Over half of Irish holidaymakers have come close to missing a flight as a result of poor time management, according to a recent AA survey – and 40% have been forced to sleep in an airport.
An AA Travel Insurance survey of almost 4,000 AA customers and members found that 50.07% of respondents admitted that in the past they had lost track of time while at the airport and come close to missing their flight as a result. The survey also found that women were slightly more likely to risk missing a flight because of poor time-keeping, with 53.06% of female respondents having come close to a missed flight compared to 47.75% of male respondents.
Meanwhile, 16.20% of those surveyed stated that they had, in the past, mixed up their travel times and missed their flight as a result.
“With everything that goes into planning a holiday, getting everyone organised and last-minute panic over passports, it can and does happen that people mix up their flight times or come close to missing a flight,” said Conor Faughnan, AA director of Consumer Affairs. “Unfortunately your travel insurance won’t cover a missed flight where you have simply made a mistake with your times, so it is important to double and triple-check everything before you start your journey to the airport. However, if you miss a flight as a result of the failure of public transport, a vehicle breakdown, or an accident to your own car or another ahead of you that causes significant delays the costs of the missed flight will, in most cases, be covered by your travel insurance provider.”
The AA survey also found that almost four in 10 Irish people have been forced to sleep in an airport on at least one occasion.
37.27% of those surveyed said that they had been stranded at an airport overnight in the past, with men almost 3% more likely than women to have had such as experience. While 35.70% of female respondents had been forced to spend a night at an airport in the past, 38.33% of men had been left in the same situation.
“If flight delays or a cancelled flight forces you to spend a night in the airport after you have already checked in, it can certainly be worth contacting your travel insurance provider as any costs you incur for meals or refreshments may be covered, depending on the circumstances and length of the delay, at least partially,” Conor added. “In addition, your travel insurance provider will be able to advise if hotel accommodation costs will be covered, meaning that you may at least be able to have a more comfortable night than spending it sleeping on an airport floor.”
