You take a cross country flight with a connection in Atlanta and your incoming flight is delayed, causing you to miss your onward flight, which, of course, was the last one of the day.
What the airline owes you: if the delay was the airline’s fault (a mechanical or crew problem, for instance), then you should ask for overnight lodging and a meal voucher, plus transportation, if applicable, to and from the hotel, although there is no law that requires them to do provide these amenities. If the delay was beyond the airline’s control then you may be out of luck.
Next time: don't take connecting flights if there's a nonstop available. “Nonstops are usually more expensive for a reason,” says Alexander Anolik, a Los Angeles-based attorney specializing in travel law and author of Traveler’s Rights.
“People desire them because there are more problems and interruptions with connecting flights.” If you must take a connecting flight, says Anolik, start your journey first thing in the morning since earlier flights tend to experience fewer delays.
In addition, every US domestic flight's on time performance is tracked and is available from the airline or your travel agent. Flights are rated from 1 (on time 0-10 percent of the time) to 10 (on time 90-100 percent). By avoiding flights with poor on time performance you increase your chances of arriving on schedule. "When I start seeing ‘fives’ and it's a connection, I warn them," says Kathryn Sudeikis, President and CEO of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and a practicing travel agent.
Lastly, if you absolutely must arrive on time, build in some wiggle room between connections. Instead of allowing 40 minutes to make your connection at a large and busy airport, leave yourself two hours. "A 'bricks and mortar' travel agent can build in a longer layover," says Sudeikis. "You can't do that on some of the online travel agencies."
Airlines do not guarantee their schedules, and there's no law or regulation stating that they must compensate passengers when a flight isn't on time. "Prepare for the worst," advices ASTA’s Sudeikis, "and hope for the best."
