“That would be a free stay…”
A woman says she almost missed her flight because the hotel couldn’t locate her rental car keys after she opted for valet parking.
In a brief TikTok, Mik (@totallythriving1) reveals herself impatiently waiting in the hotel lobby while the staff tries to locate her rental keys.
“POV: you woke up at 4 a.m. to get to your 5:40 a.m. flight and the hotel LOST your rental car keys so you can’t leave and you’re about to miss your flight,” the on-screen caption reads.
This TikTok went viral with over 109,700 views as of this writing.
In an update post, Mik provides us with a proper follow-up story. “We made it to the destination, so I made my flight. I literally made it to my flight one minute before boarding. I don’t know how I made it,” she says.
She elaborates on what happened to the keys and how she managed to make her flight. She began the update by speculating that the keys were in the valet worker’s pocket because the rental car had a push-to-start ignition.
“She probably just put it in her coat pocket when she walked away from bringing the car over. I saw the car. It was in the parking lot. They didn’t take the car,” she shares.
The hotel ended up getting Mik an Uber to the airport, and she received a call on the way.
“[The hotel] told me that yes, [the keys] were in the girl’s pocket in her coat,” she reveals.
Luckily, Mik reports that everything worked out, and the car was returned a few hours after the ordeal.
Some people think she should get more than an “I’m sorry” over the inconvenience.
“I work in hotels, that would be a free stay + so much money I hope you got that bag,” one person said.
“Ya well they gave me NOTHING kuz the valet company was 3rd party,” Mik replied.
Many viewers weren’t amused by Mik’s TikToks, as they believed she did this to herself by waking up late for her flight.
“This is why you don’t wake up at 4 for a 540 flight,” one commenter said.
“As a seasoned person, you were already late when you woke up… I’d rather be sitting at my terminal 1 hour before my flight than sitting at the hotel mad at the world, and now you still have to drop off the rental,” another shared.
“If your flight is at 5:40 a.m., you should be at the airport at 3:40 a.m.,” a third added.
Some commenters said Mik’s wake-up time agreed was totally fine.
“You can tell the comment section doesn’t fly often. 4am is plenty of time to get to a 5:40am flight,” one commented.
Meanwhile, others provided insight on how to handle the situation next time.
“Call the rental car company, tell them it needs to be retrieved from hotel because of hotel lacking, grab a cab and get a receipt. The hotel can pay all those fees,” one suggested.
Considering many commenters couldn’t get over the fact that Mik woke up at 4 a.m. for a 5:40 a.m. flight, it’s worth going over what experts say about when you should get to the airport.
When determining what time to arrive, many factors come into play. These include whether it’s a domestic or international flight, if you’re checking bags, the airport size, the day of the week and time of year, the number of people you’re traveling with, your commute time, and expedited security features (like TSA PreCheck or CLEAR).
Most airlines suggest arriving at the airport two hours before departure for domestic flights, Travel + Leisure reports. Many people have adopted this tip as the end-all be-all rule for flying.
However, some argue the two-hour rule is a myth, and some believe the conspiracy that the rule is in place to encourage people to shop more.
“Airports generally take a cut of retail sales on top of per square foot rent payments. And the higher the sales, the bigger those lease rates they can charge. Airlines generally share in this revenue,” per View From The Wing.
NerdWallet reports that the conventional two hours before flight time is valid. AAA also agrees with this rule of thumb.
Lisa Farbstein, a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson, recommends doing the same, as does Travel + Leisure.
However, it is also suggested that not everyone will need this much time.
“Someone who has TSA PreCheck, is traveling with just a carry-on and is departing from a small airport may find less than the recommendation is suitable for their needs and comfort level,” per NerdWallet.
Most travel experts will agree with the two-hour rule, but of course, there are nuances with anything. This rule is suggested so that if anything were to come up, there is buffer time to adjust, as modern-day travel has become more complicated.
If you are a seasoned traveler who doesn’t want to wait hours at the airport, you can arrive later with expedited security check-in services and without checking bags. However, you may be rolling the dice on making your fight, particularly during holidays or busy travel times.
Motor1 has contacted Mik via email and TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if she responds.
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