FlyingUnderTheRadar

The only obligation that the airlines have is to assure that there is two hours between an international and domestic flight. If less than that and you miss your connecting flight they are responsible for the costs of delay. That is if there are no other reasons such as weather.

When traveling I always try to book flights over the pond so that when possible I get to my destination from the US in one hop via the coasts. I have colleagues who do a long flight over the pond then a short hop. Last thing I want to do is sort out a missed connected in an other country.

wharvey

And I disagree with you. AA is not responsible for what happens with immigration/customs (unless they made some error with paperwork). If someone misses a connection that is legal because of customs/immigration, they are not responsible for getting you on the next flight. It is great customer service that they did so, but in no way are they responsible for the "free" rebooking.

ac3000

So then it would seem no one is responsible for customs/immigration delays except the person themselves, even the delay isn't their fault? Doesn't that put a rather large possible financial onus on an individual for something that is out of their control?

Not to say the airline should be responsible. But seems a little excessive to put the complete financial onus on the passanger without giving them any control.

For example. Passanger could allow extra time (3-4 hours) and still be delayed which is out of their control.

Not putting blame. Just showing another side.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

Customs/Immigration is no different than WX delays. It happens, it sucks for everyone. How best to handle? Everyone sucks it up. The airline should help out which might be issuing a hotel voucher. It might be a sucky hotel but that is the way it goes.

FWIW I have had crappy customs in both the USA and other countries that resulted in crappy hotel in ATL and a flight the next day. (Delta did admit an error on their part and paid for the hotel). The other resulted in a late evening 3 hour bus ride, very low budget hotel, and a boat ride the next day.

UA Fan

I once almost missed my connection due to a similar situation. I asked the officer to at least take me to the front of the security line and he refused, saying I had enough time. I just about managed to get in before the doors closed and did not even have time put my wallet and other things back into my pockets. Just ran to the plane holding these things in my hand.

They should at least have the decency to put you ahead of the line.

jacobguo

Just reading this. There's nothing more. 3-hour (or even more) is fairly routine if you're an F-1 visa holder on OPT.

paperwastage

you have to read each plan carefully, but generally no

trip delay/missed connection/trip interruption usually defines a set of covered hazards (inclement weather, caused by common carrier, maybe unannounced strikes/hazards/war , traffic accident)

I don't recall seeing a plan that covers customs/immigrations delays

you can always search for the insurance plan documents pdf and try to find for one

Often1

IATA convention is that a late-delivering carrier has the responsibility to rebook. That's it.

If the flight arrives on time, whatever else intervenes is between the passenger, the onwards carrier and its COC and the passenger's insurance, if it's covered.

US carriers are decent about rebooking, but hotels, food and lengthy waits for availability are the passenger's risk in situations such as this.

pinniped

Ghost bump?

Given that travel insurance is pretty much going to fight any claim, it hardly seems worth it to try on a 1-night Laquinta stay. That couldn't have been more than a hundred bucks.

AA did what I'd expect them to: just rebook you on the next flight with available seats. That's the extent of their involvement. That's what they do with weather delays. On rare occasions I've had them tell me to call X hotel and ask for a distressed traveler rate, but it's usually a Laquinta or Ramada or something, so I just book my own Marriott or Hilton.

Airline doesn't owe you a free room, although there are cases where they'll provide one for top-tier elites. (In cases like this where they aren't required to do so.)

Totally agree with the advice to fly directly into your U.S. destination from abroad if you can. If you were headed to East Podunk, Texas, you might not have a choice. If you're headed for Houston, you have a ton of choices.

Proudelitist

Exactly. And why should they? They are not the ones who delayed you.

Artpen100

My thinking has been the opposite. First, get over the pond to a major hub. A missed connection in MUC, FRA, AMS, LHR, CDG is not a big deal. There will usually be another flight to where you are going (or perhaps a train) in an hour (and I will have such a backup plan). I am much more concerned that I will miss my connection in EWR or IAD or somewhere on this side due to weather, MX or something, and get delayed an entire 24 hours till the bank of flights the next night.

Loren Pechtel

Yeah, that's what I would expect. You missed your flight due to matters truly beyond your control (as with weather) but neither is it the airlines' fault (as with weather.) Thus I would expect them to handle it like weather.

trooper

So immigration held you up....but you say THEY were just doing their job... THEN you are annoyed no one takes "responsibility?" WHO do you think is responsible..if NOT Immigration? Why do you feel AA has any obligation to make up for it?

Seriously confused here......

pinniped

I usually don't find myself having to make the choice, but I have to admit I don't worry about missing connections at European hubs, in part for the reasons you cite. I also know that European immigration is highly unlikely to be any kind of hassle at all.

But for the U.S., coming here with almost any kind of foreign passport, the situation is a bit different. It seems that your odds for a substantial delay are a lot higher than mine would be going into Europe with a U.S. passport.

GUWonder

Even with my choice to use Global Entry, APC kiosks, and any other regular passport control line as an ordinary US passport user, within the past 9 months at US airports of entry I’ve experienced delays that I’ve mostly managed to avoid at Schengen ports of entry as a US passport user over the same period of time.