Travel Tips: Avoiding Missing Connecting Flights

Direct flight, of course, is the best option, but sometimes connecting flights help to save on a flight. There is always a chance to miss a connecting flight, but Reader`s Digest prepared tips on how to prevent this from happening.

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1. Book all flights with one airline

One of the easiest ways not to miss a connecting flight is to book the entire route with one company. This will help you and the flight attendants on your first flight to get information about the connecting gate and, if necessary, to inform you about the next connecting time for your flight so that it does not fly away without you!

2. Avoid the last flight of the day

In order not to miss a connecting flight and not stay overnight at the airport, try not to book the last flight of the day. This is especially true when flying to and from the airport in a northern climate, subject to snowfall, delays and cancellations in the winter.

3. Choose the best place

If you know that you will have a small margin of time between connecting flights, select seats in front of the aircraft. This will help you get off the plane and head to your next gate to avoid missing flights.

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4. Give yourself at least an hour

When booking a flight route, try to lay at least an hour between flights, but preferably 90 minutes. You can use this time to move around the airport from one exit to another, as well as a quick snack.

5. Direct flight

It may seem obvious, but the most reliable way to avoid missing a connecting flight is to fly non-stop.

6. Rely on the stewardess

Ask your flight attendant for information about the gate at which your current flight will arrive and where your connecting flight departs from. This information is also available in the airline application.

7. Check the airport map

Maps of airports that are usually used by the airline whose plane you are currently flying are in the back of the logbook in the back pocket in front of you. Once you are armed with information about the current gate, make a route map from point A to point B.

8. Checking in or not checking in luggage is the question

If you need to book tickets with a minimum flight duration of 45 minutes or less, consider using only your hand luggage. Although you will have to hurry your luggage from gate to gate, it will be your best choice to ensure that your clothes and shoes arrive at your destination on time. All this is due to the fact that those involved in baggage handling may have difficulty delivering your suitcases from the cargo compartment of one plane to the next plane before departure if your connecting flight departs shortly after the previous one lands.

9. Use technology

At the beginning of 2019, United Airlines launched ConnectionSaver: “A new technology that automatically identifies departing flights and can be delayed for customers.”

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10. Choose the right airport

The airport of your flight is of great importance in determining whether you have time for connecting flights, so it is important to choose the best airport.

11. Register online

By registering on the Internet, you will reduce the obstacles that must be overcome in order to quickly board a connecting flight.

12. Charge your phone

These days, few travelers have paper boarding passes, so another way to avoid skipping your connecting flight is to make sure your phone is charged and all your boarding passes are either saved in a digital wallet or screenshots are saved in your photo library.

13. So, you missed the connecting flight. Now what?

You may have followed all the tips above so as not to miss a connecting flight, but you still missed it. Go to your airline’s customer service counter - explain your situation calmly and with a smile. If you're lucky, you can help rebook your flight ticket.

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