flyingpug

Hi all,

I preface my first thread by saying that I am completely green at traveling with BA, so if I've done something silly, or made naďve mistakes, please be gentle!

So I've booked a holiday (package - flights plus hotel) via BA to Orlando for myself and wife/son. It's not until August, but since booking, I've become a little nervous about our trip back.

The problem is that flight back stops at Philadelphia, with just 50 minutes for the onward connection to Heathrow. The booking doesn't say which terminal it arrives at, but then again, is it ever guaranteed?

In your collective experience, is this enough time, or have I done something exceedingly silly? The return leg is book for club world (our first time) so I certainly don't want to miss the flight.

If it's potentially risky, what options to I have for changing the first leg to an earlier flight? And if I miss the connection, what would my liability be for finding another flight?

Thanks

cjb666

I am a regular flyer out of PHL. Assuming your flight is on time you should make it. There are no security checks to navigate or bags to retrieve. Assuming you are flying American you should have a max 15 minute walk to A15 (for BA fight) or a little further if you are headed to AA (A23/24). If you are really lucky it can be much shorter.

flyingpug

Hey, thanks for the reply.

Yes, it's AA on the first leg, BA on the second. So would the first leg arrive on at the same terminal? Or is that not guaranteed?

If there was a delay, or we somehow didn't manage to the second leg on time, would we be liable for rebooking? Or since it's part of a package, does that change anything?

aztimm

Your MCO-PHL leg could arrive at concourses A, B, or C, and the flight to LHR will leave from A (I believe BA has a gate that they mostly use from PHL). 50 minutes should be sufficient, so long as the incoming flight is on-time. All of the gates at PHL are connected after security. So long as no one in your party has problems walking, it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to walk between the furthest gates, between A and C.

There's a thread on PHL over in the AA forum, with terminal maps, and other helpful information in the Wikipost at the top. Please take a look and feel free to post there if you have further questions:
AA Guide: PHL / Philadelphia International Airport - MCT, Connection, MCT, etc.

wrp96

All of PHL is connected airside, no need to clear security. Your flight from MCO will most likely arrive at concourse B or C and then you'll just walk to concourse A. It's not like LHR where terminals aren't connected. As said above, no reclearing security, no collecting bags or anything.

If you miss your connection at PHL, then you would go to AA for help rebooking. It would be on them (as the reason for missing the connection) to help you. One caution, however, in the US, there is nothing like EC261/UK261 protecting you when flying a US airline to the EU (UK261 would cover you if flying a US airline from the UK/EU), so if for some reason you are delayed over night, unless it was for something like a mechanical delay, then AA will not provide a hotel. You would be responsible for that.

Joeykins

You say that, but last summer I got stranded in NYC when an AA domestic last flight of the day went tech and was eventually cancelled: admittedly I asked at the Flagship Lounge desk but I was furnished with vouchers for a hotel, food/drink, and a (shared) car to & from the hotel. I wasn't the only one either as the taxi was most definitely shared with other passengers from the same flight.
They may well refuse to reimburse you if you act off your own volition, but a smiling face and a polite "my flight's been cancelled and rescheduled for the morning, what do I do" enquiry should get something close to 261 levels of assistance if not compensation.

757FO

A 50 minute connection at PHL, in the summer is in my opinion risky. It may be fine, but a pop-up storm in Orlando or Philly, and all bets are off. My advice as an airline pilot, would be to find an earlier flight to PHL

corporate-wage-slave

And in case it's not clear from the above, that for your AA to BA purposes PHL is just one airport terminal, various concourses, as we might call them, and there may be a bit of a walk, but it's all one place. It's not like LHR's different terminals.

Confus

On AA the reason for the problem is important. Their policy is to put passengers in hotels if the problem is within their control (e.g. aircraft going tech) but not if it’s out of their control (e.g. weather). As a Brit travelling there at least insurance should cover the latter.

To the OP, don’t be scared. It may seem short if you’re not used to it, but flying in the US is like trains to us, people make connections like this all day long and the hubs are designed to handle them. As long as it’s on one ticket you’ll be protected in the unlikely event of disruption.

chessman

Didn't OP say that the transatlantic flight is on BA? Would that trigger UK261 obligations?

mediamonkey

PHL is an easy airport to connect domestic to international. You never leave the airside and even from the furthest set of gates it shouldn't take more than 20 mins to walk to the A gates were BA fly out of. There's also a good BA lounge right by it if you have status / time. If you use the AA App you'll easily be able to get a map of the terminal and it'll tell you the gate your arriving at so you can see how long the walk will be. Of course if you have a delay you're slightly screwed but as long as it is booked as one booking AA / BA will look after you.

:D!

Only when they've made it to the BA flight

gerilege

It also depends on what time of the day. Morning is fine, but I wouldn't do a 50 minutes connection regardless of the connecting airport in the US if the flight from MCO is scheduled to depart between 2PM - 4PM in August. Especially if seat selection is important for you for the transatlantic leg. A late incoming aircraft and/or the afternoon storm, and the connection may become impossible while still at the gate or on the tarmac.

Truthmonkey

I've connected through PHL before on a LAX-PHL-LHR and the timing seems OK. My luggage, however did not connect and arrived some days later. YMMV.

wrp96

Also, please be aware that there may be schedule changes between now and August, especially related to the MCO-PHL flight. If the schedule changes to below MCT or by a large amount, you'll be able to make changes to the booking to something that may be more comfortable to you. If that happens, I would suggest considering moving to MCO-MIA-LHR for less time on a domestic flight/longer time on the transatlantic flight, plus better lounges at MIA vs. PHL, but that's personal preference.