Short answer
Track every leg of each traveler's trip, not only the last flight, and compare the first flight's expected arrival with the next flight's departure, both in local time. When the gap falls below what the traveler needs to change planes, treat them as at risk: tell the team, hold the pickup and get ready for a later arrival.
Key points
- A late first leg is one of the most common reasons a guest arrives late.
- Collect the flight number and date of every leg, not only the final flight.
- Compare expected arrival with the next departure, in each airport's local time.
- Act early: change the pickup before the guest lands.
- The airline rebooks the traveler; you adjust everything on the ground.
Why connections matter for a group
In most groups, many travelers connect. Guests flying to a beach wedding or an incentive trip often change planes in a hub city on the way. A delay on one busy inbound flight can affect a dozen of your guests at once.
If you only follow the final flight, you see it land on time and expect everyone on board. The guest who missed it is still in the hub airport, and you find out when they call, or when they do not walk out of arrivals.
Get every leg into your list
Ask each traveler for the full itinerary, not only the flight that lands at your destination. For each leg you need:
- The flight number, with the airline code, for example AA 1405.
- The date of that leg, which can be the day before the final flight on overnight trips.
- The connecting airport, so you know where the change happens.
- Whether both legs are on one ticket or on separate tickets.
Understand minimum connection times
Each airport has a minimum connection time: the shortest gap airlines will sell between two flights on one ticket. It depends on the airport, the terminals and whether the traveler goes through immigration. It can be as short as 30 minutes or longer than 2 hours.
A connection that was legal when booked can become impossible after a 40 minute delay. Some connections carry more risk than others.
| Type of connection | What takes time | Risk when the first leg is late |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic to domestic, same terminal | Walking to the next gate | Lower, unless the delay is long |
| Change of terminal | Train or bus between terminals, sometimes security again | Medium |
| International arrival to a domestic flight | Immigration, customs, checking bags in again, security | High |
| Separate tickets | Checking in again with the second airline | Highest: the second airline does not have to wait or rebook |
Check the gap as the first leg flies
Watch the first leg's departure
A late takeoff is the earliest sign of trouble, often hours before the final flight.
Compare the times in local time
Take the first leg's expected arrival and the next leg's departure, both in the local time of the connecting airport.
Subtract the time to change planes
Use the minimum connection time as a floor, and add time for immigration or a terminal change.
Sort the traveler
On track, tight, or likely to miss. Act on the last two.
What to do early
You cannot make a plane fly faster. You can make sure nobody waits at the airport for a guest who is not coming, and that the guest is not alone when they land later.
- Tell the airport team which travelers are at risk and on which flight.
- Hold the pickup, or move the traveler to a later transfer.
- Contact the traveler through your usual channel, so they know you are aware.
- Tell the hotel to expect a late arrival and keep the room.
- Look at later flights on the same route, so you know the likely new arrival time.
- Warn the client if the guest is a VIP or a speaker.
When a connection is missed: rebooking
On one ticket, the airline rebooks the traveler on a later flight, usually at the transfer desk or in the airline's app. Ask the traveler to send you the new flight number and date as soon as they have it. On separate tickets, the traveler may need to buy a new ticket, so make sure they know who to call.
Then update your list with the new flight, check the new arrival time, and move the pickup. If several guests were on the same missed connection, they are often rebooked on different flights, so check each one.