What IF Question
 

This is a what if question. My daughter has been tracking her flight from Dulles this past month or so and it is consistently late. On the low end a hour but has been as high at 6 hours. This of course will make her miss her connections onward at Frankfurt. Should this occur what’s the best way for her to handle it? Will it be automatic on airlines part or will she have to handle it herself. She will be going to another EU country. What can she expect if worse case it is 6 hours late? Refund, miles whatever. thanks

It depends on whether this is one ticket or 2 separate tickets.
What are the airlines involved?
If it is a single ticket, the issuing airline will make the best possible arrangements(best connection/overnight stay).
If you hold 2 separately booked tickets you are on your own and potentially facing major expense (re-issueing a new ticket with penalty/ new fares, etc).
Hopefully this is not your situation.

Yes, besides knowing whether 1 or 2 tickets, it will help if we know route, times/flight #s and airline(s) involved

Since you mention Dulles and Frankfurt, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Lufthansa (or LH and UA). If so, and if her arrival is late, I'd suggest looking for one of the Lufhansa transfer desks located throughout the terminal in Frankfurt. The one time we missed a connection with LH, we were automatically rebooked by the time we got there; we just picked up new boarding passes (that was a late-arriving LH flight, and LH had a temporary desk right at the gate to assist the arriving passengers). It would be a good idea to have a list of later flights (if any) to the final destination before leaving.

Thanks yes it is UA|LH. I was not to sure about it because the last time it happened to me (several years ago) they did zip I spent the night sitting at the airport while each blamed the other, before working it out. I will tell her to hit the desk as suggested. thanks your all great!

It also helps to know your options for the next connecting flights to your destination, at least to lower the anxiety level should the DC to Frankfurt flight be late.

don't hit the desk, get on the phone - everyone else will be lining up at the desk, so you/she needs to be first.

Phone great idea she booked with UA should it be them or LH who is doing the partner flight?

She would need to contact LH, as that is the airline on which she's flying onwards from FRA.

I've found in the past that LH automatically rebooked me on the next flight to my destination when I missed a connection. There are several customer LH service desks at FRA, so if she doesn't have cell phone that works in Europe it would really be no problem just going to the desk at FRA.

this is besides the point, but she should have a phone that works in Europe, if only to call home.

If it is anywhere near the worst case and there is no chance of making the connection then I would call United while still at Dulles airport. And/or go to a United customer service center at Dulles. Better yet, I would try to get it fixed at the Red Carpet Club at Dulles.

I just realized that you are also asking about compensation for being late ("Refund, miles whatever"). I know UA has a policy for this but don't know what it is.

Flights to the EU operated by airlines licensed in the EU and any flight leaving the EU by any airline are governed by the Air Passenger Rights if things turn sour.

For assistance (e.g. new boarding pass for next connecting flight, or to use phone to inform people waiting for her at her final destination) turn to one of the LH transfer desks. No use in calling a hotline, since they can't issue her what will be most important, the new BP.

You will find a summary of that legislation here:
http://tinyurl.com/2w5hke

If you miss your connecting flight a boarding pass is of secondary imporatance. Primary is ensuring you have a reservation on the next available flight. If seats are limited then waiting in line behind a horde doesn't do you much good. For that purpose a phone agent, unharried by crowds at the airport, can be very quick and helpful rebooking you.

A boarding pass can be picked up any time before boarding - even at the departure gate if you are already past security.

OP was asking about procedures at FRA with LH/UA. Don't know what is usual procedures when you miss a connection in the US, but with LH you usually get information for connecting flights already while in approach for FRA. Whenever I had been in a situation that a connecting flight was missed, I already knew in the plane that me (and my luggage) got rescheduled for the next connecting flight.
Whether or not you will make the next available flight, or have to wait longer for a later one, is more a matter of status than being first to call the airline and usually gets sorted out by the airline while your plane from the US is still in the air.

Usually the cabin crew will tell you to go to a transfer desk to pick up you new BP.

FRA is mostly a transfer airport and most intra-EU destinations have several flights per day, so missed connections are daily business there and no "end-of-the-world" scenario.

Thanks for all the input.
She does have the phone that's not a problem. She told me this am that the flight has been late 18 of the last 20 days average delay over an hour but as short as 20 min and as long as 4 hours. I have sent her link to this discussion. thanks again for everyone's help.She has never traveled to Europe before has has the jitters <G>.