What Do Dreams of Missing a Plane Mean?

It’s finally the morning of your holiday. You’re flying off to Brazil, a country you’ve been dying to visit for years. And with all your luggage packed, making the flight should be a doddle. A few minutes after the 6am alarm you and your partner are already on the way to the airport. Now you just need to locate the long-stay carpark, which you’ve cleverly booked in advance – what well prepared travellers!

But when you arrive (with a little time to spare) you realise finding the right carpark won’t be easy – driving round and around the outskirts of the airport in increasing desperation. It takes so long to locate a parking spot that you’re now running late. Dashing to the departure gate, you’re told that luggage check in closed five minutes ago and you won’t be allowed on the flight. You fight back the tears as your dream holiday is now going to be just that – a dream.

Then you wake up. It was all just a horrible nightmare. But just what could it mean?

There are all sorts of different kinds of dreams about missing a flight that may, or may not, involve being unable to get your seat in time or a desperate argument with the gate agent.

The variations of this dream include clear depictions of possible events and those which may be seen to provide you with guidance. Your dream might include a message for your life or you may see yourself making a choice that relates to a choice you need to make in reality. Here we explore more precise meanings of each of these variations.

Missing a flight is first and foremost an anxiety dream. If you’re unlucky enough to experience this dream it’s likely you have a fear of losing something very important to you, whether that’s a person, a thing or an opportunity. The dream could be useful, however, as it may reveal an anxiety about something that’s buried in your subconscious and it could enable you to work on putting it right. According to Journey into Dreams, “The airplane in the dream can quite possibly be a symbol for someone or something in your life that is absent. Is there someone in your life who you miss?” If you have this dream it could be worth considering why you might miss this person, especially at this present time.

If you’ve ever dreamed of forgetting an important document at home – your passport perhaps – which forced you to run back home from the airport, causing you to miss your flight, it is a reflection of your overly chaotic life. According to Dreaming and Sleeping, “You don’t have time for yourself and plan things well in advance, forcing you to do most of the tasks last minute and without any proper plan. It would be best if you could take a break and charge your mental, emotional, and physical battery.”

If you’ve ever dreamed of running in a mad panic to catch a flight the dream is said to indicate that  you wish your problems will be solved. As a result, it could be time to finally take action. Don’t listen to other people’s advice and what’s best for you, instead ask yourself what you really want to achieve from life.

There’s nothing more anxiety-raising and deeply frustrating than losing a plane ticket just when you need it to fly. As such, these dreams are said to represent chaos and confusion in your waking life. According to Dream About Meaning, “You need to express your frustrations and negative feelings in a safe and constructive way.”