How does BA handle misconnects making you miss a following long range flights?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Germany
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How does BA handle misconnects making you miss a following long range flights?
Hi,
I just realized a potential problem so I'm worried about my flights:
I am booked on
BA903 FRA-LHR (10:55-11:50) + (connecting time 1:05 h)
BA766 LHR-OSL (12:55-16:10)
next week and just now I realized that a connecting time of only 1 hour (and 5 minutes) might not work in case of a delay, because the reason for me to visit OSL is actually catching an
18:00 flight: TK 1754 OSL-IST 18:00-22:55 for a long range flight next day, which was 1.500 Euro cheaper than starting the TK flights in FRA (promotion from OSL).
It seems like BA903 is on time 83%, and even the average delay of 26 minutes for most other cases might just barely work to catch my BA766 connection. I have no idea if I have to switch terminals or pass security again at LHR.
But what would BA do if BA903 (the first one of their flights) is delayed?
1.) Would they hold the connecting flight BA766 for a few minutes and escort me there (I am booked in CW / business and I am a oneworld emerald)?
2.) What would they do if a delay of BA903 would cause a misconnection so I miss BA766?
There is no other OW/*A flight that would make it to OSL in time to reach my TK flight for the next ticket. And that TK fare is only valid from OSL.
Everything would be fine if they would
a.) rebook me on a later flight to OSL and talk to TK to change my first segment to the next early morning flight OSL-IST so I'd reach my long range flight there (TK flight times next morning would work, only the TK ticket is not changeable in the current fare class. I would even pay for the hotel in OSL as long as my TK flight stays valid).
b.) rebook me on a flight to IST and make sure my TK ticket stays valid although I can't fly the first segment (OSL-IST-IAH-IST-OSL), or
c.) change my first segment with TK to LHR-IST instead of OSL-IST, again making sure the ticket stays valid although LHR-IST-IAH-IST-OSL would be much more expensive.
Thanks for any advice that would make me worry less (or show me what might work just in case...),
zap!
I just realized a potential problem so I'm worried about my flights:
I am booked on
BA903 FRA-LHR (10:55-11:50) + (connecting time 1:05 h)
BA766 LHR-OSL (12:55-16:10)
next week and just now I realized that a connecting time of only 1 hour (and 5 minutes) might not work in case of a delay, because the reason for me to visit OSL is actually catching an
18:00 flight: TK 1754 OSL-IST 18:00-22:55 for a long range flight next day, which was 1.500 Euro cheaper than starting the TK flights in FRA (promotion from OSL).
It seems like BA903 is on time 83%, and even the average delay of 26 minutes for most other cases might just barely work to catch my BA766 connection. I have no idea if I have to switch terminals or pass security again at LHR.
But what would BA do if BA903 (the first one of their flights) is delayed?
1.) Would they hold the connecting flight BA766 for a few minutes and escort me there (I am booked in CW / business and I am a oneworld emerald)?
2.) What would they do if a delay of BA903 would cause a misconnection so I miss BA766?
There is no other OW/*A flight that would make it to OSL in time to reach my TK flight for the next ticket. And that TK fare is only valid from OSL.
Everything would be fine if they would
a.) rebook me on a later flight to OSL and talk to TK to change my first segment to the next early morning flight OSL-IST so I'd reach my long range flight there (TK flight times next morning would work, only the TK ticket is not changeable in the current fare class. I would even pay for the hotel in OSL as long as my TK flight stays valid).
b.) rebook me on a flight to IST and make sure my TK ticket stays valid although I can't fly the first segment (OSL-IST-IAH-IST-OSL), or
c.) change my first segment with TK to LHR-IST instead of OSL-IST, again making sure the ticket stays valid although LHR-IST-IAH-IST-OSL would be much more expensive.
Thanks for any advice that would make me worry less (or show me what might work just in case...),
zap!
#2
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Generally booking separate tickets with such a short connection is NOT a good idea. I book separate tickets 99% of the time but I allways book a flight where there are also back ups. Ba wont protect your onward journey and I doubt TK will do anything so if the BA flight is late I fear would be SOL other then EU 261 compensation if it is non weather etc
#3
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I'm guessing the two BA sectors are on the same ticket? And presumably TK on another ticket? (If it's all one ticket to IAH then the rest of this answer does not apply).
In which case BA will rebook you on to the next BA service to OSL. I can't see them rebooking you to IST, that has no similarity to the service you booked on BA, but they may put a comment on the booking - and then print it off - to show TK. Which may or may not do much good, I don't know TK's approach on this. What you did may well have been cheaper, but it kind of is cheap for a reason, you haven't paid the "insurance" cover of a single ticket. Maybe you have insurance already which does cover the misconnect issue. But if you are going with 2 tickets you really do need to allow a lot more time, not at LHR, but in OSL. After all you could still make the connection at LHR but be late into OSL and miss the TK service. If you are someone who worries about these things, you may want to investigate how to get to OSL sooner, rebooking your flight if necessary.
Having said that, the connection time - all within Terminal 5 - is fine, it's something I do very frequently. FRA and LHR are indeed both subject to connection delays, they are both runway congested, but mainly you will make that connection. No passports, just a security scan. If you minimise your hand luggage then you minimise the risk of a secondary search, which could slow you down by more than you want. In particular ensure liquids of any description whatsoever, excessive cables and PCs/iPads are out of bags, that's the overwhelming reason for secondary searches.
In OSL - well have a look at the "Back to Back" thread, about connecting in Oslo. Now that thread is about BA to BA services but BA to TK is the same process and this thread has a lot of information on it.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...tinations.html
In which case BA will rebook you on to the next BA service to OSL. I can't see them rebooking you to IST, that has no similarity to the service you booked on BA, but they may put a comment on the booking - and then print it off - to show TK. Which may or may not do much good, I don't know TK's approach on this. What you did may well have been cheaper, but it kind of is cheap for a reason, you haven't paid the "insurance" cover of a single ticket. Maybe you have insurance already which does cover the misconnect issue. But if you are going with 2 tickets you really do need to allow a lot more time, not at LHR, but in OSL. After all you could still make the connection at LHR but be late into OSL and miss the TK service. If you are someone who worries about these things, you may want to investigate how to get to OSL sooner, rebooking your flight if necessary.
Having said that, the connection time - all within Terminal 5 - is fine, it's something I do very frequently. FRA and LHR are indeed both subject to connection delays, they are both runway congested, but mainly you will make that connection. No passports, just a security scan. If you minimise your hand luggage then you minimise the risk of a secondary search, which could slow you down by more than you want. In particular ensure liquids of any description whatsoever, excessive cables and PCs/iPads are out of bags, that's the overwhelming reason for secondary searches.
In OSL - well have a look at the "Back to Back" thread, about connecting in Oslo. Now that thread is about BA to BA services but BA to TK is the same process and this thread has a lot of information on it.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...tinations.html
#5
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Could you rebook FRA-IST-IAH? It sounds like a hell of a long way round to fly FRA-LHR-OSL-IST-IAH and involving quite a lot of risks by the sound of it, assuming all or some are separate tickets.
Or, you could at least rebook yourself FRA-OSL rather than going via LHR?
Or, you could at least rebook yourself FRA-OSL rather than going via LHR?
#6
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Ouch. It all sounds too tight for comfort.
To answer your questions.
1. Highly unlikely that BA will hold a flight at Heathrow. The airport is at capacity and the implications of missing a slot too problematic.
2. You would be put on the next available flight to OSL with BA responsible for duty of care and any EU261 implications of the late arrival in OSL.
3. Re the TK flights, assuming separate tickets you are on your own there. Not BA's problem I'm afraid. You need to sort it directly with TK. Sometimes you will get a sympathetic agent, if not it could mean a new ticket.
Possibly not what you wanted to hear, sorry.
To answer your questions.
1. Highly unlikely that BA will hold a flight at Heathrow. The airport is at capacity and the implications of missing a slot too problematic.
2. You would be put on the next available flight to OSL with BA responsible for duty of care and any EU261 implications of the late arrival in OSL.
3. Re the TK flights, assuming separate tickets you are on your own there. Not BA's problem I'm afraid. You need to sort it directly with TK. Sometimes you will get a sympathetic agent, if not it could mean a new ticket.
Possibly not what you wanted to hear, sorry.
#7
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2.) What would they do if a delay of BA903 would cause a misconnection so I miss BA766?
There is no other OW/*A flight that would make it to OSL in time to reach my TK flight for the next ticket. And that TK fare is only valid from OSL.
Everything would be fine if they would
a.) rebook me on a later flight to OSL and talk to TK to change my first segment to the next early morning flight OSL-IST so I'd reach my long range flight there (TK flight times next morning would work, only the TK ticket is not changeable in the current fare class. I would even pay for the hotel in OSL as long as my TK flight stays valid).
There is no other OW/*A flight that would make it to OSL in time to reach my TK flight for the next ticket. And that TK fare is only valid from OSL.
Everything would be fine if they would
a.) rebook me on a later flight to OSL and talk to TK to change my first segment to the next early morning flight OSL-IST so I'd reach my long range flight there (TK flight times next morning would work, only the TK ticket is not changeable in the current fare class. I would even pay for the hotel in OSL as long as my TK flight stays valid).
I think that it is really risky to choose to take a tight indirect flight if you are doing positioning. If you can, I would cancel your BA ticket and buy a nonstop FRA-OSL of which there are plenty. Failing that, stick to the plan you have but if you see that your FRA-LHR is planned with some delay, I would abandon that trip and purchase a last minute (miles or expensive) FRA-OSL as the crucial thing here is that you do not miss your OSL-IST departure as you would lose a very expensive ticket.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Germany
Programs: TK elite+(*gold), Marriott Lifetime Platinum, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond, (Ex-Hyatt Diamond/Globalist)
Posts: 220
Thanks!
Thanks for your quick replies, everyone.
Well, it was not what I wanted to hear, but at least good to hear it to not ruin the trip....
I know NOW that it would have been better to not book this in this way (in fact I knew before I asked here, I just needed to know how bad it is), but now it's too late: cancelling those non refundable award tickets (on BA, booked with AB) AND booking the last available expensive ones with another airline from FRA is just too expensive for me now.
So everyone else reading in, take me as a bad example. I'm in this game far too long... I love optimizing flights and I just should have known better.
I had this incredible good TK deal in business class, it took two days to work out the schedule with my company to be able to do it, and it's done as my vacation for the first half of this year - to requalify for *gold for two more years.
And then with hotels, parking at the airport, a company meeting the day before and after the first/last flight limiting my options and the needed positioning flights, I blew my budget. So yesterday I spent 4 hours looking for other positioning flights to save 300 Euros, found this award ticket, was too excited, forgot to check the connecting time and because I didn't just buy the other FRA-OSL flight yesterday, it's now up to 500 Euros I have the non refundable partner-award with BA...
So I guess I'll try to rebook the BA award to an earlier time (not possible by the rules, I booked with AB, but If I ask politely they might give me a 24-hour grace period...), get a hotel at the airport to make that earlier flight, check my AMEX travel insurance if they'd cover it and if not I'd look for an expensive FRA-OSL flight (fully refundable for no-show) as a last resort in case all else goes wrong....
Cheers,
zap
Well, it was not what I wanted to hear, but at least good to hear it to not ruin the trip....
I know NOW that it would have been better to not book this in this way (in fact I knew before I asked here, I just needed to know how bad it is), but now it's too late: cancelling those non refundable award tickets (on BA, booked with AB) AND booking the last available expensive ones with another airline from FRA is just too expensive for me now.
So everyone else reading in, take me as a bad example. I'm in this game far too long... I love optimizing flights and I just should have known better.
I had this incredible good TK deal in business class, it took two days to work out the schedule with my company to be able to do it, and it's done as my vacation for the first half of this year - to requalify for *gold for two more years.
And then with hotels, parking at the airport, a company meeting the day before and after the first/last flight limiting my options and the needed positioning flights, I blew my budget. So yesterday I spent 4 hours looking for other positioning flights to save 300 Euros, found this award ticket, was too excited, forgot to check the connecting time and because I didn't just buy the other FRA-OSL flight yesterday, it's now up to 500 Euros I have the non refundable partner-award with BA...
So I guess I'll try to rebook the BA award to an earlier time (not possible by the rules, I booked with AB, but If I ask politely they might give me a 24-hour grace period...), get a hotel at the airport to make that earlier flight, check my AMEX travel insurance if they'd cover it and if not I'd look for an expensive FRA-OSL flight (fully refundable for no-show) as a last resort in case all else goes wrong....
Cheers,
zap
#10
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: South West UK
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Posts: 236
I was told that a miss-connect WOULD be covered by AMEX plat insurance as long as you left reasonable time. They would not define reasonable time to me.
Last edited by the_real_a; May 16, 2016 at 5:10 am