Originally Posted by
waveloch
Hi All,
Haven't transited WAW myself so I wanted to put it out there to travelers more familiar with transiting WAW about a flight I am considering booking. I am helping book flights for my family to visit me in California from Szczecin and wanted to know if 1h20m connection for domestic to US-bound flight is going to be risky. The contemplated flights are:
OUTBOUND:
Szczecin (SZZ)
DEP: 08:50
Warsaw (WAW)
ARR: 10:00
LO3932
E75
Warsaw (WAW)
DEP: 11:20
Los Angeles(LAX)
ARR: 14:45
LO021
789
RETURN:
Los Angeles(LAX)
DEP: 22:00
Terminal: B
Warsaw
ARR: 18:35+1day
LO024
789
Warsaw (WAW)
DEP: 19:25
Szczecin
ARR: 20:35
LO3935
E75
The domestic flights are due to be operated by E175s so they have a higher likelihood of getting a jet-bridge but those connection times concern me, especially with covid-era checks and US-bound security protocol. I'll make sure they sit at the front of the plane so they can get off quicker, but does anyone have any advice on this one or have any recent experience transiting WAW? As a follow-up: does anyone have experience getting rebooked by LOT in the event of a missed flight? Will they put you up in a hotel, meal vouchers, etc? Thanks and any advice is appreciated.
Hi,
I used to work at a handling company for LO in WAW.
1:20 for outbound is quite safe, unless something really unexpected happens with the first leg. But LO is very focused on their US connections and in really hot situations they will provide a ground agent who will be responsible for taking connecting paxes from the domestic feeders to their outbound US flights. Those US-bound planes more often than not would depart delayed so I would not worry about the SZZ-WAW-LAX leg. It was quite normal for us the have paxes make such connections from domestic flights to US-bound planes in 20 minutes or less.
The US document check would be done at check-in/bag-drop in SZZ. Unless they have SSSS nothing will stop them in WAW.
What's more tricky is 50 minutes connection on the return leg, but on the other hand those evening domestic flights which depart WAW after the incoming wave of transatlantic flights in the afternoon are often delayed as well. Worst case scenario they would get hotel, food and 600€ compensation if they don't catch their connection to SZZ.