The stated connection time for my typical EDI-KRK hovers around 1 hour. On a recent trip we arrived 25 mins late into FRA and I faced very long queues at security, many pax with a SHOCON and a departure from a high-numbered A gate which meant maximum distance from arriving from EDI to departing to KRK. I ran through the tunnel and I could hear the flight closing announcement when I made it to the A gates. I was the last pax to board and the GA told me they would have waited 1 further minute.

I was wondering from a rebooking and compensation point of view where the obligation lies for a pax to run to make the connection. It wasn't my fault the flight arrived 25 mins late or that LH (but of course they all do this) sell connections that are very tight for competitive reasons. If it were my mother, an unfit friend or my elderly grandfather there would be no chance I could have made this connection- would we be SOL? If the GA saw I was a sweating fat man, they would understand, but a fit chap I am asked why I didn’t run…?

The MCT is 45 mins, so if a connection drops below that and with an on-time departure does that automatically obligate a free rebooking/accommodation and perhaps compensation?

It would get very finicky if we start to discuss why some pax make it and others don’t. Fitness, familiarity with the airport, class of travel giving rise to priority access, proximity to exits at disembarkation-pax in Row 1 and others at 33. In future, I don’t want to have this stress, I want to move at a walking pace and push the obligation to the carrier to get me to my destination if they fail to arrive into the hub on time.

The gist of my question is what element of this is based on rules and facts vs the judgement of a GA.