Here's what to do if you miss your connecting flight

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When you're reuniting with a loved one or landing at a destination you've always wanted to visit, the airport can be a place of great joy. But when you miss your connecting flight, it can be quite the opposite.

It's possible to miss a connecting flight for a variety of reasons, from things that are out of your control like weather, sickness, staffing and mechanical issues, to human error, such as when you lose track of time or booking flights with a too-tight connection window. Regardless of the reason, your No. 1 priority should be getting booked on a new flight and getting to your destination.

Here's how to get rebooked quickly and determine if you are eligible for compensation from the airline, along with some expert tips for avoiding this situation when it is in your control.

Getting rebooked on a new flight

As soon as you learn that you will miss your connecting flight, it's time to find a new way to get where you are going. It's best to start searching for available flights before you contact customer service — this can expedite the rebooking process.

"Anticipating you may need to rebook your flight if you miss your connection, it’s best to start getting all of the information you need to rebook. Have your flight details, booking reference and personal ID ready, so you can rebook as soon as you’re able to connect with the airline," Eric Napoli, chief legal officer of AirHelp (a company that helps passengers claim compensation for canceled and delayed flights), told The Points Guy.

Luckily, there are multiple options for getting in touch with your airline and getting rebooked. Keep in mind that if you booked a codeshare flight, you will probably need to speak with the airline you booked the ticket through, not the operating airline.

If you are at the airport, you can visit your carrier's nearest customer service desk and speak with an agent to find a new flight. However, if your connecting flight was canceled, there may be dozens of other people attempting to do the same.

"If the line to speak with the airline staff is already long, passengers can contact the airline via phone, mobile app or social media. Many airlines can rebook over the phone or directly through their app, allowing passengers to bypass the line and get assistance even quicker," Napoli said.

Some airlines, including Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, have customer service phone numbers exclusively for loyalty members. These usually have shorter wait times than the general customer service numbers. If you booked your flight through a travel agent, you should reach out to them for assistance. Many airlines also now have live online chat or text functions that can save you time. Have those customer numbers handy.

There may also be an international phone number that will have shorter wait times.

Some travelers have even had luck visiting the airline's check-in counter to get rebooked, but you will have to go through security again if you are able to get on a new flight for the same day.

If you have access to the airline's lounge, the larger clubs for Delta, American or United oftentimes have agents that can help rebook you as well. That is reason enough sometimes to make getting lounge access a priority for frequent travelers.

If the airline cancels your connecting flight, it may automatically rebook you on the next available flight. If this happens, you should receive a text or push notification with the new flight information.

If you miss your flight and there are no additional flights that day with open seats, you may be able to stand by for a flight later that day. Policies vary per airline, but you can speak with a gate agent or customer service representative to be added to the waitlist.

If you cannot secure a new flight with your original carrier, you can search for alternate flights on a budget airline or use airline miles to book a last-minute ticket to your destination. In this scenario, you may not be eligible for any type of reimbursement, but it may be the quickest way to get where you are going.

If you know that you will miss your connecting flight while you are still on your first flight, don't wait until you land to take action. According to Napoli, you should speak with a flight attendant right away.

"The flight attendants are likely to have updated information about passengers’ connecting flights," he said. "They can also advise on the flight’s status, gate information and what to do once you land. In some cases, the flight attendant can inform the pilot or the ground crew about the situation to delay the departure of the connecting flight."

Diane Dupont, a flight attendant for French Bee, a low-cost, long-haul airline based in Paris, shared similar advice.

"As a flight attendant, I often get help requests on board concerning connecting flights. There are two ways in which we can help," Dupont said. "If the passenger booked their connecting flight with the same airline or a partner airline, we can begin assisting them right away and direct them to see a ground member when we land."

In some cases, if it's too late to book a connecting flight that day, the ground staff can help passengers book a hotel or find a flight departing on a later date.

"In the second scenario, if the passenger has yet to book the second flight with the same company, we try to find passengers with a tight connection an empty seat closer to the front or middle door to save them time when we disembark. In an A350-1000 with 480 passengers on board, you can gain up to 25 minutes when you disembark first compared to the last ones," she said.

Do you have to pay to change your flight if you miss your connection?

Depending on who is at fault for your missed flight (yourself or the airline), you may be able to secure a new flight without paying an additional fee. If you missed your connection because it was canceled or the first leg of your flight was delayed, you should be able to get on a new flight without penalty. If you were at fault, you may have to pay for your new seat.

When you speak to a customer service representative, ask them if the airline charges a rebooking fee or if you will have to pay a fare difference for your new flight. These situations are often addressed on a case-by-case basis, so even if you are at fault, the airline may take pity on you and rebook you without any additional charges.

If you booked your trip with a credit card that offers trip delay reimbursement or purchased a travel insurance policy, you may be eligible to claim covered change fees under your policy.

What happens to your checked baggage if you miss a connecting flight?

If you miss a connecting flight because of a delay or cancellation, the airline should automatically reroute your bag to your new plane if it rebooks the flight for you.

If you are at fault for missing the connecting flight, your baggage may go on without you and you will need to visit the luggage services office at your final destination to collect your luggage.

Are you entitled to compensation or accommodations?

woman at airport checking departure boards — KASTO80/GETTY IMAGES

If the missed connection was within your control, you probably won't be eligible to claim compensation or accommodations like meals or a hotel stay. If you miss your connection because of a delayed or canceled flight, the airline may be required to provide you with things like meals and a hotel.

Compensation for domestic flights

If you miss your connecting flight because your original flight was delayed or the second leg of your flight was delayed overnight or canceled, you may be entitled to certain accommodations per the U.S. Department of Transportation's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard.

While U.S. airlines aren't required to provide cash compensation for delayed or canceled flights, most will provide meal vouchers, hotel accommodations and ground transportation to affected passengers when the delay or cancellation is within the airline's control (such as when the delay or cancellation is due to something other than weather). You should be eligible to receive a meal voucher for a delay of three hours or more, but hotel accommodations and ground transportation are only available for overnight delays.

However, this doesn't mean you can buy a surf-and-turf dinner or book a room at the nearest Four Seasons resort if your flight is canceled or delayed. You will need to speak with an airline customer service representative and follow their instructions for meals, hotel accommodations and ground transportation. Airlines often partner with hotels close to the airport to provide overnight stays to stranded passengers.

If the airline significantly delays (usually by three or more hours) or cancels your flight for any reason (including weather) and you choose not to accept the alternate flight offered, you are entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket, per the DOT.

Compensation for international flights

For flights within the European Union, flights departing from the EU to the U.S. (and other countries), and the connecting flights you book within the U.S. are all eligible for compensation unless the delay was caused by "extraordinary circumstances." These circumstances include weather, political strife, air traffic control decisions that are out of the airline's control and security risks.

"Missing a connecting flight is a nightmare setback on a long journey," Napoli said. "But if you are traveling to or from Europe you might be protected by regulation EU261. If you miss a connecting flight due to a flight delay, cancellation or being denied boarding, you could be entitled to up to 600 euros compensation. A simple way to find out if you are owed compensation is to use AirHelp’s eligibility checker."

Trip interruption insurance

Trip delay insurance may help in the case of a missed connection. Some credit cards come with built-in trip delay reimbursement that can help you recoup reasonable costs incurred from a significant delay or cancellation and other reasons, including illness.

The required length of the delay and the maximum coverage amount varies per card, but these built-in policies come in handy for weather-related delays that airlines don't provide accommodations for or miscellaneous expenses like clothing or toiletries.

For example, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) have trip interruption reimbursement policies that cover eligible expenses of up to $500 per ticket for delays of six hours or more.

If you purchased an optional travel insurance policy, you should also be able to submit a claim for reimbursement for a missed connection, though what is considered a "covered event" varies per policy.

For any of these, be sure to keep the receipts (and take photos of them for backup) to expedite the reimbursement process when you file a claim.

How to avoid missing a connecting flight

Some missed connections can't be avoided, like when the airline cancels your flight due to bad weather or when the first leg of your flight is delayed. But, to avoid controllable missed connections, you need to give yourself enough time to travel through the airport from your arrival gate to your departure gate.

According to Napoli, the timing depends on the airport, the airline and whether it’s a domestic or international flight. "For domestic flights, one hour is the minimum I would recommend," he said. One and a half or two hours would be best to provide a buffer for any unexpected flight disruptions. For international flights, one and a half to two hours is the minimum I would recommend. However, three hours is ideal for international flights."

person running in airport — UPPERCUT IMAGES/ GETTY IMAGES

Dupont recommends an even bigger buffer. "If passengers are traveling on a long-haul flight with the same company, I recommend two hours between the flights," she said. "But if the second flight is on another airline, I would schedule more time, about four hours, in case of a delay. Also, due to international flying requirements, passengers need to allow time for baggage claim and rechecking bags if they checked a bag while flying there."

There are times when the airline will show you flight options with connection times under an hour. Keep in mind that just because you can book these flights doesn't mean you should. If there are any hiccups with the first leg of your flight, you may not have enough time to make it to your connecting gate.

If you are dealing with an ongoing flight delay, it's important that you stay near your gate and check in about every 15 minutes. If the flight is able to leave earlier than expected and you aren't near the gate at the new departure time, you could find yourself left behind.

Bottom line

No matter how carefully you plan or how often you travel, it's still possible to miss a connecting flight. The good news is that most airlines already have procedures in place to help you get on a new flight as quickly as possible and provide compensation to eligible travelers.

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