Non-motoring > Connecting flights Miscellaneous
Thread Author: smokie Replies: 16
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New Thu 6 Apr 23 21:45 
 Connecting flights - smokie
My return flight from Portugal in November is with TAP and is two steps - Faro to Lisbon then Lisbon to London.

There is only about 45 minutes between arrival in Lisbon and departure.

I'm assuming my checked baggage is taken care of in Lisbon so all we have to do is dash from one gate to another.

But what happens if the first flight is delayed such that I miss the second one? Do I and my cases get put up in a hotel by the airline?


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New Thu 6 Apr 23 22:21 
 Connecting flights - CGNorwich
My understanding is that as long as the flights have one itinerary and you didn't book two seperate flights in the event of a missed connection they must put you on the next available flight and if that is the next day they have to put you up in a hotel.

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New Thu 6 Apr 23 22:36 
 Connecting flights - Kevin
Depends on which later flight you are on - they may get a seat for you on another carrier leaving a few hours/minutes later.
Your checked luggage will have been labelled straight through to London so again, it depends on which later flight you are on. If it's an overnight stay they'll usually want you to collect your luggage and check in again next day. I say 'usually' because Sri Lankan once shipped us off to a hotel sans luggage for a 5 hour overnighter.
I don't know how this fits with safety regs but I've also had the situation where luggage made the connecting flight but we didn't.

In your case, if your first flight is delayed for less than about 15min I'd expect them to hold your connecting flight at the gate and make time up en-route. If that happens, as you enter the aircraft sweating and panting, just be prepared for the groans and glares from other passengers already seated and impatient to get going.
Last edited by: Kevin on Thu 6 Apr 23 at 22:37
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New Thu 6 Apr 23 22:53 
 Connecting flights - legacylad
Yeah...the impatient passengers on the second flight will think you’ve been in the bar at Lisbon airport and were taken unexpectedly.

Back in the days of yore, pre cheap airlines, we flew Leeds ( Yeadon) > Amsterdam > Geneva for our summer climbing trips. We made the short connection at AMS, our bags didn’t. Found a cheap room above a Cuban bar on a back street, phoned the airport baggage handling service the following morning and they sent a taxi with our bags. Not sure who paid for our accommodation that night.
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 08:52 
 Connecting flights - Falkirk Bairn
A son & family were visiting his brother but instead of flying home directly he decided to have 3 days in New York.

Booked on New York to Heathrow and then Heathrow to Aberdeen.

At airport in plenty time, however BA had issues with crew and the flight departed 2+ hours late.
Arrived at Heathrow missing the Aberdeen flight he was booked on (BA).

The next Aberdeen flight was the Sunday and in the afternoon.

BA put him a flight to Glasgow - delayed about 2 hours and eventually got to Glasgow at midnight!
No car rental office open - so booked an airport hotel & ordered a hire car for the next morning.
Lots of luggage and no estate cars - he ended up with a Ford transit minibus configuration.

Hotel & car hire came to £560 and he claimed for the delays £2,200 (£550x4) - BA paid out in full and within reasonable time frame. The £2,200 was more than the airfare!
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 09:44 
 Connecting flights - sooty123

>> But what happens if the first flight is delayed such that I miss the second
>> one? Do I and my cases get put up in a hotel by the airline?
>>
>>
>>
>> whenever it's happened to me, yes you get put up in a hotel.
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 11:19 
 Connecting flights - Bromptonaut
>> >> whenever it's happened to me, yes you get put up in a hotel.

If they cannot get you one a later flight then that's plan B.

Several years ago Miss B was part of a World Challenge Group returning to Heathrow from Ecuador via Madrid. Late leaving Quito due to a problem with the Iberia aircraft to MAD. They were bumped onto the next flight MAD>LHR and arrived late evening rather than teatime.
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 11:22 
 Connecting flights - smokie
That's all very helpful and will put SWMBOs mind at rest!! Thanks :-)
Last edited by: smokie on Fri 7 Apr 23 at 11:23
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 11:31 
 Connecting flights - smokie
Slight tangent, we travelled back by BA from Faro, Portugal yesterday. We were expecting:

- Long delays at Faro due to border staff strike, announced earlier in the week for yesterday for three days - these are fairly frequent and usually result in a 4+ hour wait in hot sweaty busy airport, so we got up and got there ages before our check in time just in case

- possible delays to flights due to French Air Traffic control industrial action

- severe delays due to border staff and baggage people striking at Heathrow T5


In the event it was the smoothest ever journey - they' suspended the strike for one day and the airport was the least busy I've seen it, the flight was on time and T5 was nearly empty - queue depth of 2 at the passport machines and baggage was through quickly.

We had no transport planned from Heathrow to Home but daughter was on standby. But instead we used our old peoples bus passes and got the Green line then a local service for free. So much cheaper than parking the car at the airport (anyway we left from Gatwick) also green of us to boot!! We were home and unpacking 3 hours after getting off the flight - I reckon most other methods (other than £80 taxi or daughter collecting us) would have been 2.5 hours.

Cold here innit!!!
Last edited by: smokie on Fri 7 Apr 23 at 11:32
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 18:43 
 Connecting flights - Terry
Why book a change of flights for Faro - London.

Several airlines service most London airports. Maximum chance of foul up is booking connecting flights with only a small window to make the connection.

I am one who regards modern air travel as an evil to be endured to get to ones destination as trouble free as possible. The days when passengers were any other than living cargo are long gone.
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 18:55 
 Connecting flights - smokie
Price - it was comparatively an absolute bargain to go via Lisbon at that time.

But we can (and may well) change it and have a few days in Lisbon at no extra cost if we want.
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 19:00 
 Connecting flights - CGNorwich
Lisbon is one of my favourite European cities, lots of history, great architecture, salt cod and Fado music. Very walkable.
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New Fri 7 Apr 23 20:09 
 Connecting flights - Kevin
>The days when passengers were any other than living cargo are long gone.

Because shorthaul punters will choose a cheaper fare over comfort and service every time. Longhaul can still be reasonable but is heading that way.

My gripe is with the likes of BA and Lufthansa who think they can charge premium prices for Ryanair levels of service.
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New Fri 14 Apr 23 11:05 
 Connecting flights - Today - Bromptonaut
Son together with his partner and members of her family returned to LHR overnight after a holiday in Thailand. Plan was Bangkok Airways Koh Samui to Singapore then BA to LHR where they would connect for Manchester - also BA.

All OK until the last leg. Arrival at LHR was broadly on time. Son made it onto the Manchester flight but the other three were held up due to some issue with security scanners and the Shuttle left without them.

Next flight to Manchester with seats available was not until 22:00 or thereabouts. Rest of family were sent by rail but, for some reason via Kings Cross rather than Euston. They'd have to change at Leeds but in practice another member of the family will drive over to pick them up.

My first thought was that the routing via Kings Cross was down to Aviva's criminal performance on the West Coast Line . However son says it was a 'commercial' issue as BA have a contract with whoever is the current operator on the East Coast line.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 14 Apr 23 at 11:07
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New Fri 14 Apr 23 11:12 
 Connecting flights - Today - smokie
Was their luggage to be delivered or did they have to lug it on the train with them?
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New Fri 14 Apr 23 13:18 
 Connecting flights - Today - Bromptonaut
>> Was their luggage to be delivered or did they have to lug it on the
>> train with them?

Don't know the answer to that.
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New Fri 14 Apr 23 14:12 
 Connecting flights - Today - Bromptonaut
>> Don't know the answer to that.

They collected it at LHR so it was on the train with them.
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