That's a good point. At US airport there's usually some one at the beginning of the queue to direct people to the right place. That would be a good person to talk to.

In general I think there are a lot of variables. If you're on an international flight there may not be another flight option that day. So I've been on many flights that are held waiting for connecting pax. It also helps if you're flying first or business class. In F class you will sometimes be met on the jetway or just inside the terminal by an airline employee with a sign who will help expedite you. At NRT on a late arriving TG flight once I was met by an ANA staff member who hustled me through transit security all the way to UA's gate. She was on the radio letting them know we were on the way. In that case I was flying in F class which probably made a difference.