A trip that started off positively with the purchase of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms or discount travel packages can quickly go downhill when passengers miss a flight due to a gate change.
Unfortunately those passengers often end up in a very slow moving customer service line trying to get on another flight. Sometimes passengers decide that they cant wait to speak to an airline employee and decide to simply purchase replacement tickets on the next available flight from another airline. Travelers often assume that since they did not use their original tickets that their original airline should reimburse them for replacement tickets. Unfortunately this is not how airlines treat such cases.
If a traveler does not speak directly to the airline that issued the tickets initially, then there is very little chance of getting reimbursed for the unused tickets much less the replacement tickets.
To avoid missing a flight due to a gate change, do not simply rely on the gate number printed on your boarding pass. Gate assignments can and do change with little notice. Your best bet is to check and recheck departure gate details on electronic departure boards located throughout the airport.
Given the constant stream of security warnings, pages and final boarding calls over the loud speaker system, it is all too easy to miss or tune out gate change announcements.
To proactively be in the best possible position to deal with an unintentionally missed or canceled flight, add your airlines customer service number to your phone prior to leaving for the airport. Make certain that you either speak to a customer service agent in person or over the phone before booking a flight on another airline.
Finally if you feel that you are running out of time and the line to speak to a customer service agent is too long and no one is picking up your call to the airline, only purchase replacement tickets assuming that the airline will not pay you back. You can always attempt this later but it is highly unlikely.
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