Strategies for dealing with flight delays

Flight delays can be a headache. But when there’s a connecting flight to catch, even an hourlong delay can mean the difference between getting to your destination or spending the night in an airport hotel midway through your journey.

I spent much of a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta earlier this year messaging my airline, texting my husband, imploring a flight attendant and searching for alternate options after a departure delay meant I would almost certainly miss my late-night connection — and my kids’ morning routines. Even though it is my job to know how to deal with travel snafus, my ultimate success came down to luck and an airport sprint.

Whether you’re "this close" to missing your connecting flight or landing well after the plane’s wheels are up, here’s a guide to managing troublesome connections.

First, a reminder: Whenever possible, avoid connecting flights.

Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet, remembers a flight when luck wasn’t on her side. She got off a delayed flight in Denver hoping to catch her next one to St. Louis.

"I sprinted off the plane and I literally saw the connecting flight pulling out of the gate," she said. "And it was like me and 15 other passengers."

Now she does "everything in my power to fly direct," said French, including taking a 6 a.m. flight. "Because I do not want to deal with a layover."

Nonstop flights generally have a better on-time arrival rate, said Katy Nastro, travel expert at the cheap-flight alert service Going.

When direct flights aren’t an option, try to carry your bags with you instead of checking them for more flexibility in case you do miss that connection.

If it’s crucial to make that final leg of your flight on time, give yourself some wiggle room during the layover. Experts have told The Washington Post that while shorter turnarounds should theoretically be able to work, leaving a couple of hours between flights will provide a buffer in case anything goes wrong. This is especially true if you’re catching a connecting flight on a different airline, because the two carriers won’t be working together to accommodate you. For flights returning to the United States from overseas, think of a two-hour layover as the bare minimum.

Opt in to updates

Download the airline’s app before you head to the airport, and make sure your settings allow notifications. You can also opt to have the airline text or email you.

If the timing looks iffy for your connecting flight, the airline will notify you. And if things are truly bleak, you should expect an offer to rebook you on the next possible flight.

Explore options on your own

Examine what the airline is offering, and make sure it fits your needs.

"It’ll tell you ‘We have rebooked you seven days from now on a 10 p.m. flight,’" said Peter Vlitas, executive vice president of partner relations at Internova Travel Group. "Obviously that doesn’t work for you."

Coming home from Athens recently, he faced the possibility of getting home at 11 p.m. a day late after equipment changes and cancellations. Instead, he was able to fly through London and get home the night he was supposed to. He said travelers can get creative with potential routes and additional connections if they’re desperate to get out of a spot with major backups.

French said an airline’s app should show a range of possibilities.

"It’s really nice to feel like you’re in control and can look at these 12 flight options and make an informed decision," she said.

Flag the flight attendant

Are things looking bad as you head to your layover? Nastro recommends asking the flight attendant whether they think the next flight can be held and whether passengers with connections can get priority to exit first. They can also ask where the connecting gate will be.

"You always hear, ‘Passengers need to get ahead, let them out,’" over the speakers, she said.

Confirm the missed connection

If you think there’s a shot at reaching the connection, fight to the finish.

"Literally speed is your best friend," Nastro said. For domestic flights, you might not be far from the next gate.

Get there as quickly as possible to lay eyes on the plane and double-check that you can’t make it on.

"If the door is already closed and the plane is pulling back from the gate, then yes, you have to accept reality," she said.

Make new plans

Ideally, you’ve researched the best options and can make the change on the airline’s app. But if not, get on the phone with customer service or in line for an agent at the airport — or both. Travelers with loyalty status should have their own number to call for dedicated help, Vlitas said.

"I always like to double check with somebody in person," Nastro said. "Seat maps change all the time."

Ask for vouchers

An airline may proactively send you vouchers for a hotel and meals if you’re held up due to a missed connection; United, for example, said it sends those through the app when eligible.

But if you’re stuck without any word from the airline, ask customer service agents what they can offer you. If a long delay is their fault, most have pledged some kind of food and accommodation help; a Transportation Department customer service dashboard lays out their commitments.

When French missed her connection, she asked for meal vouchers and got $45. Then she asked whether compensation would be available for a ride from the airport since she would no longer be able to get picked up. The agent offered airline credits.

"It was kind of at the whim of what they said," she said.

Hope the airline will save you

The good news is that airlines recognize our pain and have been making efforts to lessen the stress when possible.

American Airlines said before summer that it was testing new technology in Dallas and Charlotte that would suggest "short holds of certain outbound flights" to allow travelers to make connections without hurting the broader schedule. That initiative expanded to Chicago before the Fourth of July travel weekend.

After a month, American said the new automated process had saved connections for thousands of people — including 50 on a single flight in Charlotte.

United Airlines said a tool it introduced in 2019, ConnectionSaver, has saved more than 3.3 million passenger connections. New features in the airline’s app will send passengers at seven U.S. hubs information about connections, including whether they need to hurry to the plane, directions to the gate and notifications if the plane is being held for them.

"Other passengers really appreciate it, actually, when we hold the plane for fellow travelers," David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, said during a media call in June. "I hear all the time from our front-line employees that people often clap and maybe even cheer for connecting passengers when they actually make the connection and board the flight."