Southwest Rapid Rewards - Advice on WN->DL connection in PHX?

I've got one coming up. About 1-1/2 hours if everything on time. Can I stay inside the security bubble after deplaning Southwest?

I've got one coming up. About 1-1/2 hours if everything on time. Can I stay inside the security bubble after deplaning Southwest?

No. You will deplane at Terminal 4 (Southwest) and have to take an inter-terminal bus to Terminal 3, where Delta is based, so you will have to go through security again before reaching the Delta gate. Also, if you have checked luggage on Southwest, it will not be transferred through to Delta; you will have to retrieve it at Terminal 4 and re-check it with Delta at Terminal 3. Southwest does not have an interline agreement with Delta to transfer luggage.

Here's a link to a map of Sky Harbor Airport and info on each terminal: http://www.ifly.com/phoenix-sky-harbor-international-airport/terminal-map

Generally speaking T3 is relatively easy to get through. The DL security line can be long, but it moves. I'd say 90 minutes is enough if you're not checking a bag.

Catch the bus on the ticket counter level, near the WN curbside checkin area. Take the elevators or stairs between levels, not the escalators.

Thank you very much BarbiJKM and tusphotog for the info!

I've got one coming up. About 1-1/2 hours if everything on time. Can I stay inside the security bubble after deplaning Southwest?

And neither has liability for a missed connection... You're definately on the tight side. Since WN isn't booked by TA's you did this yourself? Hope you add EBCI to get a forward seat even if a middle. Strike that I see you're A+CP.

And neither has liability for a missed connection... You're definately on the tight side. Since WN isn't booked by TA's you did this yourself? Hope you add EBCI to get a forward seat even if a middle. Strike that I see you're A+CP.

Why do you assume WN flights aren't booked by travel agents? They do it all the time.

The connection was quite easy and painless and would have been super-easy if not for my incoming WN flight waiting 35 minutes on the tarmac for our arrival gate to clear. Sitting on an idling airplane waiting for another plane to clear the arrival gate has become my #1 complaint with WN. LAS is my home airport on WN and LAS is the worst in this regard. There can be multiple free gates available, but WN is to cheap to staff them.

Anyway, at Terminal 4, I exited the baggage claim area at door 2, walked across the street, and waited about 10 minutes for the silver shuttle bus to come by to take me the short distance to Terminal 3. TSA at Terminal 3 at mid-afternoon on a Tuesday was completely open. Piece of cake, I'll book this connection again.

Thanks again for the good advice!

Out of curiosity, what was your route? Could you not book it out of LAS on DL?

Out of curiosity, what was your route? Could you not book it out of LAS on DL?

I live in St. George, Utah (SGU), a 2-hour drive NE of Las Vegas. The (only 2!) flight options in and out of SGU are DL to SLC and UA to LAX. My particular trip this day (5/22) was ABQ-PHX on WN, connecting to DL PHX-SLC-SGU. ABQ-PHX-SLC-SGU was the cheapest way to get home that day and took about the same time as any other route. To answer your specific question, I sometimes do fly to LAS on WN and then LAS-SLC-SGU on DL. The WN-DL connection is easier at LAS because I can usually talk a TSA agent at LAS into letting me pass through the locked doors between Concourses C & D without having to exit the security bubble. SLC-SGU is always on a 50-seat CRJ 200 (the aptly nicknamed "Barbie Fun Jets"). I've found that the 35-minute flight SGU-SLC and connecting at SLC & is easier than the 2-hour drive and hassle and parking cost of getting in and out of LAS. At my shiny new but tiny SGU airport, it is literally a 10-yard walk from getting dropped off at the curb to TSA.

ABQ-SLC on Delta and many other Delta & Delta Connection flights into and out of SLC have gotten hideously expensive, which is why the WN leg to get to PHX because PHX-SLC-SGU on Delta is cheap right now.

I have come to hate the hassle of LAS. I used to do all my flying on WN out of LAS, but last September switched most of my flying to Delta. Still, I have already made A+ for next year and have a shot at renewing my CP, plus I will make Plat on Delta for next year, too. I spend entirely too much time on airplanes!

Apologies if this is a lot more information than you asked for, but this is why I do what I do.

The connection was quite easy and painless and would have been super-easy if not for my incoming WN flight waiting 35 minutes on the tarmac for our arrival gate to clear. Sitting on an idling airplane waiting for another plane to clear the arrival gate has become my #1 complaint with WN. LAS is my home airport on WN and LAS is the worst in this regard. There can be multiple free gates available, but WN is to cheap to staff them.

Staffing usually isn't the issue... It's the cascading gate changes that occur if you'd simply pull into an open gate. Passengers, transfer bag runners, and changing crew all have to be notified of the change. One seemingly little change could affect the rest of the day. Gate changes for the 100+ waiting passengers for the next flight especially at LAS could mean a long walk in short time. Yes, they plan gate utilization many hours in advance. Though things like delays still can mess it all up. Intentionally messing everything up by saying sure pull into this open gate causes more problems than good.

Of course if there was a Medical Emergency they'd pull into any open gate ASAP and deal with the effects later.

Hope that explains the very complicated gating issue a bit.

Staffing usually isn't the issue... It's the cascading gate changes that occur if you'd simply pull into an open gate. Passengers, transfer bag runners, and changing crew all have to be notified of the change. One seemingly little change could affect the rest of the day. Gate changes for the 100+ waiting passengers for the next flight especially at LAS could mean a long walk in short time. Yes, they plan gate utilization many hours in advance. Though things like delays still can mess it all up. Intentionally messing everything up by saying sure pull into this open gate causes more problems than good.

Of course if there was a Medical Emergency they'd pull into any open gate ASAP and deal with the effects later.

Hope that explains the very complicated gating issue a bit.

With all due respect, most airlines have an Operations staff which monitor these situations all day long and make changes as needed (preferably BEFORE it inconveniences a lot of passengers). Basically, WN doesn't seem to do as good a job as other airlines do.

With all due respect, most airlines have an Operations staff which monitor these situations all day long and make changes as needed (preferably BEFORE it inconveniences a lot of passengers).

You don't think WN has an Operations staff at their stations who monitor gate usage? Ever sit at LAX waiting for a DL gate to open up? I sat on a CR7 for 45 minutes waiting for our gate to open up.

I've had plenty of gate changes at LAS over the years. At least WN has staff that is competent at driving jetways and is actually IN the jetway to drive it unlike DL at LAX.

Wow, ABQ-PHX [switch airlines] PHX-SLC-SGU and ???-LAS-SGU are really roundabout ways of getting home. I think I'd would just settle with making the long drive and hassles of LAS and being done with it.

Wow, ABQ-PHX [switch airlines] PHX-SLC-SGU and ???-LAS-SGU are really roundabout ways of getting home. I think I'd would just settle with making the long drive and hassles of LAS and being done with it.

Yup, I did exactly that for 4+ years - made the long drive and suffered the LAS hassles. What I'm doing now works better for me. When I'm "done with it", I'm home, without the 2-hour drive at a time when I'm usually beat and may be unsafe to drive. If there is a DL XXX-SLC-SGU at a reasonable price, just the one connection, I take it. DL has jacked prices up 2X-3X for many domestic flilghts in/out of SLC, particularly SkyWest Delta Connection flights to/from many western US cities. "Hub-captive" is the term. WN has dropped many N/S flights in/out of SLC, including all N/S from ABQ, which makes it all the easier for DL to get away with ripoff fare increases. ABQ-SLC N/S on WN changing to SLC-SGU on DL used to work for me, but now ABQ-SLC on WN means a change of plane in PHX, LAS, DEN, even LAX or OAK!!.