Soooo, what do you do when you're late to the airport and run into a loooong line?
The acceptable and only correct answer-besides accepting a terrible fate-is to let airport staff and other passengers to know the situation. It's OK! This is not the time to be a man and suck it up! Seek help!
Here is a phrase you can use:
Hi, I'm so sorry to ask. But my flight is about to depart in [INSERT] minutes. Do I mind if I jump ahead of you if you have the time?
In dire situations, I have been:
- Been able to use the first-class check-in counter instead of the economy counter
- Been personally escorted to the front of the security line and to the airport gate by TSA
- Been shown the front of the security line minus an escort
- Been able to use PreCheck in a non-PreCheck line
- Skipped passengers been waiting to be screened
- Jumped on one of those airport cars to be zoomed around to a gate
- Been able to secure a *confirmed* backup flight in case I missed my connection
Let's adjust the script again for any request:
Hi, I'm so sorry to ask. But my flight is about to depart in [INSERT] minutes. Do I mind if I [SPECIFIC REQUEST]?
Pay it forward later down the line. And, in case all else fails, don't be afraid to invoke the flat tire rule.
