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On 30th August this year I will be flying with Brussels Airlines to Venice Marco Polo from Manchester, with a 1hr 10m layover in Brussels. I have never flown alone before and am quite nervous at the prospect of missing my flight.

Is this enough time to allow me to get to the gate on time?

In the case that I do miss the flight even though my flight from Manchester arrives on time, what happens?

Will I automatically be booked onto the next available flight?

Or will I essentially have to sort things out for myself?

On the way back, I also have a 50 minute layover in Munich, which I understand is cutting it fine, but I read somewhere that I will not have to go through any controls.

So should this be fine?

Unfortunately, there were no other flights that would allow me to arrive at my destinations at specific times (I am meeting friends there), so this was my only option.

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    Was this all booked as a single ticket with the same airline, or are they separate tickets?
    – RemcoGerlich
    Apr 5, 2016 at 11:21
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    You will have to go through immigration control when entering the Schengen area in Brussels and when leaving in Munich: Are you a UK citizen (or a citizen of another EU or EEA country)? Which airline(s) are you flying with through Munich? If you have to change terminal and go through immigration, 50 minutes sounds too optimistic for me.
    – Tor-Einar Jarnbjo
    Apr 5, 2016 at 11:26
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    Should this have an "event based effects" tag, as I understand things are a little different to normal at Brussels airport right now?
    – CMaster
    Apr 5, 2016 at 11:39
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    It was booked via a third party website, but they are single tickets with the same airline. I am a UK citizen and am flying with Lufthansa through Munich.
    – Ellen
    Apr 5, 2016 at 11:57
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    @Ellen Right now I beleive they have tents on the tarmac replacing elements of the buildings. It's very hard for us to predict how long consruction work, new security plans etc will take.
    – CMaster
    Apr 5, 2016 at 12:25

1 Answer 1

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When an airline sells you (or a re-seller) tickets for a multi-stop flight, they imply that it is reasonably possible to change planes.

Brussels Airport is not very large (in comparison to, say, Atlanta), so walking distances are reasonably short. Nevertheless, for any connecting flight, it's usually a good idea to go straight through all security controls until you're sure to be within a few walking minutes of the connecting gate before you start spending time on exploring the airport.

In case your flight from Manchester gets delayed enough so that you cannot make the connection, they will either have somebody waiting at the gate you arrive at from Lufthansa you can talk to, or you go the Lufthansa counter and explain your situation, and they'll book you on a later flight.

In case the flight gets cancelled in the first place, go to the Lufthansa counter, explain your situation, and they'll find an alternative for you.

As a general piece of advice: relax when traveling. Sometimes, things will go wrong. Roll with it. Don't ask "Why the hell did you idiots close the airplane door right as I was running down the hallway waving at you". Ask "Now that I missed my flight, can you please help me reach my destination" - and enjoy that you have just been gifted some me-time.

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    Thank you very much for your answer, it has indeed relaxed me! My main concern is arriving at Venice Marco Polo on time, as I should arrive at 11:40 and then have a coach to catch at 13:00 which takes my friends and I to Pula, Croatia. Even if I am sorted with an alternative flight, there are few other options to get to Pula. The ferry only departs three times weekly and the buses all depart at 11 in the morning. Would I have to wait until morning and claim it back on my travel insurance?
    – Ellen
    Apr 5, 2016 at 13:06
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    "Me time", in an airport, with all of my things in the airline's posession. Sounds great
    – CMaster
    Apr 5, 2016 at 13:11
  • I will only be taking hand luggage @CMaster, so I guess that's one positive!
    – Ellen
    Apr 5, 2016 at 13:13
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    @CMaster: to reach enlightenment, you need to be able to decouple happiness from material possessions.
    – Jonas
    Apr 5, 2016 at 13:39
  • @Ellen: Yes, that's unfortunately the case.
    – Jonas
    Apr 5, 2016 at 14:23

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