Missing connecting flight...will I be penalised?
Discussion
A few months ago, thanks to advice on this forum, I booked a bargain flight on expedia.com.au - London Heathrow to Los Angeles return, (North West Airlines going out (via Minneapolis) and Air France non-stop coming back - £128!!!!!! each for me and my wife next May.
The problem I have is our holiday plans have changed. Once we get to Minneapolis we would now like to drive to LA.
1. Do we risk having our return leg with Air France cancelled if we don't get our connecting flight from Minneapolis to LA, even though the return leg is with a different airline to the one going out?
2. Will we be able to collect our bags or will the airline automatically transfer them to the connecting flight? Being an international flight I guess we would collect them to clear immigration?
Thanks
Jono
The problem I have is our holiday plans have changed. Once we get to Minneapolis we would now like to drive to LA.
1. Do we risk having our return leg with Air France cancelled if we don't get our connecting flight from Minneapolis to LA, even though the return leg is with a different airline to the one going out?
2. Will we be able to collect our bags or will the airline automatically transfer them to the connecting flight? Being an international flight I guess we would collect them to clear immigration?
Thanks
Jono
If you don't personally phone up and cancel, yes you'll be buggered - you will lose the return leg to the UK and your bags will be transferred to the second flight, then removed to who knows where when you don't turn up on the plane.
However, phone the airline for the second leg and cancel the booking and you'll be fine.
However, phone the airline for the second leg and cancel the booking and you'll be fine.
You should collect your bags when you land as that is your first port of call and you will need them to pass US customs etc, after doing so you will then hand them back in and you go off to your connecting flight.
As far as i am aware you can just walk out the terminal with your bags as normal and check in as normal coming home. I always go via Washington Dulles when i visit my dad and thats what happens there when we get a connecting flight. I flew direct to Dulles for a holiday last month and went through a completely different part of the airport to what i have in the past but you do collect your bags before checking them in again for the connecting flight.
You wont lose the return leg as thats part of your ticket, loads of people miss the connecting flights so thats not a big problem. My brother has missed countless connecting flight because the layover is so short and has never had a problem getting the return leg.
As far as i am aware you can just walk out the terminal with your bags as normal and check in as normal coming home. I always go via Washington Dulles when i visit my dad and thats what happens there when we get a connecting flight. I flew direct to Dulles for a holiday last month and went through a completely different part of the airport to what i have in the past but you do collect your bags before checking them in again for the connecting flight.
You wont lose the return leg as thats part of your ticket, loads of people miss the connecting flights so thats not a big problem. My brother has missed countless connecting flight because the layover is so short and has never had a problem getting the return leg.
Edited by Nickyboy on Tuesday 7th October 22:43
Nickyboy said:
You should collect your bags when you land as that is your first port of call and you will need them to pass US customs etc, after doing so you will then hand them back in and you go off to your connecting flight.
Good point, I missed the fact he wasn't transitting out of the country.But still, my previous point stands - phone the internal US airline for the second leg, cancel the flight and everything should be hunkydory.
RE your edit - I've had cause to cancel a few secondary legs (albeit always with BA outbound from the UK and AA internally so it might just be them) and I've been told in no uncertain terms to contact the US domestic airline direct because it will knacker my return international leg.
Edited by Famous Graham on Tuesday 7th October 22:47
Zeek said:
Unlikely the return transat sector would be cancelled if you take the outbound sector.
And yes, you will have your bags back at MSP. That's a long drive though!
1900 miles, via Interstates, plus crossing the Rockies.And yes, you will have your bags back at MSP. That's a long drive though!
Would be a great trip. What happens to the hirecar in LA though*
* it gets stolen, I know
Edited by john_p on Tuesday 7th October 22:47
Maybe it would be easier to swap your connecting flight from MSP to Denver instead of LA, northwest may be able to arrange this for you easier than cancelling your LA flight, this would also save you having to drive through nebraska, iowa etc, (unless of course you have a burning desire to !) leaving you a bit more time to spend in more classically picturescue country
s
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If it was all booked as a single itinerary, which I suspect it was as Air France and Northwest are in the same alliance then you will need to let them know and you may fall foul of higher intermediate point (HIP) rules.
What this means is if you break your itinerary at a more expensive destination than originally intended they will want you to pay the difference in fare, this sounds crazy as you will be costing them less by not flying the MSP to LAX leg but is common practice. Reason for this is the route between London and MSP is not as competitive as London to LA so the price they can get away with will be higher on the former, if everyone could just book a cheap LA fare and trouser the difference it would be bad news for the airline.
Anyway point being call the airline and discuss / sort.
Cheers
Ben
What this means is if you break your itinerary at a more expensive destination than originally intended they will want you to pay the difference in fare, this sounds crazy as you will be costing them less by not flying the MSP to LAX leg but is common practice. Reason for this is the route between London and MSP is not as competitive as London to LA so the price they can get away with will be higher on the former, if everyone could just book a cheap LA fare and trouser the difference it would be bad news for the airline.
Anyway point being call the airline and discuss / sort.
Cheers
Ben
I booked with Air France about a month ago, Scotland to London.
I missed my outbound flight. Because I didn't catch it, they automatically cancelled my return flight. No amount of begging to the jobsworth on the phone would convince them to change thier minds. I had to pay full price for my return and only got back the airport/fuel tax on the original flight.
(I ended up having to do a mercy dash down to London overnight, trains, cars, taxis, tubes and more taxi's. No sleep, quick shower and change of clothes and got to meetings on time)
Phone them. Honest
I missed my outbound flight. Because I didn't catch it, they automatically cancelled my return flight. No amount of begging to the jobsworth on the phone would convince them to change thier minds. I had to pay full price for my return and only got back the airport/fuel tax on the original flight.
(I ended up having to do a mercy dash down to London overnight, trains, cars, taxis, tubes and more taxi's. No sleep, quick shower and change of clothes and got to meetings on time)
Phone them. Honest
I booked two return flights to the Philippines a couple of years ago, through Travelocity, intending only to use the return leg of one flight to bring my mum in law back to the UK. It seemed the simplest way to do it and ensure we got on the same plane at the same time coming home.
The airline told me that if I didn't use the outbound leg then I could not use the return leg. I told them they could have it back, freebies, or donate it to charity, or leave the seat empty, or I would sit a buttock on each seat and use it myself, as fat people are want to do, or whatever, but they were rock solid, would not budge.
So I canceled completely and went to another airline, cheaper too.
The airline told me that if I didn't use the outbound leg then I could not use the return leg. I told them they could have it back, freebies, or donate it to charity, or leave the seat empty, or I would sit a buttock on each seat and use it myself, as fat people are want to do, or whatever, but they were rock solid, would not budge.
So I canceled completely and went to another airline, cheaper too.
Well..
It's different airlines so you might be OK, but Air France does codeshare with Northwest on flights in and out of Europe. However, there's 2 things to consider here.
If you are not changing planes in Minneapolis, you may find your luggage going to LA regardless. If you are changing planes, you can probably just leave right from Minneapolis.
Are you aware that LA is about a 2,000 mile drive from Minneapolis? That's like driving from London to Madrid and back. There's some great stuff to see on the way but it is a hell of a long drive through some very remote areas with nothing to see for hundreds of miles. Literally. Denver to Las Vegas is 7-800 miles and there's hardly anything out there.
I've driven cross country a few times, can give you pointers. First one is to rent a big and comfortable car (Cadillac), with Satellite radio and with Cruise Control.
It's different airlines so you might be OK, but Air France does codeshare with Northwest on flights in and out of Europe. However, there's 2 things to consider here.
If you are not changing planes in Minneapolis, you may find your luggage going to LA regardless. If you are changing planes, you can probably just leave right from Minneapolis.
Are you aware that LA is about a 2,000 mile drive from Minneapolis? That's like driving from London to Madrid and back. There's some great stuff to see on the way but it is a hell of a long drive through some very remote areas with nothing to see for hundreds of miles. Literally. Denver to Las Vegas is 7-800 miles and there's hardly anything out there.
I've driven cross country a few times, can give you pointers. First one is to rent a big and comfortable car (Cadillac), with Satellite radio and with Cruise Control.
Missing any part of your journey will void the entire e-ticket, and as you paid very little originally, the fee to change the ticket will be similar to the full face price of a ticket.
You might have a chance in the unlikely event you've been issued with paper tickets.
For any flight with a connection, if you want your bag back at the connection point, just tell them at check in. It takes no time to reprint a bag tag to the next destination instead.
You might have a chance in the unlikely event you've been issued with paper tickets.
For any flight with a connection, if you want your bag back at the connection point, just tell them at check in. It takes no time to reprint a bag tag to the next destination instead.
MrVelox said:
Well..
It's different airlines so you might be OK, but Air France does codeshare with Northwest on flights in and out of Europe. However, there's 2 things to consider here.
If you are not changing planes in Minneapolis, you may find your luggage going to LA regardless. If you are changing planes, you can probably just leave right from Minneapolis.
Are you aware that LA is about a 2,000 mile drive from Minneapolis? That's like driving from London to Madrid and back. There's some great stuff to see on the way but it is a hell of a long drive through some very remote areas with nothing to see for hundreds of miles. Literally. Denver to Las Vegas is 7-800 miles and there's hardly anything out there.
I've driven cross country a few times, can give you pointers. First one is to rent a big and comfortable car (Cadillac), with Satellite radio and with Cruise Control.
Distance and time isn't a problem - we'd probably take at least 10 days out through South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Utah to Vegas.It's different airlines so you might be OK, but Air France does codeshare with Northwest on flights in and out of Europe. However, there's 2 things to consider here.
If you are not changing planes in Minneapolis, you may find your luggage going to LA regardless. If you are changing planes, you can probably just leave right from Minneapolis.
Are you aware that LA is about a 2,000 mile drive from Minneapolis? That's like driving from London to Madrid and back. There's some great stuff to see on the way but it is a hell of a long drive through some very remote areas with nothing to see for hundreds of miles. Literally. Denver to Las Vegas is 7-800 miles and there's hardly anything out there.
I've driven cross country a few times, can give you pointers. First one is to rent a big and comfortable car (Cadillac), with Satellite radio and with Cruise Control.
Done plenty of these types of trips before - last year we drove from San Francisco to Yosemite, down through Kings Canyon/Sequoia national parks and across Death Valley.
Thanks for all the advice - will be phoning the airlines sooner rather than later.
You will get your bags at Minneapolis as this is where you will clear US customs at the first point of entry to the US, does not matter if you are on the same aircraft or not. This will usually be done by clearing immigration, collecting bags, clearing customs and handing the bags back to the airline immediatly after customs.
US customs insist on this even if you are only transiting through the US and won't even be leaving the airside part of the airport.
Ben
US customs insist on this even if you are only transiting through the US and won't even be leaving the airside part of the airport.
Ben
BigBen said:
You will get your bags at Minneapolis as this is where you will clear US customs at the first point of entry to the US, does not matter if you are on the same aircraft or not. This will usually be done by clearing immigration, collecting bags, clearing customs and handing the bags back to the airline immediatly after customs.
US customs insist on this even if you are only transiting through the US and won't even be leaving the airside part of the airport.
Ben
Yes, which is why I rarely check a bag in when I fly to the USA. The inevitable huge queues at immigration, the fiasco of bag re-checking, the total inability of ground staff to expedite anybody to their flight if they are running late, all adds to the sheer joy of flying to the USA.....US customs insist on this even if you are only transiting through the US and won't even be leaving the airside part of the airport.
Ben
NOT!
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