Anxious traveller (again)- question…

Thanks for that, Mark.

Whilst on the subject, I thought it would be worthwhile asking. My flight from JFK to LAX leaves 75 minutes after I arrive from LHR.

I actualy see your connection as 65 minutes not 75 minutes. Thats going to be pretty tight to disembark, clear immigration, customs, security, and get to the gate in time, seeing as the gate closes 15-20 minutes before departure anyway.

You can easily be delayed 65 minutes just taxiing on the ground at LHR. Thankfully JFK-LAX is AA’s most regular Transcon schedule, so not like you’ll be stranded for any long period of time if you do misconnect.

Thanks for that, Mark.

Whilst on the subject, I thought it would be worthwhile asking. My flight from JFK to LAX leaves 75 minutes after I arrive from LHR.

How do passengers stand if their onward connection departs not too long after their first flight arrives? Presumably, if it is possible to book a flight, regardless of the stopover time, the airline will still take good care of you?

Correct. Airline schedules incorporate “minimum connection times” into their timetables.

With BA at Heathrow between T4 and T1 for example, it is 90 minutes. I’m trying to fly between Cape Town and Manchester in a few months. The last flight to MAN leaves 75 minutes after the CPT arrival, so BA won’t sell me a ticket with that connection time.

If the MAN flight left 15 minutes later, then that would be a “legal” connection. BA would have to carry the can in getting me to Manchester if the inbound Cape Town flight was late and I missed my ticketed flight to MAN.

This of course only applies if you book the flight as CPT-MAN. If I booked the flights separatley, as CPT-LHR and LHR-MAN, then if the inbound flight from CPT was late, the onus would be on me to get another flight to MAN, not BA.

How do passengers stand if their onward connection departs not too long after their first flight arrives? Presumably, if it is possible to book a flight, regardless of the stopover time, the airline will still take good care of you?

I doubt they would let him use the lounge just because he missed his connection, imagine if they started that they would have to let everybody in!

If you’ve only got a few hours wait then it isn’t worth it. However in this case the delay would be over 12 hours, and you’d have a pretty good argument for some preferential treatment. It has certainly worked for me in the past in my pre-status days.

On second thoughts though, a 12 hour delay would be much better spent in Madrid itself rather than in T4S, no matter how nice it may be. 😉

I doubt they would let him use the lounge just because he missed his connection, imagine if they started that they would have to let everybody in!

Ive missed a connection in BCN with IB before and they had no problem giving us food vouchers. Madrids T4 is the perfrct place to be stuck in the event of missed connections a truly amazing facility.

It varies form airline to airline and if you dont use the first part of your ticket Iberia DO NOT cancel the rest of it.

It may be different with connecting flights but from past expierence I had a DUB-BCN-ALC ticket which I didnt use put the return part of the ticket was ok.

That does indeed vary, but with connecting flights its industry standard to cancel the rest, and as lucas says after speaking to IB, this is indeed their policy too.

lucas, you are therefore in a really good position with regards to later options. You can either go on that horribly timed later departure, but like I thought there are also options that will get you there connecting through JFK, MIA, GRU, or LIM on earlier flights leaving MAD.

If you do get stuck in MAD until the 1.25am flight, make sure IB give you food vouchers, and if I were you and I’d ask them to let you into their lounge too (assuming you are not already in Business and do not hold oneworld Sapphire/Emerald status)

It varies form airline to airline and if you dont use the first part of your ticket Iberia DO NOT cancel the rest of it.

It may be different with connecting flights but from past expierence I had a DUB-BCN-ALC ticket which I didnt use put the return part of the ticket was ok.

In reply to your comment, Mark, I am on the IB6845, departing at 12.10 in the afternoon, so hopefully if I miss the flight I can be put on the next IB flight to EZE which is at 1.25 AM.
The thing is I can’t really miss it because on the 12.10 flight I am meeting my Mum who had to go to Madrid for other reasons before so I ideally wanted us to travel together.
I rang up IB and as you rightly said, due to my ticket being the lowest fare if I don’t take the AMS-MAD I loose all the other flights, so I’ll stick to the original plan (AMS-MAD-EZE) :rolleyes:

Thanks a lot for all your help, I really appreciate it 🙂

If you do not take the first leg of your booking, all subsequent flights ticketed under that same booking reference will be pulled. This happens roughly 99% of the time, and you will have to buy a new ticket to EZE if you do this.

My advice is the same as the other guys, stick to your original itin. If you miss your connection, IB will either route you through another South America gateway and put you onto LAN to get you to EZE, or you’ll get a complimentary night in a hotel in MAD and go on the next day’s flight. (you’ll have a lot of options here, make sure you’ve done some research BEFORE you go as to what other flights are available to get you to EZE that day if you need to stick to a schedule).

Just out of interest which MAD-EZE flight are you on? The dayflight that leaves MAD in the morning and gets to EZE in the evening, or the night flight that leaves MAD at 1am and gets to MAD much later the same morning/night?

Thanks a lot guys, I’ll ring them up and let you know how the trip went after I get back!

Thanks for the help 😀 😉

I agree with Allen, take it up with the airline. There was a time a few years ago when you could, for example, buy a ticket from London to New York from a ‘bucket shop’. The shop would present you with a ticket from Paris to New York via London with the Paris-London leg ‘pulled’ (ie, removed). This was because the Paris-New York flight was cheaper than London-NY, even with the connecting flight to London.

The airlines were dead against this and it wasn’t, technically speaking, legal. Consequently, if someone didn’t turn up for the first leg they would cancel the entire reservation. However, that was then and this is now. It would probably be OK now but I would definitely check with the Iberia reservations department. Who knows, they might even offer to change the AMS-MAD flight to an Iberia the night before at minimal cost. :confused:

Hi, as you can probably tell from my previous treads i am an annoying anxious traveller, but i can’t help but worry and would like your help!:confused:

Right the thing is on wednesday i am flying to Buenos Aires on Iberia (A346!) from Amsterdam connecting through Madrid (the booking includes all flights AMS-MAD-EZE).
My connecting time is very short, I doubt i will make it and was wondering-

If i go to Madrid from Amsterdam the day before on another airline and not use the AMS-MAD part of my ticket, is MAD-EZE still valid to use? So really my booking is AMS-MAD-EZE but if i dont use the AMS-MAD will i still be able to check in at Madrid for my Buenos Aires flight? 🙁 😮

Thanks for any help, apologies again for being so annoying. I’ll bring back a trip report to show my gratitude! 😉 :p
LUCAS 😀

That’s a question for Iberia to be honest, give them a call. But from my experience of “all inclusive” bookings, it’s the airline’s responsibilty to ensure you receive full carriage from point A to C. If your AMS flight get’s in late, then they should put you on the next available flight to Buenos Aires…

I’ve done these connections before and sometimes find a little ‘golf buggy’ waiting to whisk me from one gate to another. Basically, they know you’re expected and within reason will do their best to accomodate any delay in your initial connection. As I say GIVE IBERIA A CALL !