"Only Six Minutes Late?" Passenger Criticizes Airline for Denied Boarding, Faces Backlash

Online Backlash Against Passenger's Video
Most International Flights Close Boarding 10 Minutes Before Departure
Late Arrivals Cited as Major Cause of Delays

Unrelated airport boarding scene.

A passenger posted a video criticizing an airline after being denied boarding for being just six minutes late, but instead faced widespread backlash. On September 8, several online communities shared a video uploaded the previous day in which the airline was criticized. The female passenger filmed the situation and posted, "Boarding closes 10 minutes before departure, but I was only five minutes late. The plane hadn't even left, I was right at the door, and the gate wasn't closed, but they absolutely refused to let me board," adding, "They wouldn't open the door for me until the very end, even though I wasn't in economy class." She continued, "We had to pay a penalty of 200,000 won and a no-show fee of 300,000 won per person, so we each paid a total of 500,000 won to buy new tickets," and complained, "It wasn't delayed because of us, so I don't understand why we have to pay the penalty when they closed the door without exception. This is the worst."

In the video, the female passenger can be heard asking the gate staff, "I was only six minutes late, but the flight hasn't left yet, so could you please make an exception just this once?" The staff member replied, "You can try to explain, but we can't do it. We need to proceed with our work, so please speak to the manager," expressing reluctance. It appears the passenger uploaded the video to criticize the airline. However, online users reacted coldly.

Comments included, "Is this your first time flying? If you put yourself in the shoes of passengers already on board, would you understand this?" "These are the rules. They must be followed," "You were the one who was late, so why blame the airline and harass innocent employees?" "Do you think other people have so much free time that they can leisurely stroll to the gate?" "You can see how lightly she took being five minutes late," "The crew probably anxiously searched for the missing passenger, so why blame the airline?" and "Even a local bus wouldn't wait five minutes." One commenter, identifying as an airline employee, said, "The reason boarding closes 10 minutes early is because frequent late passengers prevent on-time departures," and added, "Even if the aircraft door is still connected to the bridge, the reason is to complete the departure paperwork, not to wait for passengers."

Meanwhile, although it varies by airline, regulations state that international boarding closes 10 minutes before departure. In particular, late boarding by passengers within the airport is cited as a cause that hinders the on-time departure of the airplane. To address the issue of late passengers, a European airline introduced a "40-minute rule" to strengthen boarding procedures. Ryanair, Ireland's largest low-cost carrier by passenger volume in Europe, has enforced since May 1 that passengers checking in luggage must arrive at the counter at least 40 minutes before departure, or they will not be allowed to board.

According to airline regulations, international boarding is stated to close 10 minutes before departure. In particular, late boarding by passengers within the airport is cited as a cause that hinders the on-time departure of the airplane. Photo by Asia Economy Database

Additionally, passengers denied boarding must pay a fee of 100 euros (approximately 160,000 won) to use the next available flight. Ryanair introduced this regulation to prevent flight delays caused by late baggage check-in and to ensure the on-time operation of over 3,000 daily flights. Even if a passenger manages to check in baggage just in time under the "40-minute rule," they may still miss their flight if the gate is far away or if security checks are delayed. Ryanair closes boarding 20 minutes before departure.