everyone. One of the worst times for running late is when you need to catch a flight. If you wake up late or find yourself otherwise in the middle of an emergency and you find yourself running late to the airport, you could be at risk of losing your ticket. If you are on a non-refundable flight, this could lead to you having to pay for a new ticket. If you are running late for getting to the airport, here are some ways you can use your time wisely to catch your flight. 

Call an airport taxi service

As soon as possible, you should call an airport taxi. Many cities will be able to dispatch a cab within a short amount of time, but you will need to make sure to call them immediately. The reason why you should call a taxi instead of driving yourself or using another service is that taxi drivers often know the best route to get to the airport. There are also no issues with taxis being allowed to drive up to the drop-off lane in the airport, which means you can run out and run to the security line. Contact a company like Yellow Cab for more info.

Ditch your checked baggage

Most airlines will have rules for how far in advance most bags can be checked in prior to a flight. These times will be an hour or two before an international flight and around 45 minutes before a domestic flight. If there is a good chance that you will not arrive at the airport before or within that time frame, you should ditch your checked baggage and instead take what you need within a carry on bag. If you need to purchase an outfit or a few toiletries at your destination, this will be much less than the cost of missing a flight. 

Check-in on your phone

As soon as you are inside of the taxi and on your way to the airport, check into your flight on your phone. By checking into your flight, you notify the airport that you are showing up to your flight and they an issue you a boarding pass. If possible, choose the option to receive your boarding pass on your phone. If you have your boarding pass issued and on your mobile phone, plus no checked baggage, you can head directly from the taxi into the security line. Once you are past security, if you still miss your flight, a gate agent may be able to help you get onto the next one. If you miss the flight and you are not past security, you will have to go back to the gate agent, which could mean you are required to purchase a new ticket, rather than being bumped to the next flight. 

Share