Flight Question

[oceanscape]

If I book flights with Virgin using M+M from Heathrow to JFK and then separately book flights from JFK to Orlando and Orlando to JFK, what happens if the Virgin flight is delayed and I miss the connecting flight (or if, on the way home, the Orlando-JFK flight is delayed and we miss the Virgin flight)?

Will they let us take a later flight even though there will be separate tickets?

 

[UKDEB]

I'm not entirely certain, but I imagine you'll be put on standby for the next available flight. Quite how that operates in practice, I don't know. On the outbound leg I doubt it would be a problem. If Holiday Airport is anything to go by (I think that's what it's called - the programme about LAX), they seem to be able to transfer tickets between different carriers to get you to your destination. Not sure about the return trip, though.

Anyone?

 

[Claire L]

If you have booked the tickets separately yourself and they have restrictions such as non transferable/non refundable then techincally if you miss a flight you may be on your own. Although the airlines may as a goodwill gesture put you on the next available flight, but they may not be obliged to.

Also be aware that you are then also limited to the domestic luggage allowance rather than the transatlantic one for the connecting flight.

Claire

 

[crashbb]

Booking separately is very risky. If your first flight is delayed, you are not protected on your second flight. Although the second airline may be nice and allow you to standby for the flight, they do not have to (and I've seen them not do it). Further, you'd be on the list below anyone who was on a connecting ticket.

Also, especially if you are traveling on two different airlines, you may not be able to check your luggage through or get your second boarding pass when you check in for your first flight. This would mean that you'd have to exit the secure area and go up to the check-in area at JFK to check-in for the second flight - which had a fair bit of time.

 

[swift]

Coming back from Las Vegas last year with Virgin our flight into Gatwick was 4 hours late so my friend missed her connection to Inverness with Easyjet. Virgin said they couldn't help us - they would only do something if it had been booked on a single itinerary. I'm not sure what Easyjet's rules were but I know she ended up buying a new ticket with Flybe.