JTbeatsNYC

We live in NY and are booking a trip to Hawaii. We would land into LAX on DL at 1030am, and then the flight from LAX - OGG (Maui) leaves at 1115am on Alaskan. I know this is a tight connection, but is it crazy? Can we bank on getting into LAX slightly early? We aren't checking bags. We really want to make that 1115am, as it's the only nonstop to Maui, and we would get most of the day there. Unfortunately, an earlier flight from JFK-LAX does not exist.

MSPeconomist

Is there a redeye in that direction?

IMO it's tight since you'll probably have to navigate the tunnel from T5 to T6, but of course the odds are better if you'll arrive into LAX in the front of the aircraft.

3Cforme

Assuming you're talking about a single ticket, if DL delivers you late to LAX then DL is responsible for getting you onward to OGG if you miss the Alaska Airlines flight. (Today, anyway) there are flights well after 11:15AM on carriers with which DL has an interline agreement flying non-stop LAX-OGG.

Doc Savage

You are right to be nervous with a 45 min connection, as any delay in your incoming flight could foul things up.

Later connecting flights from LAX-OGG mean it wouldn't be a disaster to miss the original, so you might chance it. Could you fly to LAX the night before?

AS also flies nonstop to OGG from OAK and SJC.

Try the California forum for a long thread on LAX connections.

JTbeatsNYC

It's actually not on the same ticket, as we have enough miles through our SkyBonus account for a round-trip continental US ticket. So we are doing JFK-LAX-JFK (paying for one flight and using SkyBonus for one flight) and then doing a separate ticket LAX-OGG one-way (paying for both).

If the flights were in the same terminal, I wouldn't think twice. But with the terminal change, I just wanted to get folks' opinions. It's the difference between getting to OGG at 2pm or 9pm basically..

I also just thought - why not take the shot? If we miss it, wouldn't Alaska put us on the next flight out?

MEMLawGuy

Are you checking bags? If you're on 2 separate carriers, you'd have to reclaim your bags in LAX. No way you could do all that in 45 mins.

mfFrom35K

There is an underground walkway airside from Terminal 5 (Delta) to Terminal 6 (Alaska) and it takes less than 10 minutes. So it is less risk than you think with no need to pass thru security. Your bigger risk is a short delay could change your 45 minutes to 25 and that would be very tight. Sometimes the JFK-LAX flight actually uses Terminal 6 which would reduce your risk but I am not sure how consistent the various flights are to rely on which terminal you will arrive at.

Per post above: I am assuming no checked bags.

JTbeatsNYC

Thanks everyone. YES - not checking bags thankfully.

I think we may take a shot!

wrp96

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on Alaska's policy - and if there are seats available on their next flights. You need to go to the Alaska board and ask.

spamkiller

It should not be much of a problem. Delta has been padding their schedules. You probably would be arriving in Terminal 5, but there is a chance they will drop in you terminal 6. It may be a 10 minute walk in the airside tunnel, but they also have a cart there too, so you might be lucky and grab that.

Doc Savage

If it's not on the same ticket, AS might well NOT put you on the next flight, and might cancel your tickets. They are not obligated to put you on the next flight, and the usual procedure is to cancel your tickets if you miss a flight. No way would I risk this. Definitely think about flying out to LA the night before, stay in a hotel close to the airport, and take your flight to OGG in the morning. Really, really, I would NOT do this on separate tickets.

JTbeatsNYC

Thanks Doc. You've made me re-think this. I'm on the fence...

Bowgie

I agree with Doc Savage on this. I go thru LAX a lot, and personally, I would not do it because it is impossible to predict what Alaska will do (or not do) if you miss your connection.

I would chance it if the connection were Delta-to-Delta if only because Delta is likely to ignore the separate ticketing issue even if they *could* insist on you rebooking the missed flight.

bennos

The good news is the 7am departures out of JFK tends to be less susceptible to congestion and incoming aircraft delays (the aircraft arrives the night before). Of course, that just leaves mechanicals and weather delays to stress out over.

And even if your flight lands at LAX early, you might find yourself doing tours of the airport or parked in a remote corner waiting for your gate to open up, and then you wind up arriving late even though you landed 45 minutes ago.

The only way I would ever book this itinerary myself (especially given the separate tickets) is with travel insurance that I knew would cover me in the specific circumstances of a misconnect, and if I were ok with having to spend an extra day (or two) in LA until I could get on the next flight out.

PABE

OP: Are you sure that you are not on American? Alaska does not have any LAX-OGG flights. They do have a codeshare (AS1266 at 11:15 operated by AA271). If this is the case, you will be leaving from T4.

Also, AA only covers misconnects on separate tickets if the first carrier was OneWorld.