US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - To Book Or Not To Book

Ok....So I have a flight from PHL-DFW-LAX-SAN on May 10 and returning May 11 SAN-DFW-PHL all on AA. It departs PHL at 1:42 but I am coming from ILM and doing a mini-MR on US that comes in at 1:19. Is that enough time to connect? Also, another delimia....coming back into PHL at 5:43 and the last flight back to ILM leaves at 5:55. Should I go ahead and book that flight and if I miss the flight leave the next morning or go ahead and book the flight for the next morning and a do a MR while I'm at it?

Unless your PHL arrivals are quite early or your PHL departures are delayed, you won't be able to make the connections between US and AA on either end. Your US flights will probably use Terminal F and your AA flights will use terminal A. Those terminals are at opposite ends of the airport - to walk/run between the two I'm pretty sure that you need to exit and reenter security. I believe there is a shuttle between terminals F and C, but not sure how often it runs, and I'm not sure what shuttle options there are (if any) between F and A.

I'm a fool known to attempt bare-minimum connections at DFW and ORD, but even I wouldn't try this. It's just too close, plus the PNRs probably aren't linked, so I wouldn't be surprised if AA cancelled your ticket as a no show once you got to PHL anyway...

The shuttle runs very frequently. As long as your flights are on time :rolleyes: you should be fine. You will not be the first to board, but will make your flight.

You don't have to reclear security to connect from AA to US or vice-versa at PHL. (Spiff posted this same question earlier today.) Terminals A, B, C, D, and F are all connected inside security---F via bus to concourse C only.

I would recommend booking a connection of at least 2 hours, since you'll be on two separate tickets and neither US nor AA has an obligation to protect you on another flight in this circumstance if you misconnect. There's no way you'll make it from your US flight to your AA flight in only 23 minutes if they're both on time.

the PNRs probably aren't linked, so I wouldn't be surprised if AA cancelled your ticket as a no show once you got to PHL anyway...

Exactly. You are almost certain to miss at least one and perhaps both the connections, and as they are different airlines purchased as different tickets you'll be at the total mercy of a friendly agent to get you on the next flight. Since you'll be in the wrong, righteous appeal will not be an option. Just luck and charm and I for one wouldn't risk it for a MR. Unless you get a rush from the whole experience. It which case this will make for one hell of a ride so I hope you post the full update.

I wouldn't book a 20ish minute connection for a normal flight, much less one on a MR on two different airlines.