Originally Posted by
Analise
Welcome to Flyertalk.
In a perfect world in which your flight is on time or early, you are among the first to deplane, your bags are among the first on the carousel, and there is no line at security, you should have no problem.
Otherwise, you should have a backup plan. LGA in the summer...planes can be delayed because of thunderstorms in NYC or from elsewhere. The carousel could be slow with your bags coming out toward the end. Then there is security. The lines could be slow and long.
I think you'll need to be lucky to make that second US Air flight. At least you won't have to go from terminal to terminal.
If you really need to make that flight, don't check in any bags. Then you won't have to leave the secured area. That's the huge problem outside of your original plane arriving very late. Going back through security could be awful. So why do it? This you can control. Keep your bags with you. Pack efficiently so you don't have to check in anything.
You should be able to call US and have the two PNRs consolidated and then check straight through. Even if not consolidated, with both itineraries and BPs in hand, US should be fine checking to final destination (but strong preference for consolidated PNR). Go to a counter, not to curbside and explain the situation if need be.
As noted above, baggage and security delays at LGA can be brutal in the summer, especially if you are not elite and do not have access to F security line. You don't say what day of week, but if this is a weekday, you are right in the middle of rush hour (both landside for security and airside for arrivals/departures).
It is water under the bridge for you, but becs. this is a public board, even though you may need to pay the telephone charge, in this situation I would always call US and make the changes rather than book a separate itinerary. The phone fee will be cancelled out by the extra baggage fees you pay.