itchyfeet123

Mostly a hypothetical question. I know that in general if a passenger misconnects, and the connection met the MCT and was on the same ticket, the airline will rebook on a later flight. But what responsibility does the passenger have to get between gates as quickly as possible? It seems reasonable to think the passenger should be able to walk not run, or make a quick stop at the restroom. On the other hand, it doesn't seem reasonable they should be able to browse in a store, order a beer, etc.

Do the airlines have any rules in this area? And any real way to identify people who don't qualify to rebooked if there are any rules?

aBroadAbroad

As this is a general travel-related topic, the thread has been moved to the more appropriate TravelBuzz forum for discussion.

Thanks.

~Moderator, Information Desk

nrr

I fly on AA: generally the minimum connection times are from 35 to 40 minutes for domestic to domestic. In some cases, like ORD and MIA (even walking at a fast pace may be not enough). At http://flyerguide.com/Minimum_Connecting_Times_(AA) you can see rules (and exceptions) for AA, you can choose other airlines too.
I once arrived at ORD at an L gate (not normally used by AA) and was connecting to a flight out of a G (high number) gate...slow paced walking would not work.

MSPeconomist

Sometimes passengers who travel a lot know what connecting times are reasonable in particular circumstances, including consideration of the likelihood that the first flight will be delayed due to seasonal weather problems, etc. Someone on the DL forum has recently suggested the concept of Sensible Connection Time, abbreviated SCT. Airlines and travel agents (including OLTAs, who are the source of many problems in this area) shouldn't offer itineraries that violate reasonable SCTs but passengers also shouldn't blindly accept them. It's also bad when reservations agents either want to save time by not giving people details of their connections, just departure time and arrival time at destination, when tickets are being purchased or again to save time and sell tickets, they automatically reassure the person that since the connection is legal it must be fine.

During a very busy holiday travel day in the middle of the NW/DL merger, I sat next to a father trying to get home for Christmas who was horrified to discover when he found his next boarding pass as we were landing that his connection time at MSP was minus eleven minutes. I'm pretty surre it was the last flight of the night to his destination and the airport monitors didn't show any delayed flights to his destination, so I suspect he had a hard time going standby the following day. The problem likely was just a computer glitch, but still one suspects that he failed to check his itinerary at ticketing or later, including during OLCI.

So, as I see it, there's a shared responsibility that begins long before the airport.

A further aspect is that anyone with mobility problems or who is traveling with a family should obviously allow more time while those who can walk fast and know the airport might do well with risky connections.

fassy

I guess the question is not if a traveler should worry about MCTs or some SCT concept. As I understand it, the question is if the airline can deny free rebooking since a pax didn't walk fast enough through the airport or spend too much time browsing through shops.

To be honest, travelling every week I never ever thought about it but it is indeed an interesting question.

lighthand

From my experience most airlines allow 1 hour gate to gate for international flights. At some airports, they will allow for more time if it means getting from one terminal to the next.

Artpen100

It is best to not book connections that are too tight and it might be an issue, but things can go wrong. When they do, if possible I will ask the FA on the first planeto let them know I am coming (I don't think this usually does anything, but can't hurt), I do run to the next gate, and I try to know where that gate is and how to get there from the gate I am landing at (gateguru has good maps, as might the inflight magazine). This is especially true for an international connection, and when I am trying to keep a business class upgrade. There will still be times when you don't make it, and if the connection was on the same PNR, they will rebook, but it is not always a smooth process, so worth making an effort to avoid it. That said, there are worse places to kill 6 hours than most large international airports. But if there are no more flights that day (also, it is a good idea to be aware of potential backup flights - staff are not always good at finding them, especially if not on their metal), having to stay overnight is generally unpleasant.

I think the first time someone misses a flight because they opted to do some shopping or grab a nice meal in the airport is probably the last.

jrl767

absolutely no argument here

not everyone is as travel-savvy as most of the FT community, and not everyone wants (or knows) to take a little extra time before booking -- and again before actually traveling -- to think through a couple scenarios and recovery plans for when a simple (or at least a well-choreographed) trip might go elliptical

lighthand

One of the safest way that I always advice my friends, is to book the flight vie only one airline. Even if the connecting flight has to be vie a different airline.

Once you do that the ticket that's issued by the airline, is deemed as being a possible to use ticket. Meaning reasonable transit time have been accounted for. So unless you spend too much time in the duty-free, bar, spa, etc. the airline will make the necessary arrangements if you miss your flight.

Once I missed my flight due to the extremely long security check at DXB, and arrived at the gate 15 mins late (this was even after I told the security that my name was the one being PAed all over the airport).

The next available flight was the following day, so the airline which I booked with arrange for accommodation, Visa, meals and transport just so I don't need to camp at the airport.

Btw the follow on flight was with a different carrier, but flight arrangement was made through only one airline's agent.

CALlegacy

No one has yet answered the question how often an airline will deny rebooking based on their assessment that then passenger didn't move fast enough to reach the connecting gate. It is assumed that MCT is met and that all flights are on time. We have had a statement that everything will be ok if the passenger does not dwaddle in shops or lounges on the way. We have not addressed slow walkers, medical issues, etc. or failure to use carts, request wheelchairs (that don't show up), etc. Also while advising to arrange longer than MCT is absolutely valid, that is still not an answer to the OP question.

I think the answer is that they would never deny rebooking short of something completely out of hand such as talking to no one, going to a hotel, and showing up two days later expecting to be put on a flight.

For myself, it has never happened that I have not been rebooked, but it has also never happened that I haven't moved "fast enough." The closest personal experience was a late arrival in DTW, we ran, the flight was buttoned up, they opened the door to the airplane by going down the jetway and pounding on the fuselage behind the cockpit window, that on NW.

pinniped

Well, we probably aren't going to find exactly what you're looking for listed in the contract of carriage.

An airline isn't going to abandon your grandmother in a connecting city as some sort of misconnected "Terminal Man" because she walked too slowly to her gate. How well they handle rebooking her is of course the bigger variable.

I think the main distinction is this, and it doesn't matter whether the passenger was booked at MCT or some sort of theoretical Flyertalk-approved SCT: if the airline was somehow at fault - either their mechanical delay or their missing wheelchair assistant or whatever - then Grandma has a better chance of being rebooked into confirmed space on the next available routing to the destination regardless of airline. If it was a case where everything was on time and she stopped for a few beers and missed the connection, then it's likely to be standby on the original carrier only.

In practice, I can see it getting messy if it's a missing wheelchair assistant. Those aren't airline employees, so everybody would naturally try to blame everyone else and the passenger could get hosed.

CALlegacy

Then the reply we need is someone(s) with examples of airlines not allowing a confirmed rebooking because "You were too slow." An alternative might be an example of "You were later than x hours after your last flight actually arrived."

I bet no one has an example.

Catusa

One time I had the minimum connect time at CDG and I misconnected. AF rebooked me for free but told me they thought I should have made it (BTW I was travelling with three young kids in tow) so refused to pay for meals or accomodation until the next flt. My inbound had only been a couple minutes late, whereas pax next to me who also misconnected but were on a late inbound were given a meal and hotel.

KVS

There are no specific requirements with regard to the walking speed or the duration of restroom stops. Standard misconnect procedures would apply, unless the delay is truly extraordinary (e.g. if a PAX leaves the airport and shows-up a few days later).

Zeeb

Over the years I've had occasions where a delayed flight didn't cause me to violate minimum connection time, and I could have run to the next gate, but due to whatever reason (a sprained ankle making it hard to run, needing to make a bathroom stop, no time to grab even packaged food between flights, etc...) I chose not to and I've never had any trouble still getting put onto a later flight if I called while walking through the terminal.