michellecallahan4888

Ugh. So they cancelled my original flight.

Now I have BOS -> JFK (45 minute layover) -> Amsterdam -> Kilimanjaro

I can see this blowing up in my face so bad. I've asked for them to re-book it but they've taken a day+ and the flights fill up. I've asked to downgrade from First/Business class on the BOS -> JFK so I can go on an earlier flight. They had to get permission and by then, the flight filled up.
I asked if they could refund BOS->JFK or just have me leave from JFK and they said if they did that they'd have to cancel the whole thing.

A couple questions they can't answer and I can't find the answer to -
Would I need to do customs/re-security check in JFK? I assume at least re-security
If I took a flight earlier in the day, that I booked separately. "missed" my Boston flight (it is a freaking hour and a half flight) and got to my Amsterdam flight on time, would they take me?

What would you do? I need to get there on these particular dates because I have booked a safari and recently did the full payment so they booked the hotels etc. I would prefer not to leave my pets longer than they are already being left. Qatar doesn't have the outgoing dates available or I'd cancel and go with them.

Any advice is so appreciated.

amyb

So your 45 minute connection is at JFK? If so, I would say absolutely not. If you have to change terminals, that means a train and going through security again. I made a connection from terminal 4 to 5 in 2018 in 50 minutes and I was absolutely sprinting the entire way, and I had Global Entry and TSA pre-check to help me with shorter lines. (I think United at JFK is at terminal 7 and KLM at terminal 4...you need more than 50 minutes if that's the case).

Can you not ask them to put you on a Bos-Ams flight? Or is that the one that was cancelled?

Editing to add: at the very least ask them for an earlier flight that day BOS-JFK. Do not book that yourself and miss the one booked for you, they can cancel the entire ticket if you no-show the first leg.

Editing again: this is their mess to clean up. They cancelled a flight, they have to make you whole. Demand to be on an earlier flight.

michellecallahan4888

Sorry this is my mistake, it is actually both at terminal 7. I live in BOS and the BOS-AMS was the one that was cancelled I asked for earlier in the day for BOS-JFK and even asked to downgrade to economy but they took a day to respond and by then that flight sold out ugh

janisj

OK - I'm completely confused. BOS > JFK is a domestic flight, there is no Customs and you stay airside in the same terminal at JFK. Maybe I missed something in the post??

amyb

If they're both Terminal 7, you're better off, but that flight from Boston can't be late and you can't dally getting there. Doors close usually 15 minutes before take-off so you really have 30 minutes to deplane and make it to the next gate.

MmePerdu

As I understand the rules, they could certainly answer this one, if you miss the first flight on an itinerary the airline cancels the rest of the reservation. Or the return flight if you miss the outgoing one, another issue but the same rule.

J62

KLM uses T4 at JFK. No way can you connect from T7 (United) to T4 (KLM) in that time.

There are no KLM branded flights from BOS to JFK, and KLM/United are not partners so I am skeptical you have any flight on United metal. There are KLM code share flights on Delta metal that use T4. If that's a flight you're on then I'd say the 45min is tight (too tight for my comfort) but not impossible.

Your other issue is being sure you can check-in from BOS to your destination, and whether your checked bags get tagged all the way as well. If it's Delta, then as a Skyteam alliance member along with KLM you'd be able to get boarding passes, and bags tagged correctly at BOS.

As noted above your are not traveling internationally into the US so there is no customs, and there is also no emmigration / Goverment passport check when leaving the US. You will be asked to show the airline your passport at check-in and perhaps again at the departure gate by airline staff.

I would say your best option is to do a same day standby on an early BOS to JFK flight on whatever airline is really operating your flight (likely Delta), or keep trying to make that change through the booking airline.

balthy

I'd probably take the train BOS-JFK, I know its a long journey but would that eliminate some risk? If you drop the 1st segment, you must tell KLM otherwise they will think you are a no-show and cancel the rest of your booking.

"this is their mess to clean up. They cancelled a flight, they have to make you whole. Demand to be on an earlier flight." Making demands to airline staff is not going to get you anywhere.

COVID is not the airlines mess, they are reacting to the situation and it a tough time for everyone. I've found KLM very helpful and flexible with rebooking options but it is better to call them than wait a day for them to respond.

I've had my trip to the Caribbean cancelled/rebooked no less than 7 times on another airline and all my KLM/AF flights this year have been cancelled/rescheduled/refunded or been given vouchers and my KLM flights to SXM were cancelled from last year as well.

amyb

>>"this is their mess to clean up. They cancelled a flight, they have to make you whole. Demand to be on an earlier flight." Making demands to airline staff is not going to get you anywhere.<<

This is not the OP's fault, but the airline is making it a problem for her. When an airline cancels a flight, they have to provide an alternative that gets her there legally, which means with a legal connection. That's fact, the law is on her side on this. Until we know for certain which terminals she's flying into and out of, we cannot say whether this is a legal connection or not. If it's 4 --> 4 she will likely make it, but 7 --> 4 is probably not a legal connection and the airline has a responsibility to her to make it so.

balthy

There is no such thing as an illegal or legal connection, rather there are minImum connection times for connections that are set by each airport which should be adhered to as these are set times which allow the transfer from one flight to another taking into account terminal changes, checked baggage amongst other things. They are policies or rules but not laws in the legal sense. In airline systems, this MCT is built into the booking process making it virtually impossible to bypass or at least difficult. If there is a schedule change which throws out the MCT, the airline will find a new flight to ensure the MCT is met.

amyb

Yes, balthy, I’m aware that “legal” connection does not mean it will hold up in court. I thought to myself when I wrote that that someone might take that literally, and lo and behold.... And we still don’t know the exact terminals at JFK we’re talking about here, so we don’t know if they are legal or “meet the minimum connection time” or not.

Reading54

Another thing to consider is that with only 45-min, you may sprint to your next terminal/gate in JFK but your checked-in bags may not make the transfer.

Many years ago we flew BOS->JFK->VIE. The 1st leg was on United, the 2nd on Austrian Airline. The United flight was more than one hour late in take-off due to back-up air traffic in JFK, so we literally had to dash in JFK to our next terminal/gate. We made the flight, but our checked-in bags (tagged through to Vienna) did not make the same flight with us.

Sue_xx_yy

I think while airlines will do their best, the reality is, they pulled a lot of planes and staff out of service and will need some time to get back to 'normal' whatever that is going to be. Their capacity is well down, so they don't have a lot of flexibility to fix messes, so we travelers must try to avoid a jam if we can.

You have a fairly high stress itinerary, even before the changes. Do you have a night or two in Kilimanjaro before the safari starts?

I would consider as well, a night or two in Amsterdam if you can arrange to fly a day or two earlier. This gives you some buffer room if things go south, which they might.

mrwunrfl

I found an itinerary with a 45 min layover at JFK. You are probably traveling on a different date, but are these the flights you are on? If not, tell us your airline codes and flight numbers, like the bolded text below. What is your travel date?

Is your itinerary like this?:

Boston (BOS) to Kilimanjaro (JRO) — Fri, Sep 10

Boston (BOS) to New York (JFK) — Fri, Sep 10 KLM 5423
Dep: 5:13 pm Arr: 6:45 pm
1h 32m
Embraer 175
OPERATED BY REPUBLIC AIRWAYS DELTA CONNECTION FOR DELTA AIR LINES

Layover in JFK 0h 45m

New York (JFK) to Amsterdam (AMS) — Fri, Sep 10 KLM 6070
Dep: 7:30 pm Arr: 8:50 am
7h 20m
Airbus A330-900neo
OPERATED BY DELTA

Layover in AMS Sat, Sep 11 1h 25m

Amsterdam (AMS) to Kilimanjaro (JRO) — Sat, Sep 11 KLM 569
Dep: 10:15 am Arr: 7:35 pm
8h 20m
Boeing 787

mrwunrfl

I see that there is a later JFK to AMS flight but it gets in too late for the flight to JRO. You would have to leave a day sooner and then have a 23 h 50 m layover in AMS to get that flight to JRO on the day you want.,

There are plenty of other itinerary alternatives. I would consider the flights they gave you to be the first offer in a negotiation.

There are nonstops from BOS on Delta an KLM to AMS. There are other US connecting cities There are Air France flights to Paris for BOS-CDG-AMS-JRO. For ATL-AMS Delta has "A350 Flagship Service" which may be better than their JFK-AMS service.

Maybe there is a lack of award availability on the earlier BOS-JFK flights or on the BOS-AMS nonstops. I find it hard to believe those earlier JFK flights are sold out,

But, Delta will book that 45m connection so they must think you can make it.

I flew LAX to MIA last week. Departure was delayed an hour. Landing in Miami was delayed due to weather - we spent 25 minutes flying in an oval before we could land. Good thing I had 2 hrs + to connect and the connecting flight arrival had also been delayed by weather.