Missed connection at JFK, real time request help please
Mar 20, 2022, 2:34 am
#121
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,747
My last 4 missed connections / cancellations were a mixed bag.
First was a flight from LAX-BNA on AA. That got cancelled shortly before its midnight departure time.
Did get rebooked on another routing after queuing at the boarding gate desk, although no hotel offered and spent 5-6hrs sitting in T4 (luckily the lounge opened a little after 4am so I could shower and have some breakfast)
Second time, AA flight from SJC-PHX was nearly am hour late, so I missed my connecting flight to LAX and the subsequent flight to LHR.
There was an (CK?) agent waiting at the gate in PHX, who escorted me to the lounge to get rebooked. Ended up back in London at much the same time by choosing to fly direct from PHX rather than LAX.
Third time, BA from LHR-SEA was 5hrs late, so I missed a connecting flight on AA.
Went to the BA check-in desks where they said an agent should have been at the gate with rebooking details and hotel vouchers. No-one was there and a load of other people also turned up in the same boat.
Did get a night in the Marriott and rebooked onto a Delta flight next morning. Turned up for that and was told I'd missed it by an hour (was told 10:20am departure, but actually 7am).
Went to an AA desk and they gave me options without any issue.
Fourth time was at SEA where they cancelled my DFW flight half an hour or so before its around midnight departure.
3 rebooking options came up on the app, although they mentioned economy and I was booked in first. Queued for the desk and got rebooked into first on another routing. Spent 4hrs or so sitting the airport overnight. No hotel etc. offered, but as with the first time, flights were at 5:30-6am, so tolerable I suppose.
I really don't know if I could have pushed for more, but at least LAX isn't the worst place to be.
Don't think I've made a run for a flight for years now. If I can see I'm not going to make it, I'll just try and find airline desk upon landing. Half the time, something pops up on the apps around landing time saying I'm rebooked onto xxx. Other times, I may try my luck at a more lucrative routing.
At the end of the day, not everyone is aware of what to do.
When you're in the air or waiting at a gate somewhere watching your 2hr connection get less and less, people do worry. Yes, sometimes things do get sorted in advance, but other times, there's no-one about and what do you do?
No matter how experienced some of us might be, we all get caught out by different situations.
The average traveller isn't going to know what to do, what rights they have, cash compensation for downgrades etc. They're going to try and find an agent for whatever airline before much else, and especially late at night, you could be completely abandoned.
First was a flight from LAX-BNA on AA. That got cancelled shortly before its midnight departure time.
Did get rebooked on another routing after queuing at the boarding gate desk, although no hotel offered and spent 5-6hrs sitting in T4 (luckily the lounge opened a little after 4am so I could shower and have some breakfast)
Second time, AA flight from SJC-PHX was nearly am hour late, so I missed my connecting flight to LAX and the subsequent flight to LHR.
There was an (CK?) agent waiting at the gate in PHX, who escorted me to the lounge to get rebooked. Ended up back in London at much the same time by choosing to fly direct from PHX rather than LAX.
Third time, BA from LHR-SEA was 5hrs late, so I missed a connecting flight on AA.
Went to the BA check-in desks where they said an agent should have been at the gate with rebooking details and hotel vouchers. No-one was there and a load of other people also turned up in the same boat.
Did get a night in the Marriott and rebooked onto a Delta flight next morning. Turned up for that and was told I'd missed it by an hour (was told 10:20am departure, but actually 7am).
Went to an AA desk and they gave me options without any issue.
Fourth time was at SEA where they cancelled my DFW flight half an hour or so before its around midnight departure.
3 rebooking options came up on the app, although they mentioned economy and I was booked in first. Queued for the desk and got rebooked into first on another routing. Spent 4hrs or so sitting the airport overnight. No hotel etc. offered, but as with the first time, flights were at 5:30-6am, so tolerable I suppose.
I really don't know if I could have pushed for more, but at least LAX isn't the worst place to be.
Don't think I've made a run for a flight for years now. If I can see I'm not going to make it, I'll just try and find airline desk upon landing. Half the time, something pops up on the apps around landing time saying I'm rebooked onto xxx. Other times, I may try my luck at a more lucrative routing.
At the end of the day, not everyone is aware of what to do.
When you're in the air or waiting at a gate somewhere watching your 2hr connection get less and less, people do worry. Yes, sometimes things do get sorted in advance, but other times, there's no-one about and what do you do?
No matter how experienced some of us might be, we all get caught out by different situations.
The average traveller isn't going to know what to do, what rights they have, cash compensation for downgrades etc. They're going to try and find an agent for whatever airline before much else, and especially late at night, you could be completely abandoned.
Mar 20, 2022, 2:40 am
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,394
It shouldn’t really be an issue, many of us on the spectrum just have to make more of an effort to grasp and process things that are “pre-packaged” and innate for others. The brain loading bay can be different and the initial sorting stage more vexing but the storage and then access is excellent and I wouldn’t change it 🙂 . Every system has its pros and cons and it isn’t always possible to have insight into how others’ operate. I appreciate you making this adjustment 👍
Mar 20, 2022, 2:07 pm
#125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,394
Just need to trawl through all the receipts, navigate the insurance policy wording and the claim procedures and do the same for BA when the appropriate department is identified and they get back to us.
Next time a client presents him with tickets/itinerary we’ll make sure that the airline responsible is the same throughout, no more code shares. He generally averages 40,000 miles a year in work related travel, this was his most tiring and irritating set of journeys in the past ten years.
Mar 20, 2022, 3:53 pm
#126
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,369
Friendly AA employee at baggage claim knew his stuff. He estimated that the luggage would be delivered at around 7pm. And it was, just arrived.
Just need to trawl through all the receipts, navigate the insurance policy wording and the claim procedures and do the same for BA when the appropriate department is identified and they get back to us.
Next time a client presents him with tickets/itinerary we’ll make sure that the airline responsible is the same throughout, no more code shares. He generally averages 40,000 miles a year in work related travel, this was his most tiring and irritating set of journeys in the past ten years.
Just need to trawl through all the receipts, navigate the insurance policy wording and the claim procedures and do the same for BA when the appropriate department is identified and they get back to us.
Next time a client presents him with tickets/itinerary we’ll make sure that the airline responsible is the same throughout, no more code shares. He generally averages 40,000 miles a year in work related travel, this was his most tiring and irritating set of journeys in the past ten years.
If someone carries out business globally IMO they should have the ability and capability to work out what to do if things go wrong. It’s not about getting upgrades, lounge passes and knowing what to get.
By not seeking out a BA agent at PHL arriving on a BA flight you’ve potentially made a bad situation worse or forfeited duty of care by accepting alternative destination. By booking a 75 min connection when there’s a terminal change and no other flights for 10 hours you are almost creating a risk and almost artificially making the experience and again with all due respect having someone give a sensibility check to an itinerary that doesn’t know protocols at arrivals airports isn’t a good idea.
Mar 20, 2022, 3:57 pm
#127
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,846
By being insular in this approach you put yourself at risk potentially limiting yourself in EU261 claims re compensation/duty of care.
If someone carries out business globally IMO they should have the ability and capability to work out what to do if things go wrong. It’s not about getting upgrades, lounge passes and knowing what to get.
By not seeking out a BA agent at PHL arriving on a BA flight you’ve potentially made a bad situation worse or forfeited duty of care by accepting alternative destination. By booking a 75 min connection when there’s a terminal change and no other flights for 10 hours you are almost creating a risk and almost artificially making the experience and again with all due respect having someone give a sensibility check to an itinerary that doesn’t know protocols at arrivals airports isn’t a good idea.
If someone carries out business globally IMO they should have the ability and capability to work out what to do if things go wrong. It’s not about getting upgrades, lounge passes and knowing what to get.
By not seeking out a BA agent at PHL arriving on a BA flight you’ve potentially made a bad situation worse or forfeited duty of care by accepting alternative destination. By booking a 75 min connection when there’s a terminal change and no other flights for 10 hours you are almost creating a risk and almost artificially making the experience and again with all due respect having someone give a sensibility check to an itinerary that doesn’t know protocols at arrivals airports isn’t a good idea.
Mar 21, 2022, 6:10 am
#128
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
Am at the point of diminishing returns here, am not learning anything. Just cannot grasp how the concept of clearing US customs and returning to the gate you just left in an airport without an international boarding pass works.
Unless there is no “hygiene system” separating domestic airside space from International airside space, but that seems nuts.
Unless there is no “hygiene system” separating domestic airside space from International airside space, but that seems nuts.
The difference is mainly because there are many airports in the USA, where most EU countries only have a few. So, the procedures aren't the same. In the USA if your husband traveled RDU-CLT-PHL-ORD-SFO-PHX-DFW - he would just collect his bags in DFW - only go thru security once in RDU etc - because those are all domestic flights, even though those airports all have international areas.
Next time you are at the airport, if you are in a terminal that has international arrivals, look at the gates - they will typically have 2 doors with a walkway inbetween connecting the gates - when a plane arrives from an international destination, when the people exit the plane they don't get off and go into the airport, you are run thru a series of hallways to get to immigration. Once you immigrate, you collect your bags and go thru customs, then you can recheck your bag (Basically an area to rop your bag off) At that point you are in the USA and can leave the airport - if you have another flight you re enter the airport and go thru security like a domestic passenger.
Didn't mean for this to be so long...hmm, I guess it can be complicated for those that don't travel tons
Mar 21, 2022, 8:23 am
#130
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,727
I think this thread is a good reminder that everyone handles thing differently; and that when answering questions, it can be be helpful to remember that. For example, I know that the minimum connect time at T5 is 60 minutes, but if an infrequent traveler asks me advice, I'm going to recommend a much longer connect time. Or as much as I don't mind connecting to get a better flight on the long haul, others would be better off just taking the non-stop, even if it costs a bit more.
I will say that I'm glad the OP came and asked here for advice. So many people only find FT to complain, rather than to use it as the tool it can be.
I will say that I'm glad the OP came and asked here for advice. So many people only find FT to complain, rather than to use it as the tool it can be.
Mar 21, 2022, 10:14 am
#131
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,262
As someone who lives in the land of ‘when you die, it doesn’t matter if you’re headed to heaven or hell, you’ll still have to connect through Atlanta to get there’ I’m always up for trying to demystify US hub and spoke networks for others.
i would not be surprised if I was considered to be on the spectrum by modern standards and I find it reassuring to know the rules of that kind of system and how to interact with them to make for a better travel experience.(Summer thunderstorm season in the Southeast has also taught me how to be as proactive as heck in using those rules during IRROPS)
i would not be surprised if I was considered to be on the spectrum by modern standards and I find it reassuring to know the rules of that kind of system and how to interact with them to make for a better travel experience.(Summer thunderstorm season in the Southeast has also taught me how to be as proactive as heck in using those rules during IRROPS)
