Short layovers for connecting flights

[Amethyst]

Hello, frequent flyers,

I'm looking at flights from Orlando to John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Anaheim, CA. There aren't any nonstop flights, and a lot of the connections are an hour or less. In some cases, it's only 25 minutes.

Isn't this risky? For one thing, some of the connecting airports are very large, e.g. DFW. Is this generally enough time to make it from one terminal to the next?

In addition, I will be checking bags - is 45 min to an hour, enough time to ensure those bags make it onto the connecting plane?

Thanks,

Amethyst

 

[COcheesehead]

25 minutes is not nearly enough.
I would figure at least an hour and still there is no guarantee.

 

[Kork13]

Generally, a 45-60 minute layover between domestic connections will be no problem, even for checked bags. In the off-chance (I'd say <20%) that your bags get delayed, they'll generally catch up to you within 6-12 hrs, no more than 24 hrs.

However, a 25 minute layover would make me very nervous, especially if you're in a large airport where you may need to run to a separate concourse or even a separate terminal. 45min is generally my lower limit. For very busy airports (ATL, ORD, LAX, DFW, JFK, ... etc.), no less than 1hr.

 

[NW-Bound]

Hello, frequent flyers,

I'm looking at flights from Orlando to John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Anaheim, CA. There aren't any nonstop flights, and a lot of the connections are an hour or less. In some cases, it's only 25 minutes...

I don't think the Web sites such as Kayak and Google Flights that I use to screen flights would let me see those connections with 25 minutes.

Maybe it's doable if the two airplanes are parked in the same terminal, and only a few gates apart. Else, way too risky.

 

[audreyh1]

I get nervous with just an hour layover.

 

[brett]

I get nervous with just an hour layover.

Ditto. The reality is that even a 2hr layover can go pear pear shaped if your flight is late.

Most especially those shorter flights that one takes past mid day. Delays can compound themselves throughout the day.

 

[marko]

4 million miler here. What everyone above said.

 

[USGrant1962]

45 mins is the minimum but I try to avoid that short. It is very rare for airline websites to even show connections shorter than that, not sure how you are seeing 25 min connections. But for domestic flights in the morning an hour is almost always safe enough. Fact is that if your plane requires "maintenance" that takes over a half hour you are probably getting rebooked anyway. The difference between a 45 minute and 1.5 hour layover becomes irrelevant.

Afternoon/evening flights are subject to cascading backups effects and should be an hour-and-a-half.

Luggage transfer is not really a driver, 30 mins will get your luggage transferred.

 

[kgtest]

4 legs when DF and I head to Morocco Friday. MSP to NYC for the night/next day. Originally a redeye straight from JFK to CDG (Paris), with a 2hr layover to connect to CMN Casablanca.

For some reason Delta added in a trip to Boston on some puddle jumper. I was really mad when I found out about the extra leg and layover from BOS. Now, we leave a little later and our cnxn to CMN from CDG is a shortened 1.5hr layover. I heard layovers in Charles de Gaulle can be fun. I am hoping to flag down a cart for us since my ole man is a little slow on the feet these days.


Should be a fun trip but it makes me dream of flying private in a Falcon or Gulfstream.

I am gonna try and bare all the travel time in exchange for a chance to see a country I've wanted to visit for a while. Bonus that my ol man can come and we are being picked up in Casablanca by an old Moroccan pal.

So we takeoff 5pm Saturday and after 5hr of layovers on 3 remaining legs after a day in NYC exploring, 7hrs of time change we get in at 3pm Morocco time. which will feel like 9am...but likely not after sleeping coach for almost 13 total hrs.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Generally, a 45-60 minute layover between domestic connections will be no problem, even for checked bags. In the off-chance (I'd say <20%) that your bags get delayed, they'll generally catch up to you within 6-12 hrs, no more than 24 hrs.

However, a 25 minute layover would make me very nervous, especially if you're in a large airport where you may need to run to a separate concourse or even a separate terminal. 45min is generally my lower limit. For very busy airports (ATL, ORD, LAX, DFW, JFK, ... etc.), no less than 1hr.

I agree with this. I would also point out that, at least with United, they warn you during the booking process if your connection is too short. For most domestic connections, 45 minutes is enough but it varies by airport.

It is VERY expensive for the airline if you or your luggage misses the connecting flight due to them so they will often hold a connecting flight for you if your inbound flight is delayed. Just don't stop to have a burger or a beer because they know what time the connecting flight arrived.

While you and I can get baggage delivery for a modest fee (though still not worth it to me), the airlines pay through the nose. Last summer on the way home from Tahiti, with a 3+ hour layover on the same airline in Honolulu, Hawaiian Airlines managed to not get my bag on the same flight.

My bag arrived at my house by courier about 3 hours after we got home. It had a delivery invoice left on it for over $400 paid by the airline! That was more than 1/3 the total cost of the trip so I'm sure they lost money on our Tahiti vacation by not having their act together. This kind of thing happens every day to every airline so they take a lot of steps they are not required to in order to get you and your bags through tight connection PROVIDED they fall within their guidelines at booking.

In some cases you may be met at your gate by a cart to swiftly get you to your next gate. It has happened to me but it has been several years. The flight attendants will also sometimes ask those without a tight connection to let others off first. I doubt the effectiveness of this though.

 

[gamboolman]

I would not recommend less than 1 hour and that is too short based on 20 year of International Flights for work.

Some geniuses at Megaoil Corp sat up a bunch of International Flights with 45 minute to 1 hour connections.

Took them about 6 months to figure out why so many personnel were missing flights and not making Crew Changes on time Offshore with a costly domino effect.....

But Hay, it worked and looked great on the Power Point Presentations - resulting in Salary Increases and advancingthe career(s) of a bunch of Bureaucrats.

Talk about spending Dollars to save Cents.... Best Practices, World Class Performance and piles of other corporate gobbledegook flavor of the month vernacular.....

Went back to the way International Flights had been sat up with 2 to 6 hour Layovers and life was good again.... ha !

Retirement is wonderful !

[/IMG]

 

[Lewis Clark]

It is VERY expensive for the airline if you or your luggage misses the connecting flight due to them so they will often hold a connecting flight for you if your inbound flight is delayed. Just don't stop to have a burger or a beer because they know what time the connecting flight arrived.

This may be true for some airlines, but not all of them. I've had to run through airports a couple of times to make a tight connection after the first flight was late. Flight attendants on the first flight have told me the airline won't hold the second flight even if several passengers might miss the connection.

In some cases you may be met at your gate by a cart to swiftly get you to your next gate. It has happened to me but it has been several years. The flight attendants will also sometimes ask those without a tight connection to let others off first. I doubt the effectiveness of this though.

I've seen flight attendants ask this several times, but have never seen passengers honor the request.

 

[njhowie]

Consider flying into LAX or San Diego for many more nonstop options, and likely a fair amount less expensive.

I'm looking over the connecting options to SNA on kayak.com, and it looks like only American consistently shows those with short connections. Every other airline with connections shows layovers no less than an hour. So it appears to be an American issue.

 

[marko]

Also remember that there is a difference between your "arrival" time and the time you get to the gate and disembark. You can loose another 20 minutes or more between the time your wheels touch the ground taxi to the gate, open the door and when your feet hit the terminal.

 

[DrRoy]

45 minutes minimum.

 

[HarveyS]

No, 25 min is not enough. The doors typically close 10 min. before pushback, so that leaves 15 min to exit plane and get to new gate. I'd be suspicious of the search engine I was using if it populated flights like these.
Many of us have been on flights that land 30 minutes early only to wait on the tarmac for a gate to open up, so you can't count on getting there early.
Oh, and in my experience "they" don't hold the connecting plane unless (first, it is not full) it's an international flight or the last of the day. On domestic flights that aircraft and crew need to make another connection and get back to work. There is a little more wiggle room on longer international flights and at the end of the day.
Your checked bags will be fine. If they miss the connection they will be delivered to you at no cost to you. A bit of a hassle at the start of a trip, but that's life. Never check meds or other essentials.
Some other tips:
Do NOT use separate tickets for each leg of the trip. One airline or codeshare partner the whole way. That way if flight A is delayed, the "system" knows to re-book flight B.
Buy your ticket from the airline not via a 3rd party site.
Use a credit card with generous delayed/lost baggage insurance - though filing a claim can be a terrific PITA.
If buying well in advance, know that the schedule is likely to change. You do not have to accept what the airline proposes. Go back and see what is available. Many times the airline has re-booked me on something that was good for them and bad for me (for example 8 hrs later). When I look there is often a better alternative. Call and try to get on what you want if you cannot rebook online.
good luck and happy trails

 

[njhowie]

I'd be suspicious of the search engine I was using if it populated flights like these.

American's own website is giving these 25 to 45 minute connections for this route.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

American's own website is giving these 25 to 45 minute connections for this route.

I am increasingly irritated at American's website for showing connections like these. I don't think they should show anything less than an hour as a valid flight. Some people don't always even look at that number. I have learned to check every connection time on their flights because they are sometimes just not safe to pick.

 

[Aerides]

Isn't this risky? For one thing, some of the connecting airports are very large, e.g. DFW. Is this generally enough time to make it from one terminal to the next?

In addition, I will be checking bags - is 45 min to an hour, enough time to ensure those bags make it onto the connecting plane?

Assuming you are staying on the same airline, and both flights are on time: 30-45 mins is doable for DFW if you know your way around. Yes it's massive, but it's well managed - the shuttles are fast and routine from A-E and back. Still, an hour is better for someone not familiar with the setup.

As far as the bags, that's their worry, not yours. But always take 24 hours of "need" in your carry on, regardless of a layover.

 

[marko]

As far as the bags, that's their worry, not yours.

Until it is.

 

[athena53]

In some cases you may be met at your gate by a cart to swiftly get you to your next gate. It has happened to me but it has been several years. The flight attendants will also sometimes ask those without a tight connection to let others off first. I doubt the effectiveness of this though.

I've never seen anyone met with a cart- sure would be nice. I saw a flight held only once- in 2003 when DH and I were flying from Frankfurt to St. Petersburg, and we were not part of the group for which it was held (we were already on the plane). And yes, when a flight lands late, everyone seems to have a tight connection and hustles off.

I agree with the others- 25 minutes is silly. Not as silly, however, as some of the international itineraries I've seen where you fly into Heathrow and connect to a flight out of Gatwick. It's crazy that the airlines even give you those options.

 

[marko]

I've never seen anyone met with a cart- sure would be nice. I saw a flight held only once- in 2003 when DH and I were flying from Frankfurt to St. Petersburg, and we were not part of the group for which it was held (we were already on the plane). .

I've been met with a cart and they've held the plane for me a few times back in the day. Northwest Airlines.

But I was also consistently among their top 5 customers at the time. Even used to have a lady meet me and escort me to my next gate, baggage or club room. But that was then....

One time, DW and a niece were 3 hours late for our connection in Amsterdam (issues in Boston). As the plane door opened, a lady got on, handed us new boarding passes, wisked us onto a cart and bypassed security and put us first in line at immigration, then sped us to the new gate. Impressive.

 

[COcheesehead]

I’ve had bags go missing for two days on the outbound leg. Lesson learned. We carryon when we can. If we can’t, we pack at least one outfit in our carry on.
The worst case was on a return leg and the bag went missing for weeks. When we got it back, items were missing.
We both recently invested in international size carry ons from Eagle Creek. With compression sleeves, we can get a week’s worth of clothes in them.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

....invested in international size carry....

Investing in luggage...

 

[HarveyS]

American's own website is giving these 25 to 45 minute connections for this route.

I did not know that. In that case, if they are selling it they are on the hook to deliver it.