Travel Tips

Travel Tip: How to Avoid Missed Flight Connections

Terminal 5 arrivalIt sounds cynical but, when you’re dealing with a flight connection, you should assume the worst.

However, you can avoid missed flight connections. Here’s what you should do when you have to go from point A to B with a stop in between.

When you account for missed work and repercussions, travel glitches can actually cost big bucks. One recent study found that delays, cancellations, and missed connections cost passengers $16.7 billion a year.

Today, the minimum legal connection times can be as little as 20 minutes.

That’s what I call a suicidal connection! Just because the airline claims that meets its minimum criteria doesn’t mean it should meet yours.

If you’re booking on your own and your connection is shorter than the minimum allowed, the airline isn’t responsible for getting you on another flight.

Also, check legal connection times for your bags versus the flight itself. Otherwise, you might make it to your destination, but your luggage won’t.

Don’t forget—if you’re transferring from an international flight to a domestic one, you’re factoring in the time it takes to collect your bags, clear customs and immigration, and go through security, before you can even think about getting to your departure gate.

To learn more, check out our Airlines & Airports section.

Plus, check out the rest of our Travel Tips.