PORTLAND, Ore. – United Airlines passenger Richard Thomas waited in a ticket line for two and a half hours on Tuesday, but he won’t be able to get on a plane until Wednesday.

“I have four small children with me and my father,” said Thomas. “You know, tick tock, this costs money.”

Passengers said they followed United Airlines rules and showed up an hour before their flight was scheduled to depart. But they never made it to the counter because of an enormous line.

They said a lack of staff caused a backup that caused them to miss their flight.

“They were rude, we were late and that’s it,” said Karen Stacey. “We were late, it was our fault.”

When passengers tried to argue, they said their efforts were squashed.

“She jumped out of nowhere and she said that if we complained we were starting a riot,” said Stacey.

The United Airlines supervisor said a passenger yelled at her and that the passengers did not check-in early enough so the standby passengers got their seats. United Airline representatives said Portland staff did not indicate there was a problem with long lines.

In these situations, AAA’s airline experts said the airline should put you on another flight for free, even if it’s another carrier. You might need to talk to a manager, but the airline is not required to do this.

AAA also advised passengers to get to the airport with at least 90 minutes to spare, since August is a huge travel month.

Also, passengers can check-in for their flight online. You can do it 24 hours in advance and skip the long lines.