Luckily, most other Caribbean/Latin American arrivals arrive much later in the evening. AA has flights from MBJ, CUN, BZE, CZM, POP, AZS, GCM, MHH, LHR all arriving in a period from 4:50pm-5:15pm. LH's MUC flight also arrives in that period as well. Granted I don't know if LH will resume service by the time you travel, and that LHR arrival is from the 2nd daily CLT-LHR frequency that has not resumed yet, but you are looking at roughly ~1800 people waiting to be processed in CLT's tiny arrival hall (which was built to handle LGW/FRA/MBJ/CUN flights only) during that same time frame. I can't remember if they expanded to 6 (I know they are in the process of doing so) but there might only be 4 baggage carousels as well so the wait for checked bags might take forever.

CLT doesn't have a designated TSA checkpoint for ID transfers. You have to exit the CBP area and then use the regular checkpoints with everyone else, and not every checkpoint has TSA Pre.

It might take you 50 minutes (if not more) to clear the entire CBP process, especially if you have to wait for a valet tagged bag.

In short: I wouldn't risk it.

AA just pushed June changes and got a DFW-CLT-LGA with a 33 minute connection which looks to be valid (what!?!?). I suppose it can be done if incoming is on-time but not much room for error. Called AA and they were wiling to swap me to a non-stop.

We have friends flying to MCI-SXM next Feb, and AA wants to book a 39-minute connection through CLT, B737 to A319 (ugh). Next flight is a day later. They are meeting us in SXM, and we had to book via CLT or pay a significant fare diff to fly through MIA (no bargain at a 56 min layover). We are spending the night in CLT since our connection from STL was 42 minutes, but CRJ to A319, and not worth the aggravation/panic of running from the commuter terminal, or IDG to arrive the next day. So, is 39 minutes reasonable?

If AA will book it they consider it reasonable and do-able. As with all travel YMMV depending on weather, etc.

Could this work? Sure. Transferring from Gate D to Gate A, for example will make this more difficult. Add in a small delay, and you may have a problem. I'd push for at least 60min connection at CLT, but this is certainly doable and a very efficient connection assuming everything goes right for you that day.

I'm asking if it is reasonable based on experience. Given that a misconnect will mean a 24-72 hr delay (arrive Saturday/Sunday/Monday instead of Friday,) we've already decided it's not reasonable for us going STL-SXM. That's just relying on too many things to go right in mid-February, and ending up losing a day or more of our island getaway. Our friends may be more risk-tolerant, but MCT isn't always reasonable, so that's why I'm asking.

CLT is very bad about sitting in tarmac traffic for 15-30 minutes, even if you landed early. I would not risk the start of my vacation on anything less than a 60 minute connection, and even that is not guaranteed.

Yes 60 minutes to me is the least most sensible connection time at CLT. If your a/c lands on the far western runway and need to go to D that can be a 20-30 minute experience.

100% agree. I transit CLT a lot, and have had my share of 40 min connections. I never book them if there is another reasonable alternative.

I'd do 39 min in CLT unless it was an express to mainline connection. I would not do anything less than 60 for mainline to express; taxiing to the the E gates takes forever.

Based on experience I will never connect through CLT without a 60min connection time at minimum. Still, you could do it without a margin of error per my previous response but agree with everyone else here about the cocophony of possibilities that could strand your buddies in CLT far past their connecting flight :(

This 39 minute connection question has got to be the most common question in this thread. Despite all the concern about it, I’ve yet to read where someone has missed a flight because of it. If one flight is running late chances are others are too rendering the tight connection a moot point.

If AA had regular, serious issues with these 39 minute connections they wouldn’t schedule them.

I connect through CLT 4-5 times a month and I know one thing I'd never do a 39 minute connection because the number of times I'd have to run to my connecting flight unless I got lucky and gates were close (and running though the CLT airport isn't easy given the number of people waddling through the concourse) is more than I would like. Not to mention I would board late which meant my carryon might be somewhere not near me. AA banks flights and one draw back is more missed connections but that has never been seemingly a concern to Doug Parker and company. In fact, AA is packing more flights into banks making more misconnect issues. AA doesn't seem all that concern with someone being forced to wait for seats to open on a subsequent flight, in part because hotel and lodging would be on the traveler.

Disclaimer: Although CLT is my home airport personally, I'm a DELTA dog. So I fly AA only as a last resort.

You're so right about people "waddling" through the concourses and standing on the moving sideWALKS, etc. It's a real human slalom course to get from point A to point B in the airport. But, to my point, as you said, if AA is booking connections that close in time the gates are going to be reasonably physically close to each other. Also to my point, aside from the potential for late boarding and possibly having to drop your carry on in a bin not near where your sitting it's highly unlikely you're actually going to miss the flight.

All the talk of taxi times is moot as the arrival time is when AA expects that airplane to arrive AT THE GATE. Now, if the arrival flight is historically tardy then maybe that means operations (or a million other reasons) are likely to cause a miss on the expected arrival time, but AA thinks the chances of on time gate arrival are enough to guarantee a later seat if it doesn't work out.

I just booked a 41 min E to mainline connection for a few weeks from now.

Do I expect to make it? Sure, as long as I arrive on time. I've made shorter (but not intentionally).

Could I miss it? Sure, and I know that going in. It means a few extra hours at CLT but I'll still be home for dinner.

Am I going to gate (valet) check my bag? Not a chance. I'm putting the burden on AA to get my bag on that short connection. If I make it and the bag doesn't? All it has is dirty laundry so I'll be fine without it for a little time.