What Do I Do If I Missed My Connecting Flight on Delta Airlines?
Missing a connecting flight is rarely a positive experience and there are times when it's out of your control. In that case, it's important to do as much as you can when it is in your control. Signing up for flight alerts, weather alerts and giving yourself enough time to arrive at the airport and between connecting flights will go a long ways in helping you remain sane.
Delta Airlines, founded in 1925, is one of the major airlines in the United States and operates over 5,000 daily flights. Booking one of these flights is straight-forward but what happens should you miss a connecting flight? Getting another flight booked as soon as possible is the main goal but whether or not you're due compensation depends on why you missed your connecting flight. This guide will give you steps to take in certain scenarios as well as tips to decrease the chance of you missing another connecting flight.
Missed Connecting Flight due to Fault of the Airline
If Delta causes you to miss your connecting flight due to mechanical issues, for example, then the next step is to reserve the soonest flight possible and if that flight isn't until the next morning, the airline may be able to help with accommodations or waive fees. Keep in mind that this is voluntary and that there's no legal mandate or law. It never hurts to ask customer service in a professional tone. Feel free to call Delta customer service here. It's also recommended to sign up for real-time flight alerts, that way you're not caught unawares.
Missed Connecting Flight due to the Weather
Delta is like everyone else, it can't control the weather. However, if you miss your flight Delta will help you rebook but you might be on your own for accommodations or meals. This is another one of those situations where it never hurts to ask the airline for compensation, but having traveler's insurance is typically recommended as the best option to ensure most of your needs are met, as well as signing up for flight and weather alerts.
Missed Connecting Flight Due to Something Within Your Control
Oftentimes, we can focus too much on getting things done that we neglect getting them done the right way. Did you miss your flight because you were stuck in traffic? Was your connection too close to your first flight? Were you a bit distracted while waiting for your flight boarding announcement? These things can happen, it's all part of being human. But another part of being human is ingenuity, coming up with solutions that solve problems before they happen.
- Sign up for traffic alerts, if possible, and give yourself enough time to get to the airport.
- Book connections with enough time between them that you are not rushing and there's always the chance that something else could happen to delay you. It's like the old saying, if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.
- Set your phone's alarm to go off at least 15 minutes, or in increments, before your scheduled flight is due to depart. Doing so will remind you to watch your time.
- Book a new flight, but keep in mind there might be a change fee plus any fare difference.
- Also, airlines don't assume responsibility if you booked part of your trip on a different airline than from your connecting airline. It's still your responsibility to arrive on time. It's recommended to call the connecting airline you use and inquire about their procedure for missed flight due to the fault of another airline and what they recommend to decrease the chance of a missed flight.
Further questions?
Solutions to similar problems
Why does GetHuman Write How-to Guides for Delta Airlines Problems?
GetHuman has been working for over 10 years on sourcing information about big organizations like Delta Airlines in order to help customers resolve customer service issues faster. We started with contact information and fastest ways to reach a human at big companies. Particularly ones with slow or complicated IVR or phone menu systems. Or companies that have self-serve help forums instead of a customer service department. From there, we realized that consumers still needed more detailed help solving the most common problems, so we expanded to this set of guides, which grows every day. And if you spot any issues with our What Do I Do If I Missed My Connecting Flight on Delta Airlines? guide, please let us know by sending us feedback. We want to be as helpful as possible. If you appreciated this guide, please share it with your favorite people. Our free information and tools is powered by you, the customer. The more people that use it, the better it gets.