What if I miss a connecting flight from separate bookings?

The most important thing to do if you know you're going to miss a flight is to notify the airline BEFORE your ticket is canceled which usually happens soon after a no show. If before you leave San Francisco you know you will miss the Bangkok flight call the airline right away. If for some reason the flight to Shanghai took much longer than scheduled, as soon as you land contact the airline either by phone or go to the counter, whichever is sooner, and tell them about the delay and see what could be done. As long as the ticket is not canceled you will be able to fly either on time or later, that is why it's important you have with you all the airline's phone no. and a cell phone or phone card that works in all your destinations.