Missing a connecting flight while traveling can be extremely stressful. It could mean arriving at your destination too late for transportation to a resort or a cruise ship could sail without you. Even when you schedule significant time between flights, it is still possible to miss a connecting flight which can spell disaster on your trip.
Reasons for Missed Connections
A missed connection is often not something you can control. A passenger is at the mercy of the airline to get them between airports on time. However, severe weather, overbooking errors or other factors can all have an effect on whether planes depart and arrive on time. A summer thunderstorm could delay your flight from one airport, causing you to arrive at the next airport too late to reach your departure gate in time to board the next flight.
What Happens With Missed Connections
In most cases, airlines will simply book you on the next flight to your destination. Unfortunately, the next flight may not be until the next day or even a few days later. This could mean you must book a flight on a competing airline which could incur significant expenses. If you can wait until the next day to fly out, you may still need to pay for a hotel for the night rather than sleep in the airport. In addition, airlines are permitted to charge penalties or fees for changing flights, even when the missed flight was not the fault of the passenger. While the majority of airlines waive these fees or penalties, not all do and you may be required to pay in order to change your flight.
Travel Insurance
One of the ways to protect yourself against costs involved in missed connections is to purchase travel insurance. Most insurance policies offered to travelers provides missed connection coverage which will provide a certain amount for alternative transportation. Insurance normally provides coverage that ranges from $250 to $2,500 to get your trip back on schedule. Adding travel insurance with missed connection coverage can give you peace of mind should something happen that causes you to miss a connecting flight while you are traveling.
Coverage varies between policies so it is important to check your policy to be sure missed connection coverage is included before you travel. Learn more about missed connection coverage and get your travel insurance quotes at our website today.
