vtgambler

We're flying BTV - ORD - SBN tonight. Looks like we're going to miss the connection due to inbound aircraft. Since it's the last SBN flight of the evening, I would prefer to just rent a car and drive, however we will be checking bags. Can I just have them tag the bags to ORD while we're in BTV? If not, will they send them to SBN the next day even though we won't be on a flight?

guv1976

How certain are you that ORD-SBN will operate on schedule tonight?

vtgambler

Only as certain as one can be 8 hours ahead of time, but those CR2s stay pretty regional and there doesn't seem to be weather issues in that area today.

jsloan

At BTV, if it still looks likely that you’ll miss your connection, you should be able to change your ticket to terminate travel at ORD. (Just because you haven’t seen a delay on ORD-SBN yet doesn’t mean one won’t crop up). They will not short-check your bag to ORD without removing the ORD-SBN flight from the itinerary, but that should be routine if a misconnect looks obvious (i.e,, you’ll arrive 30+ minutes after ORD-SBN will depart). The app might go into IRROPS mode when the delay on BTV-ORD is posted, and that will generally allow you to pick a new destination also.

If your bag ends up getting tagged to SBN, but you still miss your connection, you can request to have it pulled at ORD, but they’ll tell you that it may take as long as three hours, and they’ll pretty much mean it. You can also have it delivered to you in SBN the following day.

mduell

The plane currently expected to operate your ORD-SBN has been sitting in ORD for 3 days, it's not even bouncing around the region.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...214Z/KORD/KSBN

Other than the giant line of storms east of ORD?

vtgambler

Thanks for the information. As mentioned, they won't short check bags, but she did assure us that our bags would ultimately make their way to SBN even if we skipped the last leg.

jsloan

Correct. However, if this is a round-trip flight, make sure that you inform UA if you decide to skip a flight due to a missed connection. Otherwise, they’ll rebook you on an ORD-SBN flight tomorrow, and when you miss it, they’ll cancel your return legs.

mduell

OP missed the connection by a lot.

vtgambler

Yes, missed by a lot. Fortunately, it was pretty obvious this was going to happen so I had the car booked. Bags arrived safely at SBN this afternoon, although not on the flight they had rebooked us on which seems odd.