Airport security and transfers do not mix

May I advise readers against booking flights with short transit times in light of current lengthy security checks...

My trip from Dubai to Toulouse on Turkish Airlines included a transit time of 75 minutes at Istanbul Atatürk.

The Dubai flight arrived on time, but took 15 minutes to disembark and 45 for security. By the time I got to the gate, my flight to Toulouse had left.

I joined many other passengers who had also missed flights and we spent hours in queues trying to get re-booked.

I rejected a €440 Paris flight and rebooked on KLM, for €500, eventually arriving in Toulouse, nearly 12 hours late.

Turkish Airlines sent a standard letter saying: “The boarding process ends 20 minutes before the time of departure...”

So, a 75-minute transit time is really, 55 minutes. If there are delays, there is little chance of getting through security and catching the connection.

My travel insurer, Worldwide Travel, rejected my claim, saying I was “only covered for missed departure due to the failure of public transport or a breakdown involving the vehicle you are travelling in”.

I don’t know how other airlines would deal with cases like this, but I would advise avoiding short connections at Ata-türk airport – or face spending a fortune on alternative flights.

Paul Houghton, Gironde