I was a check-in agent for an airline... these are my top tips if you miss your flight

We've all missed a train, but missing a flight is a traveller's worst nightmare.

Mrs Lou Lou Smith, from the UK, took to TikTok to detail what exactly happens when you make the dreaded blunder.

In a two-minute clip, the former check-in agent explained what you can do to salvage the situation - and what to do if you can't.

She recalled one, rare incident where her manager permitted a passenger to board after the flight had been shut.

She then emphasised that it was the first time she'd seen it in her fiver years in the role.

People were quick to chime in with their own unfortunate anecdotes, and some seemed to experience acts of goodwill from airline staff when they rocked up slightly too late.

Mrs Lou Lou Smith , from the UK, took to TikTok to detail what exactly happens when you make the dreaded blunder - missing your flight

She started the clip: 'I used to work as a check-in agent and because of that these are the things that I will always do. So what happens when you miss your flight? 

'Say for example you get to the check in desk and for whatever reason maybe there's been a car crash on the motorway and it's taking longer to get to the airport or for whatever reason, you've missed your flight'.

Mrs Lou Lou then explained that once the flight is shut, they're not allowed to reopen it to accommodate tardy passengers, even if they are only one minute late.  

She continued: 'Now, obviously when we close the flight, that's it -we're not allowed to open the flight back up.

'There's only been one situation where a flight had been opened back up and that is because there was a four or five hour delay for that particular flight.

'So my manager overrode it and the woman was only one minute late to the check-in desk and he just said: "I'll open it back up and let her go through".

'However that's only happened once in five years that I was working there so it's not really as common as you think'.

The content creator explained why airline staff can't just open flights, attributing it to the boarding process which would have already started by the time you're a minute late. 

But you may be in luck: 'If that is you, and you had just missed the check in what I would usually recommend is going to the airport hold for luggage, it's like a locker system.

Especially if you checked in online, take your hand luggage and go through the other side - you've got 45 minutes and chances are you'll still make your flight'.

However, if you're too late to do this, she instructed you go to the customer service desk.

'You'll have to pay a rescue fee, this can be anything from £250 up and they'll put you on the next available flight'.

Mrs Lou Lou did remind viewers to bear in mind how busy the time period you're flying in is - you may not be lucky enough to get a flight back when you want.

She also went through the procedure for when you've missed your flight at the boarding gate.

'They send you to a waiting area and then someone will bring you back through through the other side and again, you'll pay the rescue fee.

TikTok users were quick to comment on the clip, with one luckily confessing: 'I forgot my passport once at home and the lovely BA lady at customer service put me on a flight the next day'.

It seems like more people than you'd think have missed their flights based on the comments on Mrs Lou Lou's clip

Another faced similar good luck: 'I missed my flight to London, was travelling with Delta and they just put me on the next available flight for free!' 

A different user penned: 'Missed a flight from Stansted to Dubai once, I watched it drive away, so depressing. Emirates gave me one from Heathrow the next day for £56 though!'  

But not everyone was so fortunate, with one somehow missing their flight 'after checking in'.

Another had witnessed a financial tragedy: 'Someone was flying back to USA from Dubai, they thought their flight was at 2pm not 2am! Obviously missed it and paid more than £1k for another flight'. 

And a different user theorised that: 'If you miss your flight with easyJet you can pay £110 to be put onto the next available flight. It’s called an IROP'.