What happened: You arrived at the airport with what you thought was plenty of time, but the check-in and security lines were so long that the plane left you behind.

What the airline should do for you: Airlines routinely advise passengers to get to the airport at least an hour prior to departure for domestic flights and two or three hours before international ones and that’s all they’re obligated to do. If you don’t arrive early enough, the airline owes you nothing.

Next time: A good travel agent can warn you of potential logjams. When flying from an airport you’ve never used before, leave yourself extra time in case of unexpected obstacles. Getting your boarding pass online or using an automated check-in kiosk will save you time as well. If all else fails, it certainly doesn’t hurt to let security know that you’re late for your flight. You may be allowed to move to the front of the line.