What Are Your Rights When You Miss Your Connecting Flight

I watched the departing time for my flight from Athens to Paris aboard Air France get delayed later and later. I wondered out loud if I would still be able to make my connection in Paris for my flight to Los Angeles. When I purchased the flight with Flying Blue points, I noted the rather tight connecting time at Charles De Gaulle Airport. It's a big airport and usually requires you to pass through secondary immigration even though you are just connecting and not leaving the airport. But Air France let me book for just 15,000 Flying Blue points and $90. Woohoo! 

But now standing in the Athens Airport with the connecting time disappearing, I was pretty sure I would miss the connection and wondered what my fate would be. I hopped on What's App to connect with Air France and immediately got a representative who assured me that I should get on the first flight and they were working on rescheduling me. 

• This should always be your first task. Agents at the airport can't help you and definitely don't leave the gate area to go back to check in. If you aren't comfortable with What's App, try calling customer service. 

We left an hour late and then sat on the tarmac for another 10 minutes so it was looking very unlikely that I would make the connecting flight to Los Angeles. At that point, I realized that it was out of my control and a night in Paris would be fun. 

Approximately 30 minutes before we landed in Paris, the flight attendant came to talk to me with Ipad in hand. He smiled and said "you have a tight connection." He showed me a map of the airport, the gate we were arriving in and the gate for my connecting flight. He told me normally the walk between the two gates takes 25 minutes, you will have 20 minutes. He moved me to a seat at the front of the plane and moved my carry on bag to the front of the plane. We are going to help you have the best chance of making it, but if you don't, go to customer service and they will take care of you. 

So what are your rights as a passenger? And do those rights change if you are flying on points or miles?

Here are your rights, but they may vary by airline. 

Flight Cancellations and Delays:

• Right to a Refund or Rebooking: If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed (more than 3 hours for domestic flights, or 6 hours for international flights), you are entitled to a full refund, including taxes and fees, or the option to rebook on another flight. 
• Right to Assistance and Care: 
  In the event of a significant delay or cancellation, the airline is responsible for providing assistance and care, including food and water, and potentially accommodation and transportation if the delay is lengthy. 
• Right to Compensation: 
  Depending on the regulations of the country where the flight originated, you may be entitled to compensation for delays, cancellations, or overbooking. 
• Right to Information: 
  You have the right to be informed about your rights and the reasons for any delays or cancellations. 

And even if you travel on points and miles, you are entitled to the same compensation. 

• The most important is to contact the airline immediately and document everything. 

Back to the flight into Paris, we landed over an hour late and I started running. There was absolutely no one at immigration so I breezed through. I ran down the hall to the new gate, the agent was still there, but the plane had left just 10 minutes earlier. 

I walked to customer service. The agent said they had already rescheduled me on a morning flight the next day, made a hotel reservation for me, and had issued vouchers for dinner, breakfast and coffee in the airport. Okay, so I would be spending the night in Paris, things could be way worse. 

Hotel Ibis at the airport

The agent had booked me at the The Ibis Hotel located at the airport. It was located near Terminal 3 which was a walk and a tram ride away. It was filled with people who missed flights and connections. Check in was fast. The room was clean. 

The restaurant in the lobby was a buffet filled with Parisian pastries. I slept well and got on my new flight the next day with ease. 

 

The story doesn't quite end there. I had reserved a rental car with Budget in Los Angeles and even though I called to let them know I was a on a new flight, they insisted on charging an extra fee for the one way rental. I filed a claim with Air France to see if they will cover the fee. If not, I will utilize the trip delay insurance on my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card which has the best travel insurance and car rental insurance coverage around. 

It's always a good reminder that you need to be flexible when traveling, but know your rights and document everything.