Excuses, excuses - you missed your flight because.....

[notmensa]

Only one, and it was unfortunately intentional. We bought tickets during a DJ sale - SYD-HBA for $39 ea and LST-SYD for $49 ea - about six months out. Mr_notmensa had already been on a waiting list for shoulder reconstruction for six months, so we assumed his operation would well and truly done by the date of our flight. Surgery was delayed and eventually scheduled for the week before our planned getaway. Luckily we hadn't organised car hire or accommodation!

Most ironic excuse was from my uncle. He went to a very swanky health retreat for a week - the type with lots of yoga, pilates, no phones, in bed by 8 pm. He felt so fantastic on the final morning he decided to play a very physical game of tennis. Tore his Achilles tendon, went to hospital, and missed his flight & nephew's wedding. Poor guy.

 

[nlagalle]

The list is getting shorter all the time but there are still a few QF flights talking domestic passengers from International terminal.

You don't know which ones by any chance?

 

[Mal]

You don't know which ones by any chance?

Mainly JQ now, but still a couple of QF ones:

MEL-SYD
JQ3, JQ30, JQ36

SYD-MEL
JQ29, JQ35

SYD-BNE
QF19

BNE-SYD
QF20

SYD-ADL
QF81

ADL-SYD
QF82

CNS-DRW
JQ57

DRW-CNS
JQ58

CNS-SYD
JQ16

SYD-CNS
JQ15

Some may not appear on the Qantas / Jetstar websites as bookable, but I think most of them are. I've also not checked them fully for accuracy (and ensuring that they actually do depart/arrive the International airports, but believe they do).

 

[JohnK]

You don't know which ones by any chance?

I think Mal has listed all of them. It is a shame QF73/74 SYD-MEL and vv disappeared a few years ago.

 

[serfty]

... or the evening QF21 MEL-SYD ... or the evening QF188 SYD-MEL ...

 

[drron]

Thought we were going to miss a flight~ 12 years ago.Driving from the Sunny Coast to BNE and realised we had left our paper tickets at home.Was an AN flight to SYD to pick up our award flights to the States.Was too late to turn around to get tickets and threw ourselves at the mercy of AN ticketing in BNE who cheerfully reissued the tickets without cost.I miss AN.

 

[JohnK]

... or the evening QF21 MEL-SYD ... or the evening QF188 SYD-MEL ...

Which days? I have just searched all flights SYD-MEL and vv betwen 19 April and 25 April and could not see any of these flights....

 

[oz_mark]

... or the evening QF21 MEL-SYD ... or the evening QF188 SYD-MEL ...

Didn't think QF188 existed anymore (or used since the renumbering)

 

[medhead]

Which days? I have just searched all flights SYD-MEL and vv betwen 19 April and 25 April and could not see any of these flights....

I think it was a reference to domestic legs on international flights that no longer exist.

 

[JohnK]

I think it was a reference to domestic legs on international flights that no longer exist.

That sounds like a logical explanation....

 

[Febs]

I have heard of people missing their flight in the morning as they woke up with a hangover and could not be bothered.

I have woken up with a hangover many times and still managed to make the flight although when I look back I have no idea how I managed to wake up in the first place.

Usually for me, it's a matter of bar->hotel (to pick up bags only)-> airport, so I don't board the flight hungover, but rather, still a bit drunk. Makes for a brilliant sleep on the flight!

Edit: Having said that, there was one night where I'm still amazed I woke up. It was my last night in Brno (Czech Republic), and I got back to the hotel at 3:20am. I knew I had to be up at 3:40am to catch my taxi, but for some reason decided it'd be a good idea to get some sleep. Amazingly, I woke up when my alarm went off at 3:30am and made it without any trouble.

BRQ-PRG-LHR-SIN-SYD is a long trip to make in Y on 10mins sleep...

 

[Hvr]

Had a one cent each way JQ SYD-OOL-SYD fare in Feb. Had just returned from Asia and couldn't be bothered getting to SYD.

Touch wood have never missed an important flight yet. Came close once in ADL when I lost the AP but ended up making the last flight of the night back to CBR. This was pre GPS and I take it everywhere now.

 

[drewbles]

... or the evening QF21 MEL-SYD ... or the evening QF188 SYD-MEL ...

I was a regular on the QF188 when I lived in SYD and was moving back to MEL. Must have done that one a few dozen times. That was before I knew about status chasing, First Class lounges and the like, but managed to pickup other 'fringe benefits' instead

As for excuses, I don't really have any.

I did once get stuck in shocking traffic from Turramurra to SYD one night (Client was giving me a lift back to the airport for an Impulse Flight to MEL) and I ended up falling victim to the TT-esque cut-off time (plane on tarmac, wasn't able to check-in). They were very apologetic, but fortunately AN still had a flight leaving after that so took the AN flight back.

Have missed an AN Business redemption on NZ from CHC to MEL once unknowingly. Rocked up at the airport to check in 'Sorry sir, your flight was yesterday'. The amazing check-in agent gladly stated there was one seat left in business and put me in it. Full marks to NZ (this was back in 1999).

Almost missed an Impulse flight from MEL to SYD one Thursday morning (Was flying them weekly when around from MEL to SYD). Flight was 6:30, woke up at 5:30, Managed to leave the house at around 5:45 drove *hard* from Maribyrnong to MEL and made it just in time to hear the check in agent yell 'don't close the flight, Mr drewbles is running in now!'.

I miss Impulse. They remembered me just because I took 1 return flight a week (and their staff base was so small). But I digress

 

[Keith009]

Usually for me, it's a matter of bar->hotel (to pick up bags only)-> airport, so I don't board the flight hungover, but rather, still a bit drunk. Makes for a brilliant sleep on the flight!

Sounds like the time I left New Orleans. Had some ridiculously early flight, and had airport shuttle booked for 5.30am. Back to hotel at 4.30am, showered, packed and proceeded to do MSY-DFW-JFK-(LAX)-SYD - and yes had a great sleep on all flights especially on the JFK-(LAX)-SYD sectors. I even managed to snooze well on the domestic AA legs.

 

[Justinf]

I booked a $10 fare to ADL return with my young daughter on Tiger when they first started operations. It came to the morning of the flight and she was feeling ill due to a proper headcold while I was massivley hungover. It was only $40, so we decided to stay home instead and watched movies all day.

 

[serfty]

I think Mal has listed all of them. It is a shame QF73/74 SYD-MEL and vv disappeared a few years ago.

... or the evening QF21 MEL-SYD ... or the evening QF188 SYD-MEL ...

Didn't think QF188 existed anymore (or used since the renumbering)

I think it was a reference to domestic legs on international flights that no longer exist.

That sounds like a logical explanation....

Absolutely, If I took them once I took them 30 times. They ware always available with the sales as most people try to avoid such domestic sectors international of international flights. (Dunno why really )

Back when it was 10SC's MEL-BNE, I would travel MEL-SYD vv and SYD-BNE vv - nested. I would look for the ~7pm QF21 MEL-SYD and the ~9pm QF188 SYD-MEL.

QF21 MEL-SYD came and went a few times, QF 188 bit the dust when the late night QF83 MEL-HKG (763/332) was replaced by QF29.

 

[flychrisfly]

I missed a flight once but it was Qantas's fault. I had an AA flight from FLL to LAX which connected to QFF flights booked on points redemption LAX-AUK-MEL-SYD. The check in agent at FLL said the system wouldn't let me check in as the connection time in MEL was too short but I had booked the redemption flights online so it was Qantas who picked my flights. To work around this the check in agent performed a manual check in with manual bag tags and I suspected I'd never see my luggage again. I made it to MEL without any issues and even retrieved my luggage but was caught up in customs, etc and missed the connection to SYD. When I made it to the domestic check in counter in MEL I was immediately transferred to the next available flight without any cost or hassle.

On another occasion I almost missed my flight from SYD-BOM for a business trip in March 2001. For some reason I had been looking at the flight schedules online and was referring to dates after I was due to leave. When checking in I wasn't that surprised that no one else was around as the North American flights would have checked in by then and it was too early for the European flights. At the J counter the check in agent informed me that she thought that flight had closed. I nearly died as I was supposed to be meeting a junior colleague in Mumbai to head to the client's office the following day. It turns out that I was looking at flight schedules after daylight savings had ended. The agent called the gate and eventually got through. After some hassle I was given an express customs form; the agent grabbed one of my checked pieces of luggage and I grabbed the rest and we bolted for the gate. She literally ran with me all the way to the gate! I was very impressed but missed out on a) a window seat and b) buying a duty electric razor and had to find one in SIN.

In both cases I was very happy and impressed with the service I received from Qantas staff helping make my flights.

 

[Mute]

almost missed an AA flight last month due to LAX doing the whole 'half-the-airport-is-down-for-renovation-so-we're-funneling-everyone-through-one-checkpoint' dance.

got to 10 minutes after boarding time and I was just hitting luggage screening.
and this is after turning up relatively early. :-|

that's as close as i've come.

 

[simongr]

I almost missed an AA flight nrt-dfw as I had two bps - one for nrt-dfw boarding at 11:20 and one for dfw-Mia boarding at 11:40...

I was sauntering through nrt at 11:35 when I heard my name being called and I realised my mistake...

 

[liamg]

Missed QF74 SFO-SYD a few weeks ago because my DFW-SFO flight was delayed by more than an hour.

We were at the gate ready to push back and we get told "this plane's been de-commissioned. Everyone off the plane, we're gonna need a new one," by the pilot. I watch my 65 minutes connection time roll away (I told QF it wouldn't work, but they wanted me to pay $300 to go on an earlier flight, which I was so NOT going to do) and end up spending the night in San Fran.

Of course, there's a dozen of us on the flight and I'm the only one who's luggage doesn't turn up.

San Fran was nice though

L.