If you're checked in on a flight, can the plane leave without you?

Question

if you're checked in on a flight, can the plane leave without you?

Answer 1

You bet. It happened to me twice. I can't tell you how many times as a Flight Attendant we left without passengers.

Once, on a very early flight that I had woken up at 4am to catch, I was stuck in security too long.

Another time, alone with a baby and a toddler, they changed the gate last minute and I went to the old one.

Both times I was accommodated on a later flight but I have to admit that I was an airline employee so there wasn't a great effort made to find me. I had a confirmed seat at the time it happened.

Once, we were stuck on the runway after arriving while the aircraft boarding at our gate was looking for a passenger. Picture two FULL 747's stuck because of ONE passenger...

Your bags are usually off-loaded but can be sent on without having to collect them but this could be a case-by-case basis.

No-show's pose a security risk. It is how Pan Am 103 was bombed out of the sky. The terrorists checked their bags in Malta and at the connection in London, they made themselves scarce. The bag with the 1lb. bomb headed off to New York, but exploded over Lockerbie Scotland killing 270 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flig...

Once you check-in, get through security asap. It can be tempting to linger and say goodbye but alot over an hour to get through security and get to your gate at a big airport. Check your gate at every monitor, especially after security, that you pass. Don't depend on hearing announcements.

Also, please don't drink any alcohol before the flight, or be very careful. At least make sure you are close to, and know where your gate is. This is the cause of a lot of gate "no-shows".  Also, you can be refused boarding if drunk.

Not my excuse either time-especially when I was with the two small children!

Answer 2

Yes. If you've checked in on a flight and you haven't boarded the plane, the gate agents will page you a couple of times. If you still don't show, too late - that plane full of passengers is not going to be held up for one person.

Answer 3

sure!   otherwise there would be a lot of planes parked around airports still waiting for people who hadn't shown up...

Be especially careful with Airtran.  If they are ready to go 10 minutes before departure, they will!

Answer 4

Yep. I used to be a gate agent. Your being checked in doesn't eliminate your responsibility to be in the gate area when it's time to board the plane. The last 15 minutes of boarding are crucial because that's the very small window of time the agent(s) get to ensure everyone is on board and clear security and still get an on-time departure. If it's down to the last few minutes and you're nowhere to be found, the agent will call down to the ramp to have your luggage removed, your seat will be "offed" and your seat will go to someone who is in the gate area ready to go. You should always stay in the gate area when there is ANY type of delay because you never know when the captain is ready to go. AND if he/she is and you're out shopping or drinking or whatever - you get left behind.    

Answer 5

yes, they state that if you are not on board at the proper time, you will forfeit your seat; it doesn't matter if you are checked in or not, you can do that from home 24 hours in advance

Answer 6

Yeah, but they will be calling your name in the airport so it's a good idea to keep your ears open for speakers you can barely hear because of the echo.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 7

YES!    

Answer 8

yea but only after they call your name a couple times and if you are very late

Answer 9

Yes, it can. Airlines do not lead people around by the hand. I have dispatched many flights with people who have checked in, and were in the bar or phone booth or saying good-bye in the parking lot.

In my 22 years I probably saw 500 people miss flights that they had checked in for.

When it is 30 minutes before departure, you need to be in the boarding area and ready to go. When your row or area is called for boarding, board the aircraft.

Regards,

Dan

Answer 10

Yea i think so

Check your local airport