Airplane leaves while passenger is using restroom?

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Jerry B

If he went thru checkpoint and stopped to take a pee and missed his flt. they will leave him behind...happens ever day of the week. I have seen folks miss their flt because they fell asleep in the gate area, got lost, been drinking in the bar,talking on their cell phone, working in their laptop,talking to other pax,reading the newspaper,went to get food,watching a sports game on TV,spent to much time in the gift shop etc. etc.
Since all checked bags are screened during checkin the bags would continue on the a/c without him.

Lirela

I think it could happen. I don't know that it would actually leave...you'd have to be in the restroom a long time, but they can "close the gate" and not let you board. This actually happened to my husband. He had trouble making connections and he stopped to go to a pay phone (this was before cell phones) to call me to tell me he was finally getting on the plane. While he was calling me they shut the door for passengers loading and wouldn't allow him to board. He had his boarding pass in his hand and everything and they wouldn't relent. He called me about ten minutes later to say that had happened and we both were just flabbergasted. So, if it can happen while someone is using the phone...then I suppose it can happen if they were in the restroom. He tried pleading and everything and they wouldn't relent and let him board. He had to wait for hours for the next plane.

tonalc1

Of course.

xxdonxxrodrigoxx

Plane waits for no one....

shop2early

Bathroom on the plane. Get there in plenty of time, so you can use the bathroom before you get on plane.

michaelyodepi

yes they don't run on one passenger schedule, if they did they'd never leave.

willfly4food

Short answer: yes. I am unclear from your question if you meant that the passenger was bound for the plane and never made it on because he was in the restroom, or if you meant that the passenger was on a plane which stopped for a layover, passenger deplaned and used the airport restroom, and never made it back to the plane again in time for take-off. Either way, a plane will not sit and wait on a passenger indefinitely. The passenger's name will be called over the PA system but if he never shows, the plane will continue on schedule even if it has to leave said passenger behind. (Edited to add) luggage will continue on to the destination. If the luggage is suspect in any way, TSA officials will deplane everyone and inspect the luggage. Additionally, most airlines have policies forbidding passengers from boarding the second leg of their flight if they've missed the first leg.

hr4me

In the U.S. they will not stop the plane to wait for someone in the bathroom at the airport. If the luggage is already on board and the plane is closed up they will not stop to pull off one bag. The bag is already screened and x-rayed for explosives so the bag would leave without the passenger.

Eclipsepearl

It happened to me. We were stuck in security so long that we missed the flight. We were standby. I was an employee at the time so no way would they wait for us. I was alone with two small babies.

Our bags were offloaded. We were able to recheck them and were stuck with a three hour wait and a nasty connection. We arrived eight hours later than we had planned.

Once onboard the aircraft, you can't leave again so you would have to use the restroom on the aircraft.

I'm not sure of other airlines but the two I worked for were strict about off loading non-boarding passengers' bags. This is how a bomb was put onboard once and I knew two crewmembers who were working that flight and died that day.

yes

steve.c_50

Planes leave when they want, whether you are on it or not, so yes, it's possible.

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