Miss Your Flight Because of TSA? Can You Get a Refund?

(KMDL-FM) It doesn't matter whether you book through Houston Hobby, George Bush Intercontinental, DFW, Louis Armstrong International, or good ol' Lafayette Regional Airport; you're going to meet two kinds of travelers at the airport. One kind is the kind that arrives way too early and winds up sitting for an hour or so at the gate.

The other kind arrives at the gate just seconds before the gate agent closes the flight. Those people are usually more smug than others, even though they are out of breath from running the final 100 yards to get to their gate.

But if there is one thing we know about both travelers, they are going to have to go through TSA, airport security, if you will, in order to get anywhere near that gate or get their backside on the aircraft. Many of you know, the journey through TSA is sometimes not so swift and efficient.

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The Transportation Security Administration has one focus. That focus is to make sure flights leaving United States Airports are safe. That means they take a focused look at what you put in your checked bags, and they also look, electronically for the most part, at your carry-on items too.

Sometimes the items in your bag or your demeanor at the gate will send up a red flag to those who work for TSA. This could mean a delay in getting you through security and on to your gate and flight. What if this security check takes more time than you've allotted and you wind up missing your flight? Who is on the hook for that replacement ticket?

If TSA Makes You Miss Your Flight, Are You Owed a Refund?

I can hear your argument now, "I would have been there on time, but the security guys made me late". It sounds convincing, and it will fall upon deaf ears every time. You can make a claim against TSA in two instances. One, if you say you were injured during a TSA screening. And the other is if you claim lost or damaged property because of a TSA screening.

That late to the gate business; that's all on you. There is a reason why airlines suggest you arrive a couple of hours before your flight. Long security lines are at the top of the list of those reasons.

You'd be surprised at all the reasons airlines have for not refunding your money. Since it's a shorter list to show you what they're required to refund money on, here's that list courtesy of the Sun Herald Newspaper out of Biloxi, Mississippi. 

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When Are Airlines Required to Give You A Refund?

***Cancelled flights

***Significant delays in departures or arrivals (What constitutes “significant”) are determined on a case-by-case basis.

*** Downgraded classes of service.

***Optional service fees — If you pay for WiFi, baggage fees, or seat upgrades and cannot use them due to a flight change, the fees must be refunded. If the optional service does not work, you have to contact the airlines.

***Baggage fees, if the luggage is lost — Airlines usually declare luggage is lost five to 14 days after a flight. If the airlines refuse to change the baggage status to lost for an unreasonable period of time, they are subject to enforcement actions by the DOT.

***Fully refundable tickets that are not used

That's the list via the Department of Transportation. You'll notice there is no mention of TSA delays or TSA blaming in that list. So, if you miss your flight because you were late getting through security, that's a "you" problem.

In my extensive travels across the globe, I have found airlines to be willing to work with customers in almost every situation. They want your business now, and they want your business the next time you fly. So they will often make attempts to accommodate your requests, even though they might not legally be required to do so.

Personally, I always get to the airport early so I can people watch. The late comedian George Carlin once did a bit about airports and killing time. He said he always "looked for the spy at the airport" because, you know, if there are going to be spies, they would be at the airport.

Of course, you could just go drink at the bar. Airports and Louisiana weddings are two places where drinking before 8 am is not only acceptable but often a requirement.