Proper planning and prep will help ensure you make your flight

Last week, when my daughter, Kaley, flew from San Francisco to Chicago, she sat next to a man whose travel plans were up in the air, both literally and figuratively. Here's what happened.

Dave, a businessman who travels every week, got caught in traffic on his way to the airport. He arrived at his gate just in time to see his flight take off without him.

The agent booked Dave on another flight scheduled to leave in two hours. Not wanting to miss his second flight, he checked his ticket for the gate assignment and headed for gate 28, where he set up his traveling office. Five minutes before his scheduled departure, his flight was still not boarding. Concerned, Dave checked with the gate agent. Dave's flight was boarding, but at the other end of the airport. Seems Dave read his ticket wrong. Twenty-eight wasn't his gate. It was his seat assignment.

Three hours later, Dave boarded a flight to Raleigh, N.C. with a ground stop in Chicago. He should have had forty-five minutes to catch the last flight to Raleigh. But when the Raleigh-bound flight took off, Dave was over Chicago in a holding pattern. So was his meeting in Raleigh.

Several years ago, I met a man on a flight headed for Miami. He didn't miss the flight. He missed the boat. Seems he punched the wrong date into his Palm Pilot. The boat was on the high seas while he was at 35,000 feet feeling quite low.

According to travel agent Judy Barr, when it comes to air travel, because of crowded highways and airports and long security lines, more passengers are missing their flights. But it doesn't have to be that way. With some careful planning, when your plane takes off, so should you. Here's how:

Plan ahead. Under good conditions, the drive to the airport may be only 30 minutes. Murphy's Law says when you go to the airport it will take two hours. Give yourself time. Or better yet, use public transportation. Take the Blue Line from Chicago's Loop and you'll be at the airport within a half hour. Take the Kennedy and you may be watching your plane takeoff over your car.

Print your boarding pass early. Ticket counters are understaffed and lines move slowly. Most airlines let you print your boarding pass at home. If you don't have a printer, look for the kiosks at the airport.

Find alternative security lines. If the security lines looks like it rivals Disneyworld, ask if there's another one. At Chicago O'Hare, the central security line at American Airlines sometimes snakes all the way to the door. Walk down toward Delta Air Lines, and you may zip right through it.

Get to your gate early. There was a time when the airlines waited to the last minute to close their doors. Not anymore. Many carriers now board their aircraft 30 minutes before departure. Some close their doors 10 minutes early.

Be aware. Gate assignments change. Check the boards often for your flight schedule. And read your ticket carefully. Missing a flight is not only inconvenient, it's expensive. Last minute flight changes can double the cost of a trip and cause you a boatload of trouble.