Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
WHAT??? I don't think anyone here is advising you that you can book tighter connections. We're just trying to tell you the best thing that you can do NOW, after you've apparently already purchased a nonrefundable ticket with a tight connection.
IMO 46 minutes is even tight for domestic to domestic, DL to DL at LAX because it does take some time to walk through the tunnel and there's no guarantee that your connection won't require this. For international, technically you must be on board by T-30, which means no compensation if you're thus booted from an oversold flight. You might get lucky once, but I wouldn't do this deliberately.
Sorry, my previous response to you disappeared (I must have made a newbie mistake). My apologies if I repeat some info here.
I didn't mean I'd try to book connections this tight again. I just meant that I might feel more confident about connections under 4 hours through LAX when on single-ticket Delta itineraries.
I was surprised they booked me such a short connection (award flights, so I think they couldn't work out something more decent in award seats), and they did assure me that they would put me on another flight if I miss the connection. I thought this departing flight to SYD was the last of the day, but I'll double-check the VAustralia schedule as you suggested, to see what kind of backup plan would be best, just in case.
As an American living in Sydney, I've done these flights several times, and never with such an absurdly short connection time. It just seemed to be the only thing they could work out for me this time, and thus I've been stressing about it ever since.
I'm exhausted from hectic U.S. travel and hoping to get back to SYD with one free adjustment day before returning to work, but I'll live if I get stuck in LA overnight. I really appreciate all the assistance with how to make my best effort at making the connection. You guys rock.