ULPT request: how to miss connecting flight?
Posted by Wolfman4TW@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 15 comments
We are flying from Australia to Europe with a layover in Singapore. However, we wouldn't mind an extra day in Singapore if we were to miss our connecting flight... And have the airline pay for this 'inconvenience'.
We are supposed to land at 10:40pm in Singapore and leave again at 11:50pm. In any other airport that would be a tight lay-over, but Singapore Airport can be very efficient.
What are our chances that we miss the flight and how can we increase those chances? (Without being held liable for it of course.)
DoubleTie2696@reddit
Singaporean here,
Changi Airport is VERY effecient, and unless your flight is from a completely different terminal, you should be able to reach your gate within 10 mins after you can deplane
However, if you do want to miss out on your flight:
The only hope would be to hope that your original flight is delayed. Also, flight times are usually "exaggerated" so if a ticket says the flight is from 1-3pm, it usually lands abit earlier, such as around 250pm to give some wiggle room. But, if the departure of your second flight is at 1150pm, it means that the gates close 20-30 mins before so around 1120-30pm(but this still gives you 50 mins at singapore).
Changi airport also has a very effecient way of doing the baggage check, as instead of making everyone queue together(like most airports do), the baggage checks are conducted right at your boarding gate - with people only in your flight so its usually way faster.
So you'll most likely still have around 50 mins to waste. Your only hope would be that your flight from australia departs late. you can probably make this happen yourself, just arrive at your airport late, but this is a pain for all other passengers and also may result in you missing your flight
If not, you can check what the airline you're using does if you miss a flight due to non important reasons - like spending too long at the duty free, but this isn't usually a smart choice to do
Alternatively, you can call your airline and ask your singapore-europe ticket to be pushed a few days forward, or if its too late for that now, you can reshedule your tickets when you return to australia to be pushed back abit - it may cost abit more but it's probably the most worth
Key_Molasses4367@reddit
Also piggybacking to say the comments and compliments to the ethical Singapore citizen were very heartwarming.
But as this is ULPT, I'll throw in this suggestion/question -if a passenger who has just gotten off an Australian flight is now overwhelmed with possible food poisoning and is in the bathroom "throwing up" (making horrible retching noises and flushing toilet in stall frequently) and their travel companion goes to the gate for the Singapore flight to explain this, would the beautifully efficient Singapore airport gate agent maybe transfer tickets to the next day no charge? Nobody wants a puking passenger.....
MSTRFLSH@reddit
Almost a coin flip. They may have authority and say ok, or... (more likely) you have a high chance of them denying boarding entirely due to risk to other travellers and their liability for the ill travellerin the air. They'll charge a rebooking fee and advise you to claim through travel insurance instead.
A risky strategy, most airlines don't want sick travellers but they're not charitable when the next flight is perhaps busier and they're missing out on income of that higher price ticket.
To top it all off, good luck getting your bag back. It's off to the final destination without you regardless of the situation if you don't board.
MjrGrangerDanger@reddit
They'll eat the charge if you fly first in my experience... I'm disabled and that's the only way I can walk the week after flying. However I've only flown in the Continental US so YMMV and it's probably just cheaper to pay the booking fee and hotel costs yourself than international first.
DuckRubberDuck@reddit
Sir, are you in any way affiliated with the Chinese communist party??
DoubleTie2696@reddit
That's one of the most famous memes in singapore, bit random tho
DuckRubberDuck@reddit
Yeah it is random sorry, it just immediately popped up in my head when I read “Singaporean here”
mordecai98@reddit
The rest of the world could use a nice dose of Singaporean management and logic.
Wolfman4TW@reddit (OP)
Fair enough. Thanks for the elaborate reply! I'll go light a candle for a delayed first leg then!
djangothejissilent@reddit
You are a good Singapore citizen. You have no work in this ULPT thread. lol. Go do your country proud, my friend.
DoubleTie2696@reddit
🥲
The_Mdk@reddit
Piggybacking, if you want to make your first flight late, checkin your luggage then don't board until they literally start calling your name with the airport announcement system, and even then you can probably wait until the third count
Once your luggage is on board, it's best for the company to wait 20 minutes calling you than trying to find your luggage in the cargo bay and unload it (which they will eventually do)
BTW, losing your connecting flight might mean you just get put on another one a few hours later, so you don't even have time to exit the airport, so not sure it's worth the hassle
Big_Sherbert5260@reddit
Because airlines are charging so much for checking bags now people seem to be bringing more carry-ons, so why don't you just board as late as you can and "hope" that your carry-on bag ends up at the back of the plane so you would have to wait for everyone to deplane before you get your stuff? We had that happen to us (not on purpose) and it took forever for everyone to exit so we could get our stuff. If we'd had a connecting flight we would have missed it.
MSTRFLSH@reddit
Since the middle east war and price increases, airlines are even less lenient.
That's ample time to connect in Singapore and meets all MCT (minimum connection times) so airline is off the hook if their flights arrive on time.
It will depend who you're flying with but Qantas, BA, Singapore Airlines etc will mark you as a no-show.
Depending on your ticket they'll either cancel the next part entirely with no refund, or reinstate it for a penalty fee.
If it's cancelled entirely then it's on you to buy a new ticket at full rack pricing.
Note if it's a return ticket they'll also cancel the return.
Wolfman4TW@reddit (OP)
Good to know, thanks!