Running late for your flight? Don't panic. Here's what to do. | Cruising Altitude

I take a lot of pride in being punctual, so it’s unbelievable to me that people ever cut it so close to get to the airport that they miss their flights, but who am I to judge? Some of us like to live on the edge, and some of us just have bad luck, like getting stuck in horrible traffic on the Van Wyck Expressway on the way to the airport.

People miss their flights every day for a variety of reasons, and if it happens to you, it doesn’t mean you can’t still get where you’re going. Airlines try to be pretty forgiving when things go sideways.

What should I do if I’m running late for my flight?

“First thing you do is don’t panic. Everybody goes into a panic or gets angry and frustrated,” Loulu Lima, founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here, told me. “If it’s your fault, you’ve got to go in there with as much honey as you possibly can.”

Lima is right, of course. Treating airline employees with respect and dealing with them calmly is always key. Missing a flight is certainly frustrating, but it’s not the end of the world, and you should be ready to work with the airline employees to find alternatives.

With that in mind, it’s usually a good idea to research your options in advance.

“The best thing to do is find your options and help feed these people that information,” said Brett Snyder, author of the Cranky Flier blog and owner of the Cranky Concierge travel agency. “If you know the rules and you know what has availability and you can spoon-feed that to them, they love it.”

Tools like Google Flights can help you to see what’s still available for sale on your travel day. It’s usually worth asking airlines if they can book you on another carrier if they have nothing else going where you need to go. It’s not always an option, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Flexibility is also crucial if you don’t make the plane.

“Pick an airport that has another airport nearby. Say Austin – you’re going to Austin and they can get you to San Antonio,” Snyder said. “Generally, they’ll have a radius of how far they’re willing to reaccommodate you.”

Should I let the airline know in advance if I’m running late?

That depends.

According to Snyder, if you have any shot of making your flight, it’s usually best to act as if you’re going to get there and deal with it at the airport if you don’t because airport employees are typically best positioned to help with close-in changes.

However, Snyder said, if your plans change or missing the flight makes the trip not worth taking, you should cancel so you’re not marked as a no-show, which will usually mean forfeiting the value of your ticket.

You can usually cancel directly in the airline’s app or on the website, or by calling or messaging with its customer service center.

Lima said that if you’re on your way but definitely going to miss the itinerary you booked, you can reach out to the airline proactively to start working on adjusting your schedule.

She said she advises clients to use their airline app’s chat feature whenever that’s an option.

“As long as your phone is connected, you might even be able to resolve your issue while you’re in transit,” Lima said.

Snyder also said that as much as airlines may want to help, the options can be limited, especially during busy travel periods.

“It’s a lot different than it used to be 30 years ago when you had a lot of empty seats on a lot of airplanes. It might not be the easiest thing to actually help you because there may not be seats available,” he said.

Will I have to pay extra if I miss my flight?

That also depends.

I reached out to American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, and they all said some version of “We’ll do our best to work with customers and reaccommodate them in these situations.”

Policies vary by airline, but you shouldn’t necessarily expect to be rebooked free. Snyder pointed out that being proactive and ponying up can help the situation get resolved more quickly.

“Most airlines, the big guys – domestic at least – you can try to do a same-day confirmed change or a same-day standby for a flat fee,” he said.

“If you know you’re going to miss a flight, don’t be cheap. If there’s an option available to you, take it because it may not be available to you when you get to the airport.”

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What if I miss a connecting flight because my first flight was late?

In that case, or anytime an airline operational issue disrupts your travel, carriers will still be required to get you where you planned to go. Snyder said that if you miss a connection and then there’s no reasonable way to get to your final destination, you could wind up going home and getting a refund instead.

What else should I do to protect myself from missing a flight?

Leave for the airport earlier and get travel insurance. The insurance may not protect you if you’re simply running late, but it will definitely come in handy if flight delays or problems outside your control disrupt your trip.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Don't panic if you're running late to the airport | Cruising Altitude