Missing a flight when transferring from JFK to LGA

Suppose there is an international flight from HEL to JFK with Finnair followed by a domestic flight in the same itinerary from LGA (with American Airlines) 4 hours after the arrival of the Finnair flight. What happens if 4 hours will not be enough for going through immigration/security or transferring? Will AA replace my ticket free of charge and let me take the next plane? I'm confused because there is no way for them to know whether I actually didn't have enough time e.g. due to long lines in immigration, or just missed their flight purposely for whatever reason.

Best Answer

If you book it on one ticket, then yes, they will accommodate you, and move you for free on another flight.

Note that this 'other flight' could be much later, or the next day, or with a detour, depending on where seats are available; so it is typically inconvenient.

Unless your delay is absurdly long, they will probably believe you - the assumption is that if you want a longer break in the city you would book accordingly, so you had control over the duration and connecting flight.

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Is there a penalty for missing a connecting flight?

If you miss a connecting flight, the rules are more relaxed and there typically won't be fees, as long as both legs of the journey were booked together as one ticket and itinerary. In these cases, the airline will book you on the next available flight.

Do airlines have to wait for connecting flights?

No, if your first flight is delayed and you won't make it in time to catch your connecting flight, the plane won't wait for you. However, if you're travelling on a through-ticket, the airline must rebook you on their next available flight to your destination, provided that there are seats available.

New York Controllers CONFUSED with A FLIGHT FROM JFK to LGA!

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