what if we miss a flight home

steampowered

If you purchase a single ticket covering CM --> BKK --> LDN, it is your airline's responsibility to make sure that you catch your connecting flight. They'll get you on the next flight and pay for a hotel if delays cause an issue.

If you purchase separate tickets, it is your responsibility. However in practice the premium airlines and regional airlines simply put you on the next available flight with no additional payment requested.

I actually think your plan sounds fine. I have taken similar itineraries countless times. 4 hours sounds adequate to me. The risk of an internal flight being delayed by 4 hours is very small.

I am an extremely frequent traveller and have missed a couple of international flights in the past (though never because of a delayed connecting flight). I've actually never had a problem getting put on the next flight. BA, Singapore Airlines and East China Airways have all accommodated me on different missed flights. Although admittedly if you are a large family travelling during peak season you may face availability issues.

Voyager2002

steampowered wrote: »

If you purchase a single ticket covering CM --> BKK --> LDN, it is your airline's responsibility to make sure that you catch your connecting flight. They'll get you on the next flight and pay for a hotel if delays cause an issue.

If you purchase separate tickets, it is your responsibility. However in practice the premium airlines and regional airlines simply put you on the next available flight with no additional payment requested.

I actually think your plan sounds fine. I have taken similar itineraries countless times. 4 hours sounds adequate to me. The risk of an internal flight being delayed by 4 hours is very small.

I am an extremely frequent traveller and have missed a couple of international flights in the past (though never because of a delayed connecting flight). I've actually never had a problem getting put on the next flight. BA, Singapore Airlines and East China Airways have all accommodated me on different missed flights. Although admittedly if you are a large family travelling during peak season you may face availability issues.

Without arguing with your experience, I would point out that you have benefited from the generosity of airlines. In this situation you only have the right to buy completely new tickets at whatever price the airline is charging at that moment. To rely on the generosity of airline staff because they have been generous in the past is akin to relying on a domestic flight arriving on time because the general record of punctuality is good: something I would only do if the sums of money involved were small, or if I were well-insured. And this particular risk is not insurable...

bigadaj

steampowered wrote: »

If you purchase a single ticket covering CM --> BKK --> LDN, it is your airline's responsibility to make sure that you catch your connecting flight. They'll get you on the next flight and pay for a hotel if delays cause an issue.

If you purchase separate tickets, it is your responsibility. However in practice the premium airlines and regional airlines simply put you on the next available flight with no additional payment requested.

I actually think your plan sounds fine. I have taken similar itineraries countless times. 4 hours sounds adequate to me. The risk of an internal flight being delayed by 4 hours is very small.

I am an extremely frequent traveller and have missed a couple of international flights in the past (though never because of a delayed connecting flight). I've actually never had a problem getting put on the next flight. BA, Singapore Airlines and East China Airways have all accommodated me on different missed flights. Although admittedly if you are a large family travelling during peak season you may face availability issues.

It's personal choice but I wouldn't.

Bad weather for example might result in all flights being cancelled, the number of flights a carrier has on the route would be a consideration.

The OP may well not have status or any favours or special treatment.

malkie76

fifeken wrote: »

Are you sure?

Absolutely yes.

Ballard

I would definitely fly back the previous day but I wouldn't go to Bangkok. I'd fly back the previous morning and have a nice relaxing day in Ayutthaya which is as close to the airport as Bangkok is but without the hustle and bustle of the capital.

leylandsunaddict

steampowered wrote: »

If you purchase a single ticket covering CM --> BKK --> LDN, it is your airline's responsibility to make sure that you catch your connecting flight. They'll get you on the next flight and pay for a hotel if delays cause an issue.

If you purchase separate tickets, it is your responsibility. However in practice the premium airlines and regional airlines simply put you on the next available flight with no additional payment requested.

I actually think your plan sounds fine. I have taken similar itineraries countless times. 4 hours sounds adequate to me. The risk of an internal flight being delayed by 4 hours is very small.

I am an extremely frequent traveller and have missed a couple of international flights in the past (though never because of a delayed connecting flight). I've actually never had a problem getting put on the next flight. BA, Singapore Airlines and East China Airways have all accommodated me on different missed flights. Although admittedly if you are a large family travelling during peak season you may face availability issues.

If its on a single ticket they won't get you on the next flight, they'll get you on the next available flight. Whether they'll pay for a hotel is down to their C of C.

If its separate tickets 4 hrs is just not long enough before a longhaul flight. The airlines have no responsibility and you are in for the expense of a new ticket. Airlines certainly do not make a practice of just putting you on another flight free of charge due to own planning inabilities. In the OPs case it would be no different to missing e.g. a flight out of the UK because you didn't leave enough time to get to the airport.

Dr.Rock

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Without arguing with your experience, I would point out that you have benefited from the generosity of airlines. In this situation you only have the right to buy completely new tickets at whatever price the airline is charging at that moment. To rely on the generosity of airline staff because they have been generous in the past is akin to relying on a domestic flight arriving on time because the general record of punctuality is good: something I would only do if the sums of money involved were small, or if I were well-insured. And this particular risk is not insurable...

On the couple of occasions I have missed flights through lateness with the larger flag carriers (KLM & Air Canada) I was simply put on the next flight with no additional charge.
I regard this as being very fortunate rather than something that should be expected or relied upon.

martindow

Dr.Rock wrote: »

On the couple of occasions I have missed flights through lateness with the larger flag carriers (KLM & Air Canada) I was simply put on the next flight with no additional charge.
I regard this as being very fortunate rather than something that should be expected or relied upon.

I suspect that this is more likely to happen if you fly regularly with an airline. They are willing to waive the fee hoping that it will encourage you to keep using them. The chances of such kindness for someone who is not a regular traveller is close to zero.

Gleeful

steampowered wrote: »

If you purchase separate tickets, it is your responsibility. However in practice the premium airlines and regional airlines simply put you on the next available flight with no additional payment requested.

I've worked in travel for 5 years and have never heard of this happening

Doshwaster

Dr.Rock wrote: »

On the couple of occasions I have missed flights through lateness with the larger flag carriers (KLM & Air Canada) I was simply put on the next flight with no additional charge.
I regard this as being very fortunate rather than something that should be expected or relied upon.

If it was due to a delay on their part of one of their codeshare partners then this to be expected but if it's a totally separate flight on a budget carrier then it really isn't their problem. I missed a Iberia to BA connection in Madrid recently but it was no problem, just a new boarding card issued and I had a couple of hours extra in their business lounge.

You also need to factor in the frequency of services. On a route such as London-New York their will be a service on the airline (or a partner) every couple of hours. From Bangkok many airlines only fly once a day so missing a flight can mean a 24 hour wait.

It's really not worth the risk just for a few extra hours in CM. You'd have to get the first flight out to make the connection which would put a dampener on your final night out there knowing that you would have to get up at the crack of dawn.