gail

Am booking flights Boston-Jackson, WY - with plane change in DFW. It is legal connection, but about 40 minutes and involves terminal change (on American). Time of flights is otherwise favorable and cost is about $100 less than other options, since it includes 6 AM departure from Boston.

So if we miss connection because first flight is late, will they just put us on next flight? I realize luggage may not then fly with us, but am reasonably confident it will find us in Jackson Hole. Anything else we should be worried about?

rkkwan

They will put you on the next flight with available seats. No problem. Only worry is that if the next flight is totally full, then you'll be stuck in DFW for a while, as there aren't that many flights to Jackson.

Also, study the terminal plan of DFW and the location of the stops of the new terminal train. Transfer between gates are much faster now with that new train system.

Finally, a 6am departure will most likely be on-time. I'd go ahead and book.

P_M

Hi, gail. This has happened to me more times than I can count. Never a problem, they always put me on the next flight. I have also had the experience of luggage that didn't arrive when I did (7 times) and they will deliver it directly to you. Nothing else to worry about, enjoy your trip.

rkkwan

In my humble opinion - which I know plenty will disagree - airlines in general are doing a decent job in helping people connect when the initial flight is late.

Here are the stuff I've seen airlines do:

- Hold the other flight there are a significant number of passengers in the incoming, and they know the delay isn't excessive.

- Flight attendants may tell passengers on the plane who are not connecting or have plenty of time to let those with tight connections to get off first.

- Have agent(s) at the arrival gate telling deplaning passengers departure gate info, and tell them to run or hurry.

- Automatically rebook the passenger on the next flight when the first leg is significantly late and there's no or little chance to them making it.

This even happens with interline flight too. One of the most extreme example happens to my mom a few years ago. She flew CO IAH (Houston) - SJC (San Jose), and connects to AA SJC-NRT (Tokyo). On two seperate tickets. But because she has checked interline luggage, or because I called AA while she was on her CO flgiht, AA knows she's coming. They send an agent to the CO arriving gate with her SJC-NRT boarding pass ready, and then bring her down the stairs to the tarmac and drive her over to the AA flight.

Another example. My dad flew CO HKG-EWR-IAH. The first flight was kind of late arriving at EWR, and CO automatically rebooked him on the next flight to Houston (1.5 hours later). But my dad had no luggage and walked fast, and just made the original flight. Now, he had already received automatic upgrade on the 777 flight EWR-IAH, and had the boarding pass. But because CO rebooked him, they had upgraded another "Elite" passenger from coach to his BusinessFirst seat in the last minute. But because my dad arrived right in time, they had to send that poor guy back in coach.

BeachBoi

gail..There is only ONE AA flight DFW to Jackson.I am a firm believer in DFW Airport and the employees of AA there going the extra mile to please each and every flyer.Tho many will vehemently disagree.Whatever.Just based on my own experiences.If your flight is late,they'll take care of you.Best of luck!

NoFlyZone

Many times the passsengers will work right along with the airline when flights are delayed.

For example, a few years back Delta had a minihub at Orlando. Flights came in "wavesquot; a bunch of long distance flights arrived and then a volley of up to a dozen short flights departed.

It was generally and informally agreed that if any incoming flight on the last wave were delayed, the short connecting flights would all be held, often for as much as an hour or more, for the connecting passengers. Everyone got home that night.

Nobody complained. Who knows, the next time it could be you.

gail

Thanks for all the responses. I will likely go ahead and book - the worst that can happen is that we are stuck in DFW for a day - and it is a family vacation with no real deadlines, so who cares.

We like this route because some of the other options involve flying on a tiny plane out of SLC to Jackson - and I am not fond of "fake planes", especially over the mountains. Would rather be on a real plane. Also, some other airlines involve 2 connections.

Fabio

should next flights be all full and you have to overnight, then you will have hotel meals and transfers paid by the airline

esm

Gail, based on my most recent experience, things may not work out as smoothly as you might expect.

I was flying back home from San Francisco on American via St. Louis and O’Hare. I took this strange routing since the fare was about $100 cheaper.

Upon arriving in St. Louis, I found out that all flights getting in and out of O’Hare were delayed. There was room on an earlier flight but since I had checked bags, they wouldn’t allow me to travel earlier. They also told me not to worry; all flights were delayed so I’d make my connection.

To make a long story short, there was no gate available when we finally landed in Chicago so we sat for 15 minutes waiting. Needless to say, I missed my connection which happened to be the last one of the night.

Nothing extraordinary up to this point as delays are part of travel. But much of what I had expected did not happen.

First, the short connecting flight was not delayed to allow for me and another passenger to make our connection. Second, there were no agents at the gate to help me and a whole number of people in similar situation, so we had to fend for ourselves. Third, we were told to go claim our luggage but the bags had been locked for the night.

It was after 10 at night and all agents just wanted to close shop and go home so a whole group of passengers were sent around from agent to agent with different instructions. Once we figured out what was happening, we stayed put at one station and got our flights re-booked for the next available one.

We did not get complementary hotel rooms (but a reduced rate called distressed passenger rate) or meal vouchers. They told us it was not airline related but due to air traffic. At least this was American's excuse. On the shuttle ride to the hotel, I talked to some United passengers who had received complementary hotel rooms.

I just wanted to warn you about this and hope you don't encounter any problems.

daph

When we missed our LHR-LAX flight due to arriving late from Paris, on BA. That was the last non-stop BA flight of the day. No FAs asked PAX to let those running for that flight out first. No one helped us. We ran but just missed it. BA refused to put us up for the night. They offered us non direct flights home, way out of our way and in one case, through a storm area. I politely refused. Then they had a bright idea: Air New Zealand was leaving in 2 hours. We had a very good flight with better seats and food than in BA coach.

ajaynejr

Nothing forbids you from seeking compensation for the hotel room, etc.

The airline must still transport you with reasonable dispatch, on your existing ticket, even if the ticket is an award ticket.

It is not a good idea to book a connection less than an your domestic and less than 2 hours international, even if the connection is advertised as legal.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm

gail

Update - cheapest option was 3 1/2 hour layover in Denver - expect to e an expert on Denver Airport within a month.

Tzinha

We recently had a terrible experience with Delta on connecting flights. Our plane from RDU arrived in ATL 35 minutes late-- we were told to run for our connecting flights. Ten of us ran for the flight to Alburquerque (From wing A to D). We arrived before the scheduled departure time but the door was closed. In total about 15 people were closed out of the flight even though we arrived before the departure.

After several runs around wing D looking for a DL representative to tell us what to do we went to the terminal. At the terminal we were notified that we had been rebooked on the next available flight which was at 2 pm the next day as the 11 am flight was already filled. I asked/insisted on being waitlisted on the 11 am flight and she relunctantly did that. To add insult to injury they did not put us up the night but we did get some discounted rates at the hotel.

The next morning we left early to get on line for the 11am flght. We didn't clear until the plane was leaving. The gate attendant notified us that there were 2 people whose plane had landed 8 minutes ago and if they didn't make it to the gate before je ran the computer list closing the flight (which occured about 20 minutes before departure) that we would get their seats. We got their seats.

This means that DL knew we were in the ATL airport the second we arrived and knw it wuuld probably be impossible for us to make the flight given the long distances in the ATL airport. They knew we would be arriving at the gate before the scheduled departure time -- but they filled the plane up with standbys (Just like we got the flight the next day). They didn't even have the courtesy/courage to have some one at the gate to meet us --

This is a new business policy - fill the planes up with standbys rather than wait for connecting flghts. I've been affected by this new policy 3 times in the last month-- I won twice and lost once but I still don't like it. One time was for an international flight from Brasil in Sao Paulo. This most recent time we lost almost a day of a four day vacation, we spent an extra 50 bucks for a hotel in ATL and we lost our cr reservation becasue we left too late.

I wonder if anyone else has relaized the new business policy. Anyway -- atleast for DL leave alot more than the legal amount of time-- like maybe three times as much then you are leaving enough of a cushion to ensure you'll make your next flight-- as at least DL will not hold it for you -- especially if there are standbys to fill the plane.

rkkwan

I don't think that's a new business model for Delta. It's just that it's a poorly run and poorly managed airline. Why else would it be bleeding cash through its nose while a few other airlines are making some money?

ajaynejr

>>> There was room on an earlier flight but since I had checked bags, they wouldn’t allow me to travel earlier.

This could well subject the airline to reimburse you for all expesnes relating the missed connection including the hotel room. Even if weather was the reason.

Definitely write and ask, although the final decision may end up being made by a judge as opposed to an airline executive.

Fabio

That we cannot fly on a different flight than the checked-in bags flight is not a fix rule but it seems it depends on airlines.
On Aug 15th Horizon/Alaska Airline allowed us to fly a later shuttle flight Portland-Seattle than the one where our bags were checked-in. We were stand-by and did not get our seats on the first flight but on the 3rd. Once we arrived in SEA we found a huge amount of stored bags, including ours, waiting on the floor for the pick up !