What happens if I don't show up for my flight?

It can happen to the best of us — whether you oversleep, get stuck in traffic on the way to the airport, or suddenly fall ill, you can end up not making it onto your flight and getting left behind.

But what happens if you miss your flight? What exactly are the consequences? Here’s a few things to keep in mind.

Marked as a no-show

The majority of airlines have something called a no-show policy, which details what happens if a passenger doesn’t show up for their flight. Though policies can vary, generally, the airline will mark you down as a no-show and you’ll forfeit your ticket. This means that you won’t be able to get a refund, or cancel your flight.

Do you get charged for a no-show flight? If you do manage to call ahead to let them know you won’t make it, airlines may be willing to rebook your ticket but charge you a hefty rebooking fee. In some cases, you may even be slapped with an additional no-show fee on top of your rebooking fee.

However, some airlines may not accept rebookings at all, so it’s best to check their policies before booking your flight.

If you have a flexible ticket, they’ll only mark you as a no-show if you fail to call ahead of time.

Someone else gets to fly

So what happens to your seat? Well, passengers missing their flights is such a common occurrence that airlines actively overbook their flights to make sure that they’re always flying at full capacity. If you don’t fly, they’ll simply let someone else take your seat.

Lose your connecting flight

If your missed flight is part of a multi-leg journey, airlines may also cancel all of your remaining connections. If you want to avoid this and somehow manage to make it to your connecting destination on another flight, call the airline ASAP and tell them you intend to use the remaining legs.

Incur a frequent flier penalty

If you have a frequent flier card, some airlines may give you a penalty for multiple no-shows and reduce your benefits. However, these cases are rare, and most people will never have to worry about frequent flier penalties for missing a flight.

Miss out on compensation

In the EU and for similar passenger rights regulations, you can get compensation for flights delayed by 3 hours or more, or canceled 14 days before departure. However, one of the requirements for eligibility is that you can prove that you’ve checked-in and that you were at the gate at least 40 minutes before your scheduled departure.

That means if you’re a no-show, you won’t be able to claim as much as €600 compensation.

So what do you do if you’re running late?

If you’re running late and think you might miss your flight, the first thing you should do is call the airline immediately. The sooner you notify them, the more options you’ll have for rebooking, though you may still incur hefty fines.

Some airlines may also be willing to wait a few minutes for late passengers to arrive, but they will definitely depart if it will severely affect their flight schedule.

Punctuality pays

Ideally, it’s best to never be late for your flight at all. Make sure you leave plenty of time so that you can account for any delays on the road to the airport, and if you’re ill or otherwise unable to fly, be sure to contact the airline. Happy flying!

Did you also know that you can claim compensation for delayed, canceled, or overbooked flights from up to 3 years ago? AirHelp is here to help you check if your flight is eligible — it’s quick, easy, and totally risk-free!

Featured image by Larissa Farber from Pexels