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What happens if I miss a connection flight.

I have to book to go to Portland,  Oregon in a couple of weeks. Fly manchester to Amsterdam and then Portland. Coming back the flight arrives into Amsterdam 50 minutes before the Manchester flight leaves. I've no experience of connecting flights so wondering what happens if I missed the connecting  flight. Also is luggage automatically transferred to the next flight
Thanks so much 😊
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Comments

  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 35,226 Forumite
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    That's a pretty tight connection, right at the minimum, but if you're booked on a through ticket then KLM (presumably) will put you and your luggage onto the next available flight.
  • tightauldgit
    tightauldgit Posts: 2,628 Forumite
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    Provided it's all one ticket then it's the airline's responsibility to get you and your luggage to your destination one way or another so if you miss a connecting flight they will put you on the next flight available. If you booked separate tickets then its your responsibility. 

    Generally bags are booked through to the end destination but sometimes it can vary - they'll tell you when you check your bags if you need to pick them up.

    With such a short connection there is a non-zero chance your bags don't make it to the second flight but you do so just be prepared for that and make sure you have any necessities in your carry on. The airline would then have to return your bags to you. 
  • Wonka_2
    Wonka_2 Posts: 821 Forumite
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    As a frequent flyer through Amsterdam it's on the tight side but do-able

    Manchester is an odd one - sometimes from gate D2 (right next to passport control) and sometimes in the D40's/50's (another 10mins walk)

    I'm not sure on current process ex USA as I'm generally coming in from Schengen countries so have to clear passport control between Lounge 1 & 2

    Failing everything else KLM will stick you on the next one to Manchester which is only a couple of hours later

    As a tip if you ask as the gate before you board your AMS-MAN flight whether your luggage made it - if it didn't then it's often easier to ask to wait for the next flight and to travel with your luggage than to travel without it and then wait for them to ship It to you (which is still efficient, but it's going to take more than the time of the later flight and Schiphol's not a bad place to spend a couple of hours)
  • DullGreyGuy
    DullGreyGuy Posts: 15,576 Forumite
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    SEASHELL said:
    I have to book to go to Portland,  Oregon in a couple of weeks. Fly manchester to Amsterdam and then Portland. Coming back the flight arrives into Amsterdam 50 minutes before the Manchester flight leaves. I've no experience of connecting flights so wondering what happens if I missed the connecting  flight. Also is luggage automatically transferred to the next flight
    Thanks so much 😊
    You need to check what you've booked and ensure its a single ticket with the likes of KLM. Assuming it is, they have responsbility to sort things out. You'll transfer yourself, the airline transfers your luggage. 

    There are plenty of comparison sites and low cost agencies however which will sell you two separate flights making it appear as one ticket as its done on one booking but these are not the same things. One tell tail sign is a booking with a budget airline for your EU leg and a flag carrier for your long distance leg. As these are two separate tickets then not only is it your responsibility to sort things out if it goes wrong but you have to go through immigration, collect your luggage and then go through check in again to catch your onward flight making short transfer times next to impossible. 

    Unfortunately 1 booking and 2 ticket things can be harder to spot as a variety of names (self transfer, hack fare etc) are used and whilst for most its well known that RyanAir and KLM are not going to be the same company/related for other pairings it may be less obv esp if you are getting a flag carrier to the likes of india etc and then a local budget airline when there.
  • SEASHELL
    SEASHELL Posts: 337 Forumite
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    Thank you so much for your replies. I haven't booked yet. Just going through all the different sites looking. Looking at what you've said I'm probably best booking direct with KLM so I'm covered if anything goes wrong and I'm delayed. 
  • comeandgo
    comeandgo Posts: 5,847 Forumite
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    Definitely book directly with the airline.  
  • Wonka_2
    Wonka_2 Posts: 821 Forumite
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    SEASHELL said:
    Thank you so much for your replies. I haven't booked yet. Just going through all the different sites looking. Looking at what you've said I'm probably best booking direct with KLM so I'm covered if anything goes wrong and I'm delayed. 
    Absolutely - if you don't then you have to collect your bags in Amsterdam and check them onto the next flight yourself - and if your inbound flight is delayed then you're on your own to sort out a new flight from AMS to MAN.

    (Generally) Schiphol works if you're on a KLM or partner flight - and if you've not already done it then apply for a FlyingBlue loyalty card with KLM - it won't earn you anything other than points on this set of flights but if there's an issue it potentially puts you one step ahead of those without a card ;)
  • CKhalvashi
    CKhalvashi Posts: 12,129 Forumite
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    SEASHELL said:
    Thank you so much for your replies. I haven't booked yet. Just going through all the different sites looking. Looking at what you've said I'm probably best booking direct with KLM so I'm covered if anything goes wrong and I'm delayed. 
    Don't do anything but book direct, on a single booking.

    As above, that looks a little tight, but with no immigration (connecting UK to/from Belarus/Ukraine pre-war), I've been able to get through Warsaw in about 15 minutes from landing to airside.

    Warsaw is a lot smaller than Amsterdam though, and I haven't connected there for several years.
    💙💛 💔
  • tightauldgit
    tightauldgit Posts: 2,628 Forumite
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    Deplaning what is presumably a large fullish flight, potentially bussing to the terminal, transiting across Schipol, getting through passport control to the non-Schengen area... I don't think I'd be comfortable with a 50 minute connection at AMS. 

    It's certainly doable if the gods are in agreement, but it's also something that could easily be screwed up by the slightest delay anywhere. I'd say 1h30 would be my personal comfort zone.

    If it was a big price difference and no real downside to me I might risk it and then just assume there's a good chance ill be bumped to the next flight 
  • Wonka_2
    Wonka_2 Posts: 821 Forumite
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    Deplaning what is presumably a large fullish flight, potentially bussing to the terminal, transiting across Schipol, getting through passport control to the non-Schengen area... I don't think I'd be comfortable with a 50 minute connection at AMS. 

    It's certainly doable if the gods are in agreement, but it's also something that could easily be screwed up by the slightest delay anywhere. I'd say 1h30 would be my personal comfort zone.

    If it was a big price difference and no real downside to me I might risk it and then just assume there's a good chance ill be bumped to the next flight 
    I've passed through AMS over 150 times in past few years - mainly with a sub-1hr connection and often involving bus to the remote stands - in that time I've missed 3 connections (and in 2 of those I still arrived in final destination within 3hrs so that compensation wasn't payable) - much better odds in my experience than transferring in LHR

    My record is 20mins from doors open on arriving flight to doors closed on connection
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