It’s excruciating to wait, but there are a few things you can do to make your flight despite being stuck in traffic.
It’s the absolute worst that could happen – your flight leaves in an hour, and you are still ages away from reaching the airport. As you remain stuck in traffic, try the following to increase your chances of still making it to the airport on time:
* Keep checking the domestic flight schedules. Keep the domestic flight schedule saved on your phone, so you only need to hit ‘Refresh’ every time you want to check the flight status. We’re not recommending that you pin all your hopes on a flight delay so that you may make it on time. But checking the domestic flight schedule every few minutes helps you gauge how much time you realistically have to reach the airport.
* Do a web check-in from your cab. A great way to save time, especially when you’re racing to catch your flight, is to do a web check-in on your way. Leading airlines offer a web check-in facility where you get a mobile boarding pass – just show the pass at the counter, hand over your bags and proceed to security. But remember that the web check-in must be done at least one hour before the flight departs. Keep checking the domestic flight schedule and exercise the web check-in option accordingly.
* Contact the airline to get regular updates. You can also contact the airline on guidance about what to do next. They can let you know how much time you realistically have to arrive and get through baggage and security clearance before you make your flight. This would also be a good time to get an ETA on a delayed flight, or to check when the next flight goes out to the same destination if you really cannot make it in time. At the very least, you can request the airline to make a note of your ticket number and status, so that you can be led straight to security to save time.
* Look for the next flight if you’re certain you’re going to miss this one. If unfortunately you are sure that you will be missing your flight, get your phone out, open your airline app and check domestic flight schedules for the same airline or another one. But do remember that you can get a new ticket by cancelling the older one only before the gates close.