Missing a connection is one of travel's most stressful moments: you land, run to a gate, and find the door closed and your bag gone to a destination you are not going to. The good news is that airlines handle this every day, and there is a clear order of steps that gets you rebooked fastest. The bad news is that panicking, queueing in the wrong place, and accepting the first offer without asking questions all make it slower.

Follow this sequence, and you will usually be on your way within an hour, with a hotel and a meal voucher if you need them.