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I have flown many times before and almost always it was a direct flight unless it was to say a long destination where you have to have direct flights.* However, if you do that, i know there is a very long layover where you are at the airport for a few hours before you go on the next flight.* Once i recalled i took a domestic flight and it was an interconnecting flight... I don't recall exactly how long but when i got off at the first destination, i believe i had like 50 minutes or so before the next flight boarded which would go to my final destination.* Now at that airport, i know many people fly directly from there to the destination.* This was a flight from the US to another country.*
Now what i want to know is this.* If the flight gets delayed the initial one, would your interconnecting flight get delayed as well or not?* Because if not, then aren't you going to miss the interconnecting flight?* I'm curious but how often would you say a flight that goes to a destination, say there were flyers where they had to fly using an interconnecting flight before this one?* How much percentage?* Because the thing is i recalled they gave me less than 1 hour etc to get to the next flight.* Now i checked flights and i notice that there was as little as a 30 minute layover.* If thats the case, doesn't that mean there is high chance that someone can miss their flight especially since they have to walk quickly to the other one etc?* Because the thing was i recalled i only had a carry on with me... no checked luggage.* But if you had checked luggage, i assume that checked luggage was already in the second plane that goes to your final destination right?* Because you would never ever have to check the bag again right as that would be impossible?* The thing is how do people even handle 30 minute layovers?* If your plane is late or the distance is very far, couldn't you miss it?
The other thing is i heard of people intentionally missing their interconnecting flight.* I googled interconnecting and thats the first thing i read about.* I only wanted to know what if you miss the interconnecting flight.* What are the reasons people intentionally miss it?* Is it because the first place it goes to is their final destination and its cheaper that way as oppose to direct flight?* That is the only way i could think is the reason?* Also the other thing that confuses me is do people do interconnecting flights usually because they have to... or because they have on costs?* I done it once a while back but it was to save on costs.* But I thought that is not good idea because if your flight is delayed etc, then aren't there lot of issues?
On a related question.* I notice when you use Jetblue, AA, orbitz to check flights, you have the nonstop flights.* Then you have those 1 stop flights.* But the thing that always confuses me are those flights that have like a 5 hour or 12 hour layover or more.* The thing that confuses me is why are these flights so expensive?* Like imagine you going from one state to another or from the US to another country.* But you could fly one way and its this cost.* But if you fly an interconnecting flight to that state or country, there is not only like a big layover, the price is so expensive?* Im sure you all know what im talking about right?* Its like why are these flights 800 dollars when a direct flight might be 300.**
Your second flight is totally independent of your first flight. The arrival time of your first flight in no way impacts the departure time of your second flight. It's up to you to be a responsible traveller and schedule your flights to give yourself plenty of time. When you check in at the ticket counter, they will check your luggage through to your final destination. Yes, if your connecting flight is a long distance to walk, you could very well miss your flight. Then you would need to go to the customer service counter for your airline and see if they could put you on a later flight.
You might check on one of the many forums dealing with how specific airlines and airports work. So, if you are flying United out of JFK airport, you could find a specific forum for those questions. Also, if you are flying to an international destination, I think you also need to allow more time.
Regarding choosing layovers, it depends on where you're flying to. I've found that direct flights are usually more expensive than those with layovers. And in some cases, the place I'm flying to doesn't have any direct flights from my departure airport. I usually shop for price first, then look at total flight times including layovers. Make sure that whenever you flight you join the airline's frequent flyer program because the benefits can add up.
What happens on a misconnect depends on whether you booked the route as one of multiple tickets. If all flights are on a single ticket, then it's the airline's responsibility to rebook you to your final destination in as timely manner as realistic. If you did something like book a cheap Spirit ticket to get to LAX followed by a United ticket to Hawaii and your Spirit flight gets delayed long enough you miss your United flight, United marks you as a no show because they don't technically care why you weren't at LAX at departure time. If you're lucky, some gate agent may have mercy on you under the 'flat tire rule' and rebook you on another flight, but under their contract of carriage, they don't have to and instead have the right to make you buy a new ticket at same day walk-up pricing if you still want to go to Hawaii.
Airplane scheduling- if it's a small outstation airport, there will be cascading delays since the 3:00 arrival into VPS and the 3:50 departure out of VPS are the same plane. For larger airports, it's constant movement, and trans-ocean flights are the most likely to be on time for departure because they have to make their time and place slot assignment for transatlantic and transpacific 'lanes' designed to provide generous time and space buffers for planes traveling outside of radar range. The only times international flights are likely to be held for connecting passengers is
if rebooking is difficult. Say Air France only flies from Paris to Timbuktu once a week, and there's a group of 10 people who are going to miss their connection in CDG. The airline is far more likely to hold that flight than for something like JFK-London, where misconnects will have another five flights a day they can be placed on.
Intentional misconnect- likely hidden city ticketing when there's a good deal to be had
Connecting flights get expensive when you're connecting to a smaller city where there is limited airline competition. The joke down here in the Florida panhandle (Delta has 60%+ of local passenger count) is that the first $200 of your ticket gets you to Atlanta. Which is about 45 minutes wheels up to wheels down on a good day. You can also find cheap non-stop flights when a legacy carrier is in direct competition with a low cost carrier or you're talking two airport with no dominant carrier- think something like Boston-LAX.
For other routes, the non-stop flight commands a far higher price because business travelers who value time over money will pay a premium to not hang out in an airport lounge for three hours in the middle of a travel day.
Short answer to a long question. If you have a through ticket, from A to C with a connection at B, the ticketing airline will assure that you get from A to C with the least delay and no penalty. But if you bought two separate tickets, with separate fares, the second airline is not interested in your excuses about why you missed your flight. You just missed it, the same as if you overslept.
We were once on a flight that was held for a short time for an connecting flight. We all sat there waiting on the plane for 10 minutes then about 15 very frustrated out of breath passengers boarded, took their seats, and we were off. It was a 3 hour flight and we still arrived on time.
That said, it's unusual and that was the only time have seen it happen. Probably takes having enough passengers from another flight that they know is already at another gate disembarking late, and a destination that isn't a large hub.
We were once on a flight that was held for a short time for an connecting flight. We all sat there waiting on the plane for 10 minutes then about 15 very frustrated out of breath passengers boarded, took their seats, and we were off. It was a 3 hour flight and we still arrived on time.
That said, it's unusual and that was the only time have seen it happen. Probably takes having enough passengers from another flight that they know is already at another gate disembarking late, and a destination that isn't a large hub.
I've also seen a plane hold at the gate a few minutes because another plane was late arriving, but it seems in general they will not delay departures due to other late arrivals. I don't know if it's a judgment call on a case by case basis or the airline has calculated delay parameters for specific flights but it would surprise me if it isn't the latter as airlines are very metric-driven. They would not be holding the second plane for the benefit of the connecting passengers on the first plane but because the cost of rebooking and compensating those passengers is too much. Jets are not operating at max speed. They can go faster and make up some time in the air.
As for intentionally missing a connection, maybe they are playing the open leg game where the connecting city is their true destination but flying through it is cheaper than flying to it. Or maybe they want a stayover in that city to see the sights. But that only works if you have no checked bags.
Your second flight is totally independent of your first flight.
It used to be that when the second segment had the same flight number that they would wait for the first segment if it was late. However, I am not sure if they do that any more.
A friend just complained how he had a 4.5 hour layover between flights, but a fog bank rolled in to Fort Lauderdale forcing his first flight to divert to another airport. By the time the fog cleared and they completed the final round, the second plane to Aruba was already gone. Not only did he lose an expensive night that was prepaid in Aruba, he had to shell out a lot of money to stay in dreary roadside motel in Fort Lauderdale.
I feel that for vacations of less than one week, he should simply choose from destinations where there are nonstop flights. But that would reduce his options considerably.
Now what i want to know is this.* If the flight gets delayed the initial one, would your interconnecting flight get delayed as well or not?* Because if not, then aren't you going to miss the interconnecting flight?* I'm curious but how often would you say a flight that goes to a destination, say there were flyers where they had to fly using an interconnecting flight before this one?* How much percentage?* Because the thing is i recalled they gave me less than 1 hour etc to get to the next flight.* Now i checked flights and i notice that there was as little as a 30 minute layover.* If thats the case, doesn't that mean there is high chance that someone can miss their flight especially since they have to walk quickly to the other one etc?* Because the thing was i recalled i only had a carry on with me... no checked luggage.* But if you had checked luggage, i assume that checked luggage was already in the second plane that goes to your final destination right?* Because you would never ever have to check the bag again right as that would be impossible?* The thing is how do people even handle 30 minute layovers?* If your plane is late or the distance is very far, couldn't you miss it?
You worry way too much. Just take the advice, here: book all flights on the same ticket. The big in the sky will take care of the rest.
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