What happens with an illegal connection? - FlyerTalk Forums (2024)

hindukid

Join Date: Jul 2001

Location: Chicago

Posts: 2,682

JS

Join Date: Sep 2000

Location: GSP (Greenville, SC)

Programs: DL Gold Medallion; UA Premier Executive; WN sub-CP; AA sub-Gold

Posts: 13,393

Efrem

Join Date: May 1998

Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA Plat, DL GM and Flying Colonel; Bonvoy Platinum

Posts: 24,271

It can be more than that - the airline has no obligation to do anything for you, though they'll probably put you on their own next flight with space. However, if you're fairly confident that the first flight will be on time - most airlines build extra time into their schedules to improve their "on time" statistics - go ahead and do it. (Of course, the recent issues with air travel security can eat this up quickly.) It's not really illegal.

Even if the online res system doesn't let you book the connection, travel agents can force it. They'll probably give you a lecture about taking chances, but they can get the ticket.

drtravels

Join Date: May 2000

Posts: 1,604

I've done this before with AA.com allowing me to purchase an "illegal" connection. They've handled it well by allowing either a change of flights or a full refund whichever was my choice.

It's frustrating, but you have to know legal conection times to all the different airports. The AA timetable provides some helpful information.

Rudi

Join Date: May 1998

Location: CH-3823 Wengen Switzerland

Programs: miles&more, MileagePlus

Posts: 27,041

UAPremierExec

Join Date: Sep 2001

Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K

Posts: 3,866

Connection times are monitored by each CRS. Worldspan will allow a 30 minute connection at ORD, but when you call United, they say it's an illegal connection and you would waive your right to compensation (not necessarily Rule 240, but also Sipp 120.20 benefits.. also don't throw Rule 240 around the airports.. it gives employees something to laugh at! and rule 240 is different for each carrier!).

You can ticket the reservation, but it is put into a QC queue before it gets ticketed and you must verify and OK the itinerary (this is normally noted)...

I've made a 10 minute connection at ORD before (ok, this was back in 1997, and the inbound flight was delayed a bit), but I was still ticketed as a 25 minute connection and back then it was a minimum 29 minute connection (now 45 i believe?).

Just be careful!!!

Nate

JS

Join Date: Sep 2000

Location: GSP (Greenville, SC)

Programs: DL Gold Medallion; UA Premier Executive; WN sub-CP; AA sub-Gold

Posts: 13,393

If Rule 240 isn't what governs flight delays (and Rule 260 for an involuntary refund, etc.), then what is it? When I download UA's Contract of Carriage, it says, in black and white, "RULE 240".

120.20 is for one airline sending passengers to another (from what I've read unofficially), but doesn't that start with Rule 240 and the flight delay that necessitated the 120.20 to get the passenger on his/her way?

UAPremierExec

Join Date: Sep 2001

Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K

Posts: 3,866

Rule 240 is an airline inhibited rule, not one required by the government or any governing bodies. Rule 240 varies from airline to airline, some include weather delays, some don't... and amazingly some include mechanical delays and detail what is allowed in specific circ*mstances.

Just take a look at a few airline's "official" Rule 240 policies....

and again, Rule 240 doesn't apply to you if you misconnect a flight if all flights operated within the "ontime" shadow of 14 minutes plus/minus.

-nate

SK

Join Date: Jun 2000

Location: Syracuse, Boston, Athens

Posts: 995

DLSIZE

Join Date: Jun 2000

Location: KEWR / SPG Plat, HH Diamond, DL Plat, ZE 5*, AA Plat, UA Nobody

Posts: 885

In some countries, if you have an illegal connection...I think they take an eye for an eye attitude

We all know that ouside of Greece....OA means the world famous OTHER AIRLINE....always good to hand the pax off to them

BenK

Join Date: Apr 2004

Programs: AA not Gold anymore :(, UA, US, CO, HH

Posts: 196

exerda

Join Date: Oct 2004

Location: Between DCA and IAD

Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond

Posts: 67,409

I've sometimes circumvented minimum connection rules by booking through other sites; UA's website used to force 45 min - 1 hour connection times it seems, whereas Orbitz was letting me get by with 30 minute ones for a Labor Day '02 trip I planned that ran ROA-IAD-OAK / SFO-SEA / SEA-IAD-ROA (the tight connection was the ROA-IAD one, and back in those days 30 minutes was fine since that was an ACA leg into "A" at Dulles ... now, into "G," you'd never make it).

I had tried to book it via multi-city on United.com and kept getting the "no qualifying flights" message. Orbitz would let me book it, but I wanted the united.com bonus, so I ended up booking a nested trip (naughty, naughty) with the ROA-IAD legs separate from the rest.

I ended up cancelling the next day when it looked like baseball was sure to go on strike and got my full refund, although the first time they processed it they sent me someone else's refund (!!) which was less than what I'd paid and took a phone call to straighten out. Baseball didn't strike, and I missed a great trip and 1P status that year.

Randy Petersen

Join Date: May 1998

Location: Colorado Springs, CO

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rustyr

Join Date: Dec 2002

Location: AA Gold/Million Miler,DL dirt,UA1K/Million Miler;Honors Silver,Marriott Gold;Avis Preferred,Hertz Prez Circle, Nat'l Exec Elite

Posts: 1,428

I believe it is 40 minutes as I can't price out UX6934, which is MLI-ORD,arriving @ 7:20PM to connect to any west-coast flight. But if I fly out of Madison, which gets in @7:15 I can connect to the San Diego flight that leaves@7:55. That forces me to take a 4:10 out of MLI. But it will price out a late boundORD-LAX133, arriving @11:37 and connecting JUST22 MINUTES LATER to #128 dep @11:59. I'd much rather make a tight connection @ beginning of itenerary, than halfway down the line where any # of things could have gone wrong to make me miss my rtrn flight.(Flights listed were on UA)