If your air travel route involves hopping off of one plane and jumping on another to reach the final destination, then you have what is called a connecting flight.
Among some of the issues that travelers can face with their connections are missing them entirely. For example, the first flight could get delayed in reaching the airport, due to which the connection could get missed. Or, it could be due to something on behalf of the passenger themselves such as getting held up at the airport, etc.
While the situation can be panic-inducing, you have to keep a level head and fix things quickly so that you can complete your journey. In this post, we will be talking about what you should do if you miss your connection flights.
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Prepare for Missed Connections Before Leaving
Not that you should start your trip with a depressing gloom of foreboding, but it’s a good idea to prepare and brace yourself for the worst…which, in this case, is a missed connection.
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You should take some measures that can help you if you happen to get stuck at an airport. For example, you can take care to fully charge your phone, pack some snacks and toiletries, etc.
The purpose of doing this is that, in the event of getting separated from your luggage, you won’t have to panic about the basic stuff.
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Talk to the Airlines ASAP
When you realize that you’ve missed your connecting flight, talk to the airlines on the other end (i.e., the connecting flight) and let them know about it. You will be able to get another flight booked and be back on track without a lot of trouble.
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If both flights are of the same airline (and if they were at fault for the missed connection), you won’t have to deal with any sort of financial loss. However, implications can arise at this point if the airline has no fault in the whole muddle or if the airlines happen to be different on your first and second flights. The latter case can occur if you’re on some sort of vacation package from a third-party agency etc.
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Don’t Lose Your Cool
As we said earlier, missing connections can be a panicky experience, but it won’t be of any use to lose your cool when talking to the airline folk. Airline people are usually cooperative and they will help you get back on track by re-booking and arranging your luggage to be transported safely to you.
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However, you can harm your chances of getting dealt with amicably if you start venting your anger (and panic, in most cases) when talking with them. Even if you’re asked to pay something extra for the re-booking, you should do it smilingly without any protests.
You can, apart from keeping yourself calm and collected, also get some perks from the airline if you’re affable enough.
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Let People on the Other End Know
If you miss your connecting flight, you’ll be late to arrive at your travel destination. And if you have anyone waiting for you at the other end, you have to inform them to avoid confusion and inconveniences. Assuming that you have your trip planned with a travel agency, you should also update them on the state of affairs.
Conclusion
Missed connections can spoil your trip, but handling them incorrectly can make things worse. Above everything, you have to take care of staying calm and reasonable. You can avoid and solve a lot of problems that way.
And also, if the missed connection happens to be your own fault, promptly admitting it can also help in moving things forward. If you start pointing fingers or blaming the airlines for it, you’re just going to get more stuck in the whole situation.