What should you do if you miss your connecting flight?

Reuniting with a loved one or arriving at a long-awaited destination can fill the airport with joy. However, missing your connecting flight can turn that joy into frustration.

There are many reasons for missing a connecting flight, ranging from uncontrollable factors like weather, illness, staffing, and mechanical problems to human mistakes, such as mismanaging your time or booking flights with insufficient connection time. No matter the cause, your top priority should be to secure a new flight and reach your destination.

Learn how to quickly get rebooked and check your eligibility for compensation from the airline, along with some expert advice on preventing this issue when possible.

Rebooking your flight

Once you realize you’ll be missing your connecting flight, it’s important to seek alternative travel options right away. Begin looking for available flights prior to reaching out to customer service — this can help speed up the rebooking process.

"To prepare for the possibility of needing to rebook due to a missed connection, gather all necessary information beforehand. Have your flight details, booking reference, and personal identification ready so you can rebook as soon as you can reach the airline," stated Eric Napoli, chief legal officer of AirHelp, a company assisting passengers in claiming compensation for canceled and delayed flights, during a discussion with Dinogo.

Fortunately, there are various ways to contact your airline for rebooking. Remember that if your flight was a codeshare, you'll likely need to talk to the airline where you purchased the ticket, not the one operating the flight.

If you find yourself at the airport, head to your airline's nearest customer service desk to talk to an agent about securing a new flight. Be aware that if your connecting flight was canceled, you might face a crowd of others trying to do the same.

"When the queue for airline staff is lengthy, passengers can reach out via phone, mobile app, or social media. Many airlines allow rebooking through these channels, helping passengers skip the line and receive quicker assistance," Napoli explained.

Certain airlines, such as Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, offer dedicated customer service numbers for loyalty members, which typically have shorter wait times compared to general support lines. If you arranged your flight through a travel agent, it’s best to contact them for help. Many airlines now also provide live chat or text options that can save you valuable time. Keep those customer service numbers handy.

There may also be an international contact number available that can lead to shorter wait times.

Some travelers have successfully checked in at the airline's counter to get rebooked, but be prepared to go through security again if you manage to secure a new flight on the same day.

If you have access to an airline lounge, the larger clubs for Delta, American, or United often have agents available who can assist with rebooking. This makes lounge access a worthwhile priority for frequent travelers.

In the event that your connecting flight is canceled, the airline may automatically rebook you on the next available flight. If this occurs, you should receive a text or push notification with the updated flight details.

If you miss your flight and no other flights that day have available seats, you might have the option to stand by for a later flight. Policies differ among airlines, but you can ask a gate agent or customer service representative to add you to the waitlist.

If you can’t find a new flight with your original airline, consider looking for alternate flights on budget airlines or using airline miles to purchase a last-minute ticket to your destination. While this may not qualify you for any reimbursement, it could be the fastest way to reach your goal.

If you realize you'll miss your connecting flight while still on your initial leg, don’t wait until you land to take action. According to Napoli, it’s best to inform a flight attendant immediately.

"Flight attendants typically have the most current information regarding passengers' connecting flights," he stated. "They can also provide updates on the flight's status, gate details, and necessary actions upon landing. In certain situations, the flight attendant may communicate with the pilot or ground crew to delay the departure of the connecting flight,"

Diane Dupont, a flight attendant with French Bee, a budget long-haul airline based in Paris, offered similar insights.

"As a flight attendant, I frequently receive requests regarding connecting flights. We have two main ways to assist," Dupont explained. "If the passenger booked their connection with the same airline or a partner, we can start helping them immediately and guide them to a ground staff member upon arrival."

In some situations, if it’s too late to book a connecting flight for the same day, the ground staff can assist passengers in reserving a hotel or finding a flight for a later date.

"In the second scenario, if the passenger hasn’t yet booked the subsequent flight with the same airline, we make an effort to find passengers with tight connections an available seat closer to the front or middle exit to expedite their exit. In an A350-1000 carrying 480 passengers, being among the first to disembark can save you up to 25 minutes compared to those exiting last," she noted.

Will you incur a fee to change your flight if you miss your connection?

Whether or not you need to pay for a new flight depends on the reason behind your missed connection (whether it’s your fault or the airline’s). If your connection was missed due to a cancellation or a delay on the first leg of your journey, you should be able to rebook without incurring any fees. However, if the responsibility lies with you, you may have to cover the cost of your new seat.

When you talk to a customer service agent, inquire if there’s a rebooking fee or if you’ll have to pay a fare difference for the new flight. These matters are typically handled individually, so even if you are at fault, the airline might still show leniency and rebook you at no extra cost.

If you booked your trip using a credit card that provides trip delay reimbursement or if you have a travel insurance policy, you might be eligible to claim covered change fees under that policy.

What happens to your checked luggage if you miss a connecting flight?

If you miss your connecting flight due to a delay or cancellation, the airline should automatically redirect your baggage to your new flight if they handle the rebooking for you.

If you are responsible for missing the connecting flight, your luggage may continue on its journey without you, and you'll need to visit the luggage services office at your final destination to retrieve it.

Are you eligible for compensation or accommodations?

If the missed connection was due to factors within your control, you likely won’t be able to claim compensation or accommodations like meals or hotel stays. However, if your connection was missed due to a delayed or canceled flight, the airline might be obligated to provide you with meals and hotel arrangements.

Compensation for domestic flights

If your connecting flight is missed because your initial flight was delayed or the second leg was delayed overnight or canceled, you could be eligible for specific accommodations according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard.

Although U.S. airlines aren't mandated to offer cash compensation for delays or cancellations, they generally provide meal vouchers, hotel stays, and ground transportation to passengers affected by delays or cancellations under their control (such as issues not related to weather). You should receive a meal voucher if there’s a delay of three hours or more, but hotel stays and transportation are typically reserved for overnight delays.

That said, you can't simply order a luxurious surf-and-turf dinner or book a night at a Four Seasons hotel if your flight is delayed or canceled. You will need to communicate with an airline customer service representative and adhere to their guidelines for meals, accommodations, and transportation. Airlines often collaborate with nearby hotels to offer overnight stays for stranded passengers.

If the airline significantly delays your flight (typically by three hours or more) or cancels it for any reason, including weather conditions, and you opt not to accept the alternate flight offered, you are entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket, according to the DOT.

Compensation for international flights

Flights within the European Union, those departing from the EU to the U.S. (and other destinations), and connecting flights booked within the U.S. are all eligible for compensation unless the delay was due to "extraordinary circumstances." Such circumstances can include weather events, political turmoil, decisions made by air traffic control that are beyond the airline's control, and security threats.

"Missing a connecting flight can be a significant setback during a long journey," Napoli remarked. "However, if you are traveling to or from Europe, you might be covered by regulation EU261. If you miss a connection due to a delay, cancellation, or being denied boarding, you could be entitled to compensation of up to 600 euros. A convenient way to check if you are eligible for compensation is to use AirHelp's eligibility checker."

Trip interruption insurance

Trip delay insurance can be beneficial in the event of a missed connection. Some credit cards offer built-in trip delay reimbursement, which can help you recover reasonable expenses incurred due to significant delays, cancellations, or even reasons like illness.

The required delay duration and maximum coverage amounts differ by card, but these built-in policies are particularly useful for weather-related delays that airlines do not cover or for unexpected expenses like clothing and toiletries.

For instance, both the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offer trip interruption reimbursement policies that cover eligible costs up to $500 per ticket for delays of six hours or more.

If you bought an optional travel insurance policy, you should also be able to file a claim for reimbursement related to a missed connection, although what constitutes a "covered event" can vary between policies.

To facilitate the reimbursement process when filing a claim, always keep your receipts and consider taking photos of them as a backup.

How to prevent missing a connecting flight

Some missed connections are unavoidable, such as when the airline cancels your flight due to severe weather or when there’s a delay in the first leg of your journey. To avoid missed connections that you can control, make sure to allow enough time to navigate the airport from your arrival gate to your departure gate.

According to Napoli, the required timing varies based on the airport, the airline, and whether the flight is domestic or international. "For domestic flights, I recommend a minimum of one hour," he stated. Ideally, one and a half to two hours is best to account for any unforeseen flight disruptions. For international flights, a minimum of one and a half to two hours is advisable, with three hours being ideal for international travel," he added.

Dupont suggests an even larger buffer. "For passengers on long-haul flights with the same airline, I recommend allowing two hours between flights," she advised. "However, if the subsequent flight is with a different airline, I would suggest planning for about four hours to accommodate any potential delays. Additionally, international travel requirements necessitate time for baggage claim and rechecking bags if luggage was checked on the inbound flight," she added.

Sometimes, airlines may present flight options with connection times of less than an hour. Remember, just because you can book these flights doesn't mean you should. If there are any issues with the first leg of your journey, you might not have enough time to reach your connecting gate.

If you're experiencing a persistent flight delay, it’s crucial to remain near your gate and check for updates every 15 minutes. If the flight manages to depart earlier than anticipated and you're not at the gate when the new departure time arrives, you could miss the flight altogether.

Bottom line

Regardless of how meticulously you plan or how frequently you travel, there's always a chance of missing a connecting flight. The silver lining is that most airlines have established protocols to assist you in rebooking a new flight quickly and may provide compensation for eligible passengers.

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