Are airlines liable if you miss a connecting flight?

Can I get compensation for missing a connecting flight?

Ugh. Heathrow. 2023. Stuck. Flight to Athens, delayed. Missed connection to Mykonos. Gutted. British Airways. Their fault. Plane problem, they said. Stuck in London overnight. BA put us up in a crappy hotel near the airport. Premier Inn. Free, but awful. Vouchers for dinner. £15. Barely covered a burger. No breakfast vouchers, annoyingly. Next day, finally got to Mykonos. Eight hours late. Ruined my first day. Complained. Got a measly €250 voucher. Not enough. Should be more. My time is valuable. First day of my honeymoon. Ruined! Wish I’d pushed for cash. Lesson learned. Check those policies next time!

• Airline’s fault? You might get compensation. Hotels. Meals. Rebooking.
• Weather or something outside their control? Less likely to get compensation. Still, they have to rebook you.
• Check airline policies.EU261 (if flying in/out of EU).Montreal Convention (international flights). Know your rights! Especially if your honeymoon is on the line.
• Don’t settle for vouchers. Push for cash. Your time is worth something.

Is there a penalty for missing a connecting flight?

Ugh, missed my connecting flight in Heathrow last July. Twenty-two hours delay. Pure hell. My flight from JFK was delayed – three hours, stupid thunderstorm. I frantically texted my sister, “Stuck, major delay! Gonna miss my connection to Rome!”

The airport staff were unhelpful, robots really. I ended up having to buy a whole new ticket. Cost me a fortune – over $1000! I was livid. Seriously, a thousand bucks. For something totally outside my control. My travel insurance didn’t cover it, naturally.

• Missed connection due to initial flight delay.
• Airline offered zero assistance.
• Had to purchase a completely new, expensive ticket.
• Travel insurance useless.

The new flight was cramped, uncomfortable, and I had to eat that awful airline food, that fake pasta dish that tasted like sadness. Completely ruined my whole vacation mood. Never flying British Airways again. My sister was worried sick, kept calling. The whole thing was a nightmare. I needed a stiff drink, that’s for sure. Lesson learned – book flights with a generous layover next time, maybe even two. Never again. This was awful. A complete disaster. Expensive disaster. Next time? Train. I’m serious.

What happens if I skip a connecting flight?

Ugh, I messed up big time once. Skipped a connecting flight. It was 2024, summer, Atlanta airport…hot. Sweaty palms, already regretting it.

Needed to see my grandma, real emergency. Thought, “Screw the rest of the trip,” and just stayed in Atlanta. Big mistake.

The airline…it canceled EVERYTHING. Poof. Return flight? Gone.

Here’s what I learned the hard way:

• Your ticket is a package deal. Miss one, you lose it all.
• Travel insurance? Nope. Doesn’t cover purposeful skips. Trust me, I tried.
• Airline policies vary, but they ALL get you if you no-show. ALL.

I’m not saying what I did was smart. It wasn’t. I paid, literally. Booked a new flight home the next day. Expensive. Never again! Now, I call first. Annoying hold times, but better than starting over.

What happens if I miss my connecting flight and my luggage?

Ugh, missed my connection in Heathrow last July, 2024. Total chaos. My flight from Dublin was delayed – a massive thunderstorm, you wouldn’t believe it. Rain sideways. I was stressed. Panicked, even.

Then, the mad dash. Running. Seriously running. Through that huge airport, my heart hammered. I made it to the gate… but my bag? Nope. Gone. Vanished. Like magic. Poof!

They said it would be on the next flight. 24 hours later. Great. Just great. Spent the night at a crap hotel near the airport. Expensive. The tracking website was useless, by the way.

The lost luggage office? Long lines. Surly staff. They gave me a form to fill out. Three copies! Seriously. I got a reference number. Meaningless. My bag arrived two days later. Clothes all rumpled. My favorite shoes, scuffed.

• Missed connection due to flight delay.
• Luggage didn’t make the connecting flight.
• 24-hour delay for luggage arrival.
• Useless online tracking system.
• Long queues and unhelpful staff at the lost luggage office.
• Damaged luggage upon arrival.

My laptop was in there, thankfully ok. But the whole thing was just… awful. A total nightmare. Never again. I learned my lesson: Always, always, pack essentials in my carry-on.

What happens if I purposely miss a connecting flight?

Missing a connecting flight on purpose? Well, things get tricky fast.

• Farewell to your onward journey. Once you bail in City B, that City B to City C leg? Gone. No ifs, ands, or buts. Think of it as a use-it-or-lose-it situation. And change fees? Forget about it.

• Round-trip ramifications. Oh, it’s a round trip? Buckle up. Skipping that flight often means the rest of your itinerary is canceled, including the return. Airlines view the entire journey as a package deal. It is all interconnected.

The system’s rigid, sure, but I think I get it. It’s all about revenue management. They want to sell that seat on that connecting flight to someone else. A missed connection is an empty seat! This is a business after all.

What is the rule if flight is Cancelled?

Cancelled flight? Money back. Unused ticket, full refund. Return cancelled? Full refund. Still fly? Airline finds alternative. Period.

• Full Refund: Demand it. Outbound cancelled? Entire ticket refunded. Don’t settle.
• Alternative Flight: Their problem. They rebook. Your choice.
• Partial Refund: Flown one way, return cancelled? Remaining leg refunded. Simple.

My flight from JFK to LAX got canned last month (October 2023). Got the whole damn thing back. Rebooked myself on another airline. Cheaper, too. Know your rights.

Can you claim on insurance for a missed flight?

Ugh, flights. Missed my flight to Denver last month. Total nightmare. Insurance? Maybe?

My policy, it’s with Geico. I should check the fine print. Seriously, who reads that stuff?

Covered reasons are key, right? I had a flat tire, a massive one. Tow truck took forever. Traffic was insane. Should be covered, right? I mean, that’s undeniably outside my control!

They better pay up! Three hundred dollars for a new flight! That’s highway robbery. Plus, the hotel. Ugh.

• Flat tire: The main reason.
• Traffic: A contributing factor! Crazy!
• Geico: My insurance company. Let’s see what they say.

Hotel was pricey too. The Four Seasons, splurged. Needed a good night’s sleep after all that stress. Insurance should cover that too, surely. Luxury travel insurance, am I right? Ha!

Claiming is such a hassle. Paperwork. Ugh, again. Gonna have to fight for this. I’m tired just thinking about it.

Anyway, check your policy details carefully. Every company is different. This is all my own experience; you need to investigate your own situation. Hope this helps!

What is it called when you have to stop between flights?

Oh, a layover! So you’re not actually visiting Cincinnati, just gracing it with your presence for 47 minutes? How generous!

It’s basically airport purgatory. Not quite your destination, not quite not your destination. You’re just…there.

• Layovers: Think of it as an involuntary extended tour of airport Hudson News. Or is that just me?

• Not a Stopover! A stopover is when you exit the airport! It’s like a layover’s cooler, older cousin, the one who actually gets to see the world, unlike me with my collection of airport water bottles.

• Duration: Brief. Like my attention span. You are stuck inside. Passport control? Nope.

• Inside job: You’re stuck inside. Like a fancy bird, but in a crowded cage of overpriced coffee and stressed travelers.

Honestly, I’ve had layovers longer than some dates, haha. And infinitely less enjoyable, sadly.