Missing your connection

Missed connections happen all the time. be it weather, be it a mechanical issue, flights sometimes don’t run on time. There are some strategies that can help get you to your destination quicker. A tool that we have found extremely useful for managing a missed connection is a TripIt Pro subscription. The app will actively monitor your flights and connections and notify you if there’s a problem. One tap will bring up a list of alternate flights, and even show you if there may or may not be any seats available on that flight. We’ve used this feature many times, and it’s helped speed up the process, giving us more options to get to where we were going. It also has the benefit of showing different routing options that the agent or you may not be able to think of right away.

In the case of connecting flights, many airlines automatically rebook you on the next available flight, when the computer systems see that there’s a potential misconnect. If you have internet access, check your booking on the airline website and see if this is the case, when you know you’re going to be late. If your flight has WiFi, accessing the airline’s own homepage is often free. All you have to do is confirm the options, and go to a kiosk to print a new boarding pass. Sadly though, this doesn’t always work, and in busy travel periods the next available flight may be on the next day. Going to a counter and speaking to an agent is your best option there. And they may be able to offer you a good rate at a local hotel; or if the delay was caused by the airline, many times they will pay for your accommodation and meals during the delay. European Airlines, as well as other airlines flying from a European airport have a set of rules that cover what the airline is responsible for, but they aren’t always willing to comply. Be sure to ask for the pamphlet, or information concerning your rights when faced with these situations.