PHX T4 Connection
May 5, 2019, 11:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: UK (NE)
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 223
PHX T4 Connection
I've booked a BA Avios redemption NCL>LHR>LAS, but returning PHX>LHR>NCL due to no availability back from LAS. BA288 departs PHX at 1945. I'll be in J.
Looking at my options to get from LAS>PHX I am looking at either AA arriving at 1745 or SW arriving at 1735. I understand that BA, AA and SW all use Terminal 4.
What's the same-terminal transfer experience like at PHX T4? Is 2 hours going to be enough? I will likely have to collect and re-check luggage as even if I take the AA flight it will be a different booking ref so its unlikely I will be able to check it all the way through from LAS.
Thanks.
Looking at my options to get from LAS>PHX I am looking at either AA arriving at 1745 or SW arriving at 1735. I understand that BA, AA and SW all use Terminal 4.
What's the same-terminal transfer experience like at PHX T4? Is 2 hours going to be enough? I will likely have to collect and re-check luggage as even if I take the AA flight it will be a different booking ref so its unlikely I will be able to check it all the way through from LAS.
Thanks.
May 6, 2019, 2:28 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,907
Hi,
In reality you will only have 1 hour to get to baggage reclaim and get your bags to the BA counter ( up 1 level from bag reclaim) as check in desks close 1 hour prior to departure ( I think AA will not connect bags to BA on separate tickets). Baggage reclaim on AA can take a little while ( 30 mins IME) so it does not leave a lot of room. This feels too tight for me ( esp connecting to the BA loung haul). On one ticket it would have been a piece of cake as you can get from the AA gate to BA gate in less than 15mins even at the furthest away point
Whilst LAS and PHX are generally pretty good airports weather wise in Jul 2017 I had 2 grouns stops for around 40mins at each airport due to weather enoroute leading to a diverted route and flow control being used for our flights.
PHX airport is nice especially the landside area prior to security with a small art gallery and if you have time you can take the free sky train to 44th street then a short covered walk to the 44th street/washington ( light rail station) and just across the road is the Pueblo grande museum with an intetesting small museum and outdoor trail ( open til 445pm)
MMB should state when the BA counters open ( PHX generally opened at least 4 hours prior to departure- not sure if it has changed recently but I would aim to get the flights arriving in PHX before the ones mentioned.
Regards
TBS
In reality you will only have 1 hour to get to baggage reclaim and get your bags to the BA counter ( up 1 level from bag reclaim) as check in desks close 1 hour prior to departure ( I think AA will not connect bags to BA on separate tickets). Baggage reclaim on AA can take a little while ( 30 mins IME) so it does not leave a lot of room. This feels too tight for me ( esp connecting to the BA loung haul). On one ticket it would have been a piece of cake as you can get from the AA gate to BA gate in less than 15mins even at the furthest away point
Whilst LAS and PHX are generally pretty good airports weather wise in Jul 2017 I had 2 grouns stops for around 40mins at each airport due to weather enoroute leading to a diverted route and flow control being used for our flights.
PHX airport is nice especially the landside area prior to security with a small art gallery and if you have time you can take the free sky train to 44th street then a short covered walk to the 44th street/washington ( light rail station) and just across the road is the Pueblo grande museum with an intetesting small museum and outdoor trail ( open til 445pm)
MMB should state when the BA counters open ( PHX generally opened at least 4 hours prior to departure- not sure if it has changed recently but I would aim to get the flights arriving in PHX before the ones mentioned.
Regards
TBS
Last edited by The _Banking_Scot; May 6, 2019 at 3:35 am
May 6, 2019, 8:15 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: UK (NE)
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 223
Hi,
In reality you will only have 1 hour to get to baggage reclaim and get your bags to the BA counter ( up 1 level from bag reclaim) as check in desks close 1 hour prior to departure ( I think AA will not connect bags to BA on separate tickets). Baggage reclaim on AA can take a little while ( 30 mins IME) so it does not leave a lot of room. This feels too tight for me ( esp connecting to the BA loung haul). On one ticket it would have been a piece of cake as you can get from the AA gate to BA gate in less than 15mins even at the furthest away point
Whilst LAS and PHX are generally pretty good airports weather wise in Jul 2017 I had 2 grouns stops for around 40mins at each airport due to weather enoroute leading to a diverted route and flow control being used for our flights.
PHX airport is nice especially the landside area prior to security with a small art gallery and if you have time you can take the free sky train to 44th street then a short covered walk to the 44th street/washington ( light rail station) and just across the road is the Pueblo grande museum with an intetesting small museum and outdoor trail ( open til 445pm)
MMB should state when the BA counters open ( PHX generally opened at least 4 hours prior to departure- not sure if it has changed recently but I would aim to get the flights arriving in PHX before the ones mentioned.
Regards
TBS
In reality you will only have 1 hour to get to baggage reclaim and get your bags to the BA counter ( up 1 level from bag reclaim) as check in desks close 1 hour prior to departure ( I think AA will not connect bags to BA on separate tickets). Baggage reclaim on AA can take a little while ( 30 mins IME) so it does not leave a lot of room. This feels too tight for me ( esp connecting to the BA loung haul). On one ticket it would have been a piece of cake as you can get from the AA gate to BA gate in less than 15mins even at the furthest away point
Whilst LAS and PHX are generally pretty good airports weather wise in Jul 2017 I had 2 grouns stops for around 40mins at each airport due to weather enoroute leading to a diverted route and flow control being used for our flights.
PHX airport is nice especially the landside area prior to security with a small art gallery and if you have time you can take the free sky train to 44th street then a short covered walk to the 44th street/washington ( light rail station) and just across the road is the Pueblo grande museum with an intetesting small museum and outdoor trail ( open til 445pm)
MMB should state when the BA counters open ( PHX generally opened at least 4 hours prior to departure- not sure if it has changed recently but I would aim to get the flights arriving in PHX before the ones mentioned.
Regards
TBS
Cheers.
May 6, 2019, 10:09 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,227
I would agree that the schedule is rather too tight and would definitely add some extra padding to be on the safe side. The other benefit to booking AA over another carrier is that even on separate tickets they will protect against a misconnect, and passengers connecting OW - OW on separate tickets will be treated as being through-ticketed. Now while that's fine in theory at somewhere like PHX with only one BA and one AA long-haul flight a day it does mean options are rather limited.
PHX is generally a very good airport to fly into / out of but as @The_Banking_Scot says weather tends to be the biggest miscreant with delays owing to storms (both thunder and dust) and, in some cases, extreme temperatures affecting the types of aircraft that can operate to / from PHX. I have had some ground delays too, plus some convoluted routing into PHX to avoid bad weather.
PHX is generally a very good airport to fly into / out of but as @The_Banking_Scot says weather tends to be the biggest miscreant with delays owing to storms (both thunder and dust) and, in some cases, extreme temperatures affecting the types of aircraft that can operate to / from PHX. I have had some ground delays too, plus some convoluted routing into PHX to avoid bad weather.
May 6, 2019, 12:59 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The flight has a block time of just about an hour. But, the flight time itself can be as little as 25-30 minutes. Thus, don't worry about hard or soft product and go for convenience.
As you are on separate tickets, your bags will be checked to PHX, where you will claim them and drag them off to check-in. Note that if your WN flight is delayed and you no show for BA, your BA ticket will be cancelled and you may wind up having to buy a new ticket back to NCL. However, AA protects across separate tickets on AA-AA and AA-OW. Thus, if you are late, AA will rebook you onto the next available service (which might be AA via DFW). Thus, while AA is typically more expensive than WN, it gives you close to the protections of a connection when you are not connecting.
As you are on separate tickets, your bags will be checked to PHX, where you will claim them and drag them off to check-in. Note that if your WN flight is delayed and you no show for BA, your BA ticket will be cancelled and you may wind up having to buy a new ticket back to NCL. However, AA protects across separate tickets on AA-AA and AA-OW. Thus, if you are late, AA will rebook you onto the next available service (which might be AA via DFW). Thus, while AA is typically more expensive than WN, it gives you close to the protections of a connection when you are not connecting.