What happens if I miss a connecting flight?
If both flights were on one ticket, the airline must rebook you on the next available flight at no extra cost and cover meals or a hotel where required. If you booked separately, the second airline treats you as a no-show and you must buy a new ticket.
The decisive question is whether the two flights share a single Passenger Name Record (PNR). On one ticket, the operating carrier owns the problem — go to the transit desk, not the check-in queue, and ask for the earliest rebooking including partner airlines. Cash compensation may apply if the delay to your final destination exceeds three hours and the cause was not extraordinary.
On two separate tickets you carry the risk yourself. Travel insurance with 'missed connection' cover is the cheapest hedge; without it, budget for a new one-way fare. Some cards (Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve) include this cover automatically.
AVARA-booked itineraries surface a single confirmation for multi-leg trips so the airline cannot deny protection, and the disruption assistant proactively holds the next viable rebooking option before the desk agent sees the queue.
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Last verified 2026-07-29.