egtravel

Hi,

I am holding an award ticket from LAX to ZRH on AA later in the summer (ultimately to ATH on Swiss Air from ZRH). Okay, so AA has me going via JFK with a 51 minute connecting time, from domestic to international. Providing my flight is on-time, is that connection time something I should worry about? The res agent didn't offer me the earlier flight out of LAX and I didn't think to ask. But since I have it held and have not yet ticketed, I suppose I can ask at that time. The other thing is, if I do miss my connecting flight, there are two Swiss Air flights later that evening. Would/could AA put me on one of those flights to ZRH if space allows? (Since I will be on a Swiss Air flight from ZRH to ATH). Thanks!!

JumboJet

You and your bags may or may not make that connection

You don't say what time of day you need to travel but there are 10 non-stops a day to JFK and more options if you count LAX-SFO-JFK. I would try and get on an earlier flight.

egtravel

Thanks for the response! To clarify, my flight departs LAX at 800am and arrives JFK at 429pm. The flight to ZRH departs at 520pm.

pauleeepaul

I believe there is a 7 am LAX-JFK and I would try to grab it in your shoes. You lose nothing (still up early to get to the airport), and less than an hour connection at JFK is cutting it close. Some international 763 flights leave from T-9, where you most/all likely will be arriving, but most leave from T-8, which means a long walk and reclearing security.

JGR01

TOTALLY agree with the earlier flight option...

JFK can be a zoo both in size and in lines.

I have not used the new T9 yet .. but the security lines at T8 are horrible (even the First/Business lines) at that time of day.

As mentioned some international flights will depart from T9 .. tho you may also arrive at T8 (unlikely on transcon) so I would DEFINATELY change to the earlier flight (7am).

belleNY

Allow more time to connect. The luggage service in the new terminal 9 has been pretty horrible, so the transfer might not make it, and if you do have to go from one terminal to the other, the walk from security to gates in 9 is alot longer than it used to be in the old building.

dtc

I counted one day: It's at least a 7 minute walk from Gate 42 in the New T9 to the outside of T9. Even further to some of the gates towards the ends of T9 - like 31 would be a real schlep. And I'm ok-fit (bmi=22.8).

If you do the marathon approach and run all the people movers and escalators, your time could improve...

Oceanrider

To join the chorus, 51 minutes is highly optimistic, even if you are sitting in F and are the first off. I do run marathons and even at a fast pace if you have to change terminals you simply will not make it, especially if there is any kind of a line at security. If you can, switch to the earllier flight and take advantage of the AC preferably in T9.

I am surprised this is a legal connection.

JDiver

Personally, I'd fly LAX-DFW and catch the DFW-ZRH a/c.

egtravel

Thanks all for the advice. Since it's award travel, I'm at their mercy and the earlier flight out of LAX doesn't show any availability. The only available seats from LAX to JFK that day are via MIA and that does me no good! I guess it could all change by the time I ticket this, which will be next week. Maybe I can coax the res agent into "finding" me a seat since the connection is so tight.

Does anyone know if I do miss my connection, will AA try to get me on one of the two later Swiss Air flights from JFK to ZRH??

Thanks again!

egtravel

Well, I ticketed last night and there was nothing else available. So we'll see if I make my connection at JFK or not. The RA did say to call a couple times a week to see if anything opens up !!! Yeah, like I have the time to do that. Oh well. I asked what happens if I miss my connection and he said AA would of course try to route me to ATH another way. Anybody have an idea of how they might route me? I'm guessing either BA or IB...any other possibilities? Thanks!

HNL

Likely via LHR to connect with a BA flight.

tom911

I didn't make a connection at JFK when I was on the way to Athens for the Olympics in 2004 (thunderstorms closed JFK and we were diverted to Stewart, and by the time we got back to JFK my Iberia flight to MAD was long gone).

In my case, I was able to get the very last flight of the night to LHR which went out at 1a.m., and the agent told me to check with ground personnel there when I arrived to see what could be worked out (figured I'd go standby on BA or IB as potential options). I was surprised to find that AA bought me a ticket in business on Olympic Airways, and the connection worked out fine. Of course, no luggage when I arrived, but it caught up 24 hours later and was delivered to my hotel. I planned ahead and had an extra days worth of clothing and toiletries in my carry on, just in case something did go wrong.

JumboJet

Don't give up on this! Availability changes all the time.

sohony

i was just at jfk (monday) for a paris flight from terminal 8 gate 4 and there was an enormous line for security (took 1/2 an hour--which fortunately i had to spare) to go thro. when i asked why there was no separate premium/fast track line i was told "there's only one security screening gate open". but when i got to the front there were THREE screening lines so they had just stopped bothering to offer the premium lane. dont know if that was just a one off, but not to worry--the airline has a legal obligation to accommodate you--the only thing to be concerned about is if you have business or first class tix as they will likely only put you in coach on a partner airline. dont know if you'll get a mileage refund for that, but i'd doubt it--does anyone know know for sure?