librarygal

Next month I will be connecting in Miami on the way home to the last flight of the evening to DCA after spending a week in South America.

The lines at immigration and customs in Miami are legendary and I suspect the hour and a half we have between flights will not be enough. We will likely miss our flights home and have to spend a $100 out of our own pocket for a hotel (or camp out in the Airport all night) until we can get a flight the next day.

We have travel insurance, with trip interruption (missed connection) coverage but I suspect that will not pay for our hotel in Miami because the connecting flight from MIA to DCA will leave on time (and I will arrive in Miami on-time) but the lines at Immigration and Customs and the TSA security lines will not allow me to get to the gate on-time to get me on my last flight to DCA.

Will travel insurance help me? Advice?

Tchiowa

It varies from insurance package to insurance package. Most say something like "accident or bad weather" but if you pay enough I'm pretty sure you can insure anything.

contecsa

What day of the week? Do you have priority status? Have you ever had TSA precheck before? What airline?

librarygal

The flight will be on Wednesday November 26th.
No, I don't have priority status, nor do I have TSA Pre-Check. It will be on American Airlines and I come in the same time a number of large wide body flights come in from other international destinations.

(There is a thousand postings on Flyer Talk about the terrible situation in Miami with Immigration, Customs and TSA lines. That is a given. My question assumes we miss the connection, then what and will standard travel insurance pay for my over night hotel needed because the flight we are going to miss is the last one in the evening.)

Redhead

Can you change your flight to arrive in Miami earlier? Is the cost to change less than the cost of hotel and food from being stuck in Miami?

Often1

Doubtful that any insurance covers delays at CBP, but it is worth looking. There are no general answers to these things.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

First check to see if the time meets the required connection time. One of the big problems with online tickets is that you can book connections that do not meet the minimum required times. Typically two hours are required when going from an international to a domestic flight.

If it does not meet the minimum time the airline can be responsible for any delay. We once had a similar situation. Delta paid for the hotel. However, we had to submit it for reimbursement. The GA could not issue a voucher because it incoming flight was on time as was the out going. YMMV

s0ssos

It isn't TSA precheck, it is global entry. Get it and you will be off plane and in baggage claim in less than 10 min (happened for me)

librarygal

Has ANYONE here been successful using your travel insurance missed connection feature when flights were on time but you just were not able to make it across the terminal on time due to any issue? (Immigration, TSA lines, crowds, a bad leg, slow walking traveling partner, etc.

pinniped

Considering a primary mission of any travel insurance company is to avoid paying claims, I'm going to guess they'll find an "out" on this one.

Your flight landed ontime. Your connection took off ontime. It was a single PNR, therefore an acceptable connecting time for that airport. That's going to be the insurer's response.

udontknowme

+1

Insurance can serve a purpose, when you have a lot to lose and can't afford the loss. Otherwise, insurance is a bet against yourself with a high vig and with the stakes held and decisions made by your not-disinterested counter-party.

TacaCopaFlyer

Your date of travel, Wednesday 26 Nov. is also the day before Thanksgiving, one of the heaviest travel days of the year. I've entered through IAH last year with less time on the day before, but would not attempt that connection time in Miami.

Rebooking for Thursday may not be a sure thing either.

HelloKittysMum

If its a through ticket and meets the minimum connection then won't any arrangements if you miss the connection be down to the airline?

Often1

This is entirely unclear and the it is especially the use of the term "through ticket". The issue at hand is whether OP is connecting at MIA or not on a single ticket. That's all that matters.

If his inbound arrives on schedule and his outbound connection departs on schedule, but OP misses the flight, it is unclear that AA has any responsibility. However, as a practical matter, carriers do rebook when people get held up at CBP. It's just accepted and it will happen here.

OP's problem is that his departure is the last flight of the night and he faces a hotel + meals if he noshows for his onward connection.

My view is that even if insurance might cover this, it is not worth it unless you fly these types of connections a lot.

OskiBear

As with most things insurance-related, it's tough to answer without reading the policy. I'd suggest the OP read the policy carefully or provide a link to the form for the forum. Many of these policies can be reviewed in advance before purchasing - I would refuse to purchase any policy I cannot easily obtain and read prior to committing.