Brits’ love of punctuality is alive and well according to a poll by travel add-ons company HolidayExtras.com.

In a recent poll of its customers, 69 per cent said when they’re flying, they’re always at the departure gate in plenty of time, and a shocking 17 per cent of people think that those who are late to board should be fined at least £50.

It seems that women are more tolerant than men when it comes to tardiness on a plane with five per cent more men than women admitting they would like to fine late comers, it seems women understand the lure of duty free more than men do.

A whopping 83 per cent of people said they have never missed a flight, with traffic on the way to the airport, bad weather, out-of-date passports, missing visas and getting carried away in duty free being the main reasons for planes taking off without some travellers.

Ben Alexander, HolidayExtras.com’s head of marketing, said: “It’s great that Brits are so punctual however the figures still show that almost one in ten people have missed a flight because of traffic on the way to the airport.

“You can’t predict what the traffic’s going to be like, but you can avoid the risk of a missed flight by booking an airport hotel. At some airports HolidayExtras.com also offers fast track security, which you can add to your hotel or parking booking.”