Why passengers keep boarding the wrong flight by accident – and how it could easily happen to you too

A number of travelers have been on the wrong plane lately – and flew to a completely different country than planned.

However, it is easy to do and it could happen to you.

2

Last November, a US woman was scheduled to fly Frontier from Pennsylvania to Florida, only to land in Jamaica when the gate changed after using a restroom.

A Brit almost flew from Turkey to Gatwick rather than Birmingham after boarding the wrong easyJet plane.

And one granny ended up in Poland rather than Slovenia after a boarding error at Wizz Air.

Although it may seem obvious when boarding a flight, the problem is becoming more common due to the increased number of departing flights.

Passengers can pass through security with their passport and boarding pass, but it’s up to them to find the right gate.

Crew will also usually check passports both at the gate and upon boarding – however this can sometimes be circumvented resulting in being on the wrong flight.

If it’s a full flight, your error is more likely to be caught before departure. However, if the plane is half-empty, you can take off before realizing the error.

Some airlines are taking liability – both Wizz Air and Frontier apologized to their passport and offered compensation when it happened.

However, airlines like Ryanair say it’s up to the passenger to find the right plane.

A spokesman previously said: “It is the responsibility of each passenger to ensure they board the correct aircraft.”

This is not always so easy as some airlines offer multiple flights to the same destination in one day.

A couple from Manchester only realized they were on the wrong flight to Alicante because their seats were full – with two flights departing at the same time.

To make sure that doesn’t happen to you, here are some ways you can make sure you land on the right destination.

• Double check your gate flight number before boarding the aircraft
• Ask the crew at the counter for the destination you are going to
• Check with the flight attendants upon boarding
• Report to the crew if someone claims to be sitting in your seat

Here are some more big airport mistakes you could be making.

2