Flying can be a very convenient way to travel long distances over short periods of time. For instance, if you want to go from Seattle to St. Louis, there are a ton of options. I have a lot of family in Richmond VA and amazingly there is a direct flight from Virginia to St. Louis respectively (RIC) to (STL) and back. Recently, there was a family member that (while attempting to pinch pennies) grabbed a flight that was indirect to save 20 dollars (per round trip) for two flights. So basically, $20 per trip * 2 trips, which is $40. What was the catch? They had one stop for 220 and non-stop for 240. They of course chose the one-stop option which left them stranded in Detroit (ice storm, delay, etc.). They ended up having to fly to Raleigh and catching transportation on the ground from there (90+ miles). It was an entire day to do this. To make a long story short, they could have driven much faster from here to there (and cheaper) to avoid this mayhem. What are some other things they could have done? Gone direct! Pay the extra $40 dollars and go direct! So here are my tips.
- When at all possible, purchase a direct flight.
- Second option is to purchase a continuing flight (where the flight stops, but the traveler doesn't need to get off of the plane).
- If option 1 and 2 isn't available, try to separate your lay-overs enough to minimize missing a connection. 30 minutes is NOT enough, so make it at least 1.5 hours. Most of the time, this makes for some downtime; but it is a lot less convenient than sitting in an airport overnight or ALL DAY because you were stuck in transit.
- If you do get stuck and it is the airlines fault, do NOT let them tell you there is nothing they can do. Be polite, but demanding and you will get some benefit for the inconvenience.
- Finally, devise a back up plan before you leave to figure out what you may do IF you actually miss a connection. Don't leave your options only to the airline that has messed up your schedule; see what other airlines may be able to connect you (American can cross-reference South-West, and vice-versa). If you do this research ahead of time, it may make for a better chance at making your destination in a more timely manner.
These tips are basic, and while there is not always a direct flight there may be options to minimize your frustration. The one thing to remember is that being a mad, angry jerk is never the answer to your frustrations. Polite and demanding is a better way to get what you want.