supersonic1

Hi all,

Will be traveling from London Gatwick to Rhode Island via Charlotte and just had a quick question. Last time someone gave me a very helpful link about connecting flights from Toronto, and I was wondering if there was some kind of online map/guide to tell me where to go when I arrive at Charlotte and which Customs/Security to go through to get to my connecting flight gate. Had a quick look but couldn't find anything.

Also, I just heard that there's going to be a big snow storm over there the next couple of days? I'm leaving Gatwick on the 27th December at 11am and will be arriving leaving Charlotte at about 7pm. Hopefully the weather won't be so bad? Typical, we just got over snow problems in the uk and now this..


Thanks all!

cordelli

Providence is expected to have a blizzard on Sunday into Monday (sorry for the caps, it's how the warning was issued). It may move past by the time you are set to get there, but it could take them some time to get everything up and running again. Charlotte should not be a weather problem.

I don't believe you will have any problems in Charlotte, it's not that large of an airport, you will go through customs or whatever and just follow the signs to get to your connecting flight.

ACCUMULATIONS... 15 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING... LIGHT SNOW WILL START EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND BECOME HEAVY BY EVENING. VERY HEAVY SNOW WILL FALL THROUGHOUT SUNDAY NIGHT WITH UP TO 2 TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR LIKELY AT TIMES. THE SNOW WILL TAPER TO FLURRIES EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL PEAK FROM LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY.

CLTmech

Pending any changes to the weather, the snow is moving out of the Charlotte, NC area at this point on Sunday morning. Currently there is not a lot of accumulation of snow at the airport.

I haven't been through customs in CLT in a few years (prior to the completion of the expansion to D-concourse which is used for international arrivals/departures). At this point, I think customs/immigration exits to baggage claim outside of security then has to rescreen for domestic flights. There may be a direct entrance for connections, but I don't know for sure.

supersonic1

Thanks guys.

Checked the US Airways website just now and they've put up a travel advisory - http://www.usairways.com/TravelCenter/Advisories.aspx

Does that mean that departures and/or arrivals from those airports will be affected, or just one of the two? Warning seems to end for Charlotte tonight, so hopefully I'll be ok tomorrow. Checked PVD's website too and alot of flights from New York have been cancelled, but all of Charlotte's flights for today seem to be ontime at the moment.

justcorbly

Charlotte had less than an inch of snow. Here in Raleigh, about 140 miles to the northeast, RDU reports 5 inches and has remained open. Many flights cancelled or postponed, though, especially to the north. Delta has cancelled all flights out of RDU, not because they can't fly -- the runways are clear here. Typically, many flights out of the Carolinas are cancelled when snow shuts down airports in the northeast. If Providence really does get 15-20 inches of snow, I wouldn't count on it opening for a day or so.

So, your flight into Charlotte won't be delayed by local weather. But, it seems very likely your flight to Providence will be delayed or cancelled.

If it was me, I'd book a room in or near the Charlotte airport for one or two nights, even if I got really lucky and got on a flight to Rhode Island. Better to eat the hotel bill than spend a night or two at the airport. (CLT is actually a reasonably large airport, but I sure wouldn't want to camp out there.)

FYI: It is about an hour's drive between Providence and Logan airport in Boston. Regularly scheduled buses travel often between each airport. Keep that in mind if one airport opens earlier.

supersonic1

Hi,

I booked my ticket from London Gatwick (1 stop, connecting flight via Charlotte, NC) to Providence, RI through a travel company Netflights.com for the 27th December on US Airways. With all this bad weather along the east coast I was wondering, if my connecting flight to PVD is cancelled, will I be able to re-book a flight with US Airways right there and then, or will I have to doit through Netflights again? I don't fancy being stranded at Charlotte for a day or longer, completely new to this.


Thanks all

justcorbly

Don't know anything about Netflights, but if you're connecting flight is cancelled, deal with US Airways. Take along Netflights phone number, just in case, though. Charlotte is a (the?) major hub for US Airways, so if your flight is cancelled you will have company.

BTW, current (11:30pm Eastern) conditions at PVD are: 29F, wind gusting at 19 mph, and snow. Five to six inches are predcted for tonight, with a total of 12-16 by the time it stops on the 27th. Here's the arival page at the PVD site. Note that almost all the flights are cancelled.

Good luck.