Unexpected Profits from Missed Connections
Let’s dive into a journey that spun out of control as smoothly as a wet bar of soap in the hands of a toddler. My latest jaunt across Europe was chock-full of mishaps, including a Val Seny ski resort connection I missed, a pitiful downgrade, and a suspension from a Middle Eastern frequent flyer program. But enough about that, let’s talk about the adventures of trying to get home.
My American Misconnect Experience in Chicago
Picture this: after a blissful night at the Park Hyatt London River Thames, my itinerary was set: London to Chicago to Miami, with a snug 1hr59min stopover in Chicago. Easy, right? Oh, how naïve.
The night before, the warning bells were already chiming. My American Airlines Dreamliner (fresh off the production line, no less) was acting like it had seen better days. Flight N842AA was having more issues than a soap opera character in mid-July.
On July 28, I was gearing up for my flight from London to Chicago, only to find out that on July 27, the plane was a no-show for nearly five hours due to maintenance disasters. My flight was doomed to be late. American preemptively shifted our takeoff from 2:25 PM to 3:30 PM—not a good omen, but survivable thanks to my best friends, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
Miraculously, a 3:30 PM departure it was, just about the time doors latched closed. Well done, American! Except, air traffic control popped in with a slight delay surprise, but we’d added some turbo boosts along the way, landing at O’Hare at 5:48 PM, comfortably beating my departure at 6:59 PM. Or so I thought.
A free gate was nowhere in sight, leaving us circling in the sky like caffeinated pigeons for 30 extra minutes. Finally, settled into gate M27W, at the very edge of Terminal 5, I had ground to cover to reach gate H16 in Terminal 3. Did the race of my life get me there?
I arrived breathless but unharmed at 6:53 PM. Still ahead, but American had decided today was not the day to wait. I stared at the unforgiving “Flight closed” monitor like a character in a Greek tragedy. The jet bridge? Already pulled back. Defeat was mine.
At Least I’ll Make $700(ish) from This Ordeal?!
Sure, spending another night away from home was a bummer. On the bright side, when life gives you lemons—thanks to European Union’s EC261—claim £520 (~$691) as a consolation prize. Not bad for flight disruptions like this.
- Your compensation depends on when you actually reach your final destination.
- No need to fear “force majeure” exclusions here, as the delay stemmed from maintenance—not act of God—or at least that’s what the rulebook says.
This little payday is a small price for American deciding shutting the doors early and playing chicken with the schedule was acceptable. Let’s see how smoothly American follows through on these obligations. Spoiler: airlines love to blame weather or air traffic when their maintenance let downs complicate passenger lives. But we know better, right?
Bottom Line
So, my simple hop from London to Miami via Chicago didn’t sparkle the way I’d hoped, courtesy of flight AA91 and its Dreamliner woes. Sure, American’s new flight holding plan didn’t save me, but missing connections in such situations can come with financial consolation.
At least UK261 offers a silver lining. As for the hassle of wringing those coins out of a reluctant airline’s hands, well, stay tuned for that thrilling episode.