Missed connection on AA - What happens?

[MEL_Traveller]

Qantas have now told me 56mins transfer is fine and they can't change my booking. I'll call back and try and speak to another person

Yeah. I’m not sure calling back, unless you get Hobart or Auckland, is going to yield much luck. It’s within MCT.

 

[big_RED]

To provide an update: the walk from where my SFO to LAX flight dropped me at LAX was indeed about a 10min walk max via a pedestrian bridge (within the terminal) that completely bypassed the LAX international check in counters and security area.

So I was able to make my flight, as the SFO departure flight was on time.

Obviously if it had been delayed I'd have been running, but not needing to check in or go through security got me into the main terminal with all the gates very easily. Hope this helps others!

 

[NM]

I can give a recent experience with a missed connection traveling with AA. Mrs NM and I were booked in domestic F connecting ORD-CLT-LEX. The original booking was for ORD-LEX direct service, but a change of aircraft type meant no F cabin and the next available direct ORD-LEX service with an F cabin was going to arrive too late into LEX for our needs. So AA rebooked us via CLT which had a 44 connection time in CLT.

Flight departed ORD about 45 mins late. We arrived at CLT where the next flight was leaving from the adjacent gate and we were first off the plane, but boarding for CLT-LEX had already closed. The aircraft was still there, but we had missed the connection.

Lined up at service desk and were told we had been moved to a later flight, but arrival time was not suitable (car rental desk closes at 10pm and flight was due to arrive at 10pm, so we would have been left stranded without transport on arrival). I asked about an earlier flight and was handed two boarding passes for 25A/B. I had already checked ExpertFlyer and knew there was only one F seat left on that flight. Queried the coach seating and was told there was no F cabin on the flight, which was obviously incorrect for the A319.

I should have asked for Mrs NM to be assigned the remaining F seat and to be assigned top spot on the wait-list for a second F seat, but it was only an hour flight to we took the 25A/B passes and went to the Admirals Club to await the flight. It was our choice to take the earlier flight in coach rather than the offered later flight in F. In the end, we arrived safely, collected rental car and made it to our accommodation about 2 hours later than originally planned. Other than the lie about no F cabin, the process worked as I would expect for such missed connection.

 

[Mwenenzi]

I can give a recent experience with a missed connection traveling with AA. Mrs NM and I were booked in domestic F connecting ORD-CLT-LEX. The original booking was for ORD-LEX direct service, but a change of aircraft type meant no F cabin and the next available direct ORD-LEX service with an F cabin was going to arrive too late into LEX for our needs. So AA rebooked us via CLT which had a 44 connection time in CLT.

Off topic a little did you/AA consider CVG? Only 70 miles LEX-CVG. [ORD-CVG on AA Eagle]
I was is LEX area a few ago, with a rental car, and chose to fly from CVG. Had better options-better pricing

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

www.gcmap.com

 

[NM]

Off topic a little did you/AA consider CVG? Only 70 miles LEX-CVG. [ORD-CVG on AA Eagle]
I was is LEX area a few ago, with a rental car, and chose to fly from CVG. Had better options-better pricing

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

www.gcmap.com

Yes I did consider it, both for the original Kentucky destination and again when the ORD-LEX was changed to a single-cabin aircraft. But the ORD-LEX original flight was part of a bigger itinerary (ORD-LEX-CLT-TPA-SAN-SFO). And for the change to the original ORD-LEX segment, AA were not able to change the routing to CVG without cancelling and rebooking all the entire itineraty, which was an AAdvantage award booking. Rebooking at that time would have cost considerable more miles.

Where we were heading was pretty much half way between LEX and CVG (Williamstown), as well as to another place that was in fact very close to to CVG. But the original booking was to LEX as it was considerably fewer AA miles to book, and accommodation at Georgetown (just north of LEX) was most affordable option and very easy access to our destinations along I-75.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

While that should be enough connection time, knowing MIA it might not be. If the flights are on-time and I miss the MIA-DFW flight due to delay in getting through CBP, what will AA's attitude be? Immigration delay not our problem, you were a no-show, or we will make good with next available?

It should be enough time considering it usually takes just a couple of minutes to clear US immigration (they're as quick if not quicker than Sydney immigration from my experience). The key here is not to make the mistake many foreigners make which is to use the foreign citizen line. Instead, you want to download and install the Mobile Passport Control app on your phone (further details can be found here). With the app you answer a couple of questions and then when you arrive in Miami, follow signs for Mobile Passport Control. Instead of waiting potentially minutes or even hours to clear immigration you'll be sorted in a matter of minutes.

 

[big_RED]

download and install the Mobile Passport Control app

Does this work at other US airports or just Miami?

 

[RooFlyer]

It should be enough time considering it usually takes just a couple of minutes to clear US immigration (they're as quick if not quicker than Sydney immigration from my experience). The key here is not to make the mistake many foreigners make which is to use the foreign citizen line. Instead, you want to download and install the Mobile Passport Control app on your phone (further details can be found here). With the app you answer a couple of questions and then when you arrive in Miami, follow signs for Mobile Passport Control. Instead of waiting potentially minutes or even hours to clear immigration you'll be sorted in a matter of minutes.

Thanks, but ...

MIA is notorious for slow (chaotic) immigration, as experienced by me, and other posts up thread.

I labour under a US B1/B2 visa (having visited Iran), not eligible for the app.

 

[serfty]

Does this work at other US airports or just Miami?

It works at airports where it is 1) implemented and 2) is in operation at the time you arrive.

USA Entry - CBP Mobile Passport control app [MPC]

Has anyone on AFF been using the CBP MPC app for entry into the USA? More details about this app here: Mobile Passport Control (MPC) The wording is a bit vague as it suggests "The MPC mobile app, is available to U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[QPProletarian]

AA protect all OW flights even when not on the same ticket.

unsure of that these days... they def won't do bag transfers.

You're probably lucky and unlucky in some ways theres no pre clearance.... I had that in NAS and it was a disaster. Queue starvation for the non-US passenger line, took hours. Flights all heavily delayed by hours.