If you miss your connection for your flight do you wait in the airport or go to a hotel?

Question

I have missed my flight connection due to delays, countless times and always found a way to get a hotel if it was the last flight of the day to my final destination, but so many people I know have to wait all night at the airport. It seems like a terrible place to sit and wait all night but they do.

How about you, have you ever had to spend the night in the airport and did you sleep?

Answer 1

Once - and no, we didn't sleep, there were no hotel rooms, everything was shut down because of blizzards.

Answer 2

I have been In NY when bizzards shut the airport.I just booked the hotel for an additional night and claimed it off insurance.There's no need to hang round airports.That's what insurance is for. :)

Answer 3

you should ask them if you can go on standby and then they will put you on standby that is what you should do.

Answer 4

Yes I slept on the chairs in an airport one time.  Not fun.

Answer 5

I work in the Travel Industry and early in my career I was listed as standby for a flight from Seattle to Chicago.  There must have been 6-8 flights going out that day.  I was bumped off all of them, the last at 11PM that night.  I went to a hotel, got about 4 hours of sleep and made it back to the airport for the first flight out.  I got the last seat, in the bulkhead of first class.  Not sure it was worth the aggravation, as I was schlepping a lot of carryon stuff, but  you do what you have to do, I guess.

Answer 6

It depends on several things

- if the reason for the missed connection was due to a non-weather related problem (such as a mechanical issue with the airplane) then the airline is obligate to provide lodging.

- if the reason for the missed connection was weather related or some other reason outside of the airlines control, then the airline is not obligated to provide lodging.  If that is the case, then you have two options...1) stay at a hotel, but it is at your expense, or 2) hang out at the airport.

Answer 7

My flight was cancelled due to weather.  The last flight of the night was way over-booked, so they sent everyone downstairs to stand in line for vouchers.  The problem was that there were about 500 people in line!  I was on a confirmed flight at 7 am the next morning.  The line wasn't moving, so I elected to find a quiet gate near my departure gate and try to get comfy on the floor or in a chair.  Someone came around with pillows and blankets, but I still got chilled and ended up with bronchitis on Christmas Day.