If you willingly or accidentally miss your connecting flight, the airline is usually not responsible. An example is when you choose to stay longer at the connecting airport or opt for a different flight. Should this happen, you may ask them to assist you with a rebook, but they aren’t legally required to do so. Regardless, you need to let the airline know about this situation. If you have more connecting flights waiting for you, they may think you abandoned the rest of your flight. This could lead them to cancel your entire trip.

When you have a flight booked under the same trip, it’s the airline’s responsibility to find an alternative option. If there are no immediate flights available and the next flight out is the next day, they can rebook you for a different airline. If that is not possible either, they should cover your accommodation at the hotel for the night. Sometimes, circumstances outside the airline’s control can cause you to miss your flight, reaching your destination with a delay longer than 3 hours. These circumstances are often referred to as “extraordinary,” although it’s worth checking whether or not that was the case first. Things get slightly more complex when the flights are booked separately. While they may rebook your flight as a token of goodwill, they are not legally obligated to do so. Most of the time, you’ll have to rebook the flight yourself, paying an extra rebooking fee.

This depends on the type of ticket that you have and whether or not the airline is at fault. If they are the reason you missed your connection and everything was booked in one reservation, they are legally obligated to find a replacement. You can also choose to book the next flight yourself if they don’t have an alternative for you, but make sure you let the airline know and keep the receipt. If you don’t, they might categorize you as a no-show.

For the most part, the best way to prevent missing your connection is to give yourself time. Make sure you have at least 45 minutes for the layover (or more, depending on the airport or the airline. If the one you are flying with is known to have delays, then you should give yourself the extra time to cover for them. To spare yourself the stress, give yourself the time you’d need to have a meal. If your flight is not late after all, at least you’ll get enough time to enjoy a sandwich and a cup of coffee without rushing.