Offline I-D connection in FLL.

Old Sep 26, 2018, 4:05 pm
  #16  
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Originally Posted by Gig103
I don't know FLL airport in particular but when I do separate tickets (Intl)-LAX-PHX I try to plan at least 3 hours for baggage reclaim, recheck, and potential inbound delays. That's with Global Entry & TSAPre, also.
FLL is relatively small in the scheme of airports, but I'd probably be okay at 3 hours as well to save $250 but I wouldn't really do anything tighter. Mostly that's for risk tolerance, but if everything goes swimmingly, take those savings and pay for entry to the SkyClub!

While it's a fairly short walk from the B6 terminal (T3) to the DL terminal (T2), I think an inbound international will come into T4, which is probably a 10 minute walk (or 5-7 minute shuttle bus plus waiting time). I've never done an international arrival at FLL so I don't know how the lines can be. There aren't tons of flights, but if they only have 3 agents on duty (like at the cruise terminal often ) it could still take a while. I'd definitely try to sit toward the front of the B6 flight.
Then, TSA lines can be bad on Saturday/Sunday mornings when the bulk of the cruise traffic is departing, though PreCheck would definitely help. Weekdays should be much lighter.

I'd also want to get a sense of what alternatives there are if you do misconnect -- are there later options on DL? They may put you standby for free. And I'd maybe look at pricing on other same-day routings. If you misconnect and DL isn't helpful, that opens the field and maybe there's a cheap last-minute fare on a connection on another airline. You may not need to break the bank.
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Old Sep 27, 2018, 12:07 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
While it's a fairly short walk from the B6 terminal (T3) to the DL terminal (T2), I think an inbound international will come into T4, which is probably a 10 minute walk (or 5-7 minute shuttle bus plus waiting time). I've never done an international arrival at FLL so I don't know how the lines can be. There aren't tons of flights, but if they only have 3 agents on duty (like at the cruise terminal often ) it could still take a while. I'd definitely try to sit toward the front of the B6 flight.
Then, TSA lines can be bad on Saturday/Sunday mornings when the bulk of the cruise traffic is departing, though PreCheck would definitely help. Weekdays should be much lighter.
FLL now has 2 International Arrival Custom areas, Concourse A in terminal 1 and Concourse G in Terminal 4. B6 normally uses terminal 4, however they have had to use Terminal 1 when they arrive late or there are many flights at the same time. International arrivals are heavy in the AM as B6, NK, EK, AD, AA, and Caribbean Airlines all have Int'l arrivals in the morning between 6 and 10 am. Good news is that after exiting customs you can take the behind security bridge between terminals 4 and 3, then exit out of terminal 3 and take the short 1000 ft. walk to terminal 2
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Old Sep 27, 2018, 7:15 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by Often1
You cannot connect between DL and either B6 or WN as DL does not have an interline ticketing agreement with either.
Can you point to any source that suggests that the OP's use of terminology is incorrect? S/he is making an offline connection on two separate tickets, which seems extraordinarily clear to me.

If not, maybe don't smarm at OPs just for the sake of it. It makes flyertalk a much less welcoming place.
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Old Sep 27, 2018, 7:44 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by kop84
Just a thought, have you considered a quick island flight to SXM or another Caribbean destination that would allow for perhaps a cheaper ticket on one airline be it DL, AA, B6, or WN?
Doesn't that run into basically the same problem, except if I miss it, I am stuck at SXM instead of FLL.
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Old Sep 27, 2018, 7:57 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by Cledaybuck
Doesn't that run into basically the same problem, except if I miss it, I am stuck at SXM instead of FLL.
Yes, but on the plus side...you're not in Florida.
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 7:28 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by Cledaybuck
I am thinking of doing a connection in FLL from B6 to DL (or possibly WN). I would be flying B6 BGI-FLL and then connecting to FLL-Home (CVG, DAY, or CMH). My question is how much money would you have to save to do this, and if you did it, how much time would you allow for the connection? The only realistic one ticket option in on AA through MIA.
I'm FLL based (and actually flew FLL-CVG earlier today). I don't think I would risk this unless there was at least a 3 hour cushion, ideally more, which would completely rule out B6 to FLL as that B6 flight arrives about 10am and the DL flight to CVG is an 11:20 or so departure. Southwest might offer more options. Your FLL-CVG/DAY/CMH options would be very slim if you missed that flight, not to mention the cost of a walk-up fare.

Originally Posted by kop84
Just a thought, have you considered a quick island flight to SXM or another Caribbean destination that would allow for perhaps a cheaper ticket on one airline be it DL, AA, B6, or WN?
Originally Posted by Cledaybuck
Doesn't that run into basically the same problem, except if I miss it, I am stuck at SXM instead of FLL.
I almost always suggest the SXM+island hopper option for people flying deeper into the Caribbean, but not in this situation. The OP would end up with an overnight/two connection flight from SXM to any of those airports, except for on Delta, which would have one same day connection through ATL. I also can't imagine it would save much money. Having flown DL SXM-ATL-Lots of different airports one way many, many times, it can get pretty expensive at times. If anything, the price would be the same as B6 to DL via FLL plus the added inter-island stop.

OP, the bottom line here is how much risk you're willing to assume and, more importantly, how important saving a few hundred is to you. I personally wouldn't risk it on two different reservations without at least a 3 hour cushion, and an established backup plan just in case. Maybe if the savings was in the thousands, but that's not for me to decide.
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