JS

Well, the bags don't have to wait for the bus, so that shouldn't be a problem. If you look out the bus windows, you will see that it's actually a pretty short distance between C and A!

As far as whether 37 or 46 minutes will work, it all depends on your risk tolerance. The probability that will make your connection is still fairly high. If you wish to improve your chances further, take the previous inbound flight.

I must say, I have never missed a CVG connection. This is probably because I frequently have ridiculously long layovers there.

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"It's as easy as 1, 2, C" -- Kelly, Married With Children

[This message has been edited by JS (edited Nov 12, 2003).]

gmttr1

Delta is suggesting this itinerary for my travel to Paris (CDG) and onwards to India (DEL). I wonder if some of you Delta/CVG veterans would care to comment on the practicality of making that 35-minute connection at CVG. And specifically, does someone have a feel for this airport in terms of the proximity (or lack thereof) between where that Comair feeder will get me in and where the CVG-Paris flight is likely to take off.

My onward travel from Paris is to Delhi, India which is served by only by a single daily flight on DL/AF metal. If my itinerary is jeaopardized either at the origin itself (very likely considering how operationally disfunctional PIT is) or at CVG due to the tight connection, am I entitled to interlining (Rule 240?) on another carrier all the way to India? There are a couple of UA/LH reroute options through PHL/FRA or a alternate CDG-DEL leg on non-DL metal that will still get me to India on the same day if the DL itinerary is screwed up. I am just not sure if I am entitled to the rather extensive (and presumably expensive) interline arrangement or must I wait for the next day. Do the regular interline rules etc apply?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Pittsburgh, PA to Paris-De Gaulle, France on Friday, 07 Jan 2005
Delta 5304 *
Departs PIT 4:55pm (This is a COMAIR FLIGHT)
Arrives CVG 6:15pm

Delta 44 Coach
Departs CVG 6:50pm
Arrives CDG (Paris) 9:00am 08 Jan 2005

Delta 8650 (This is on AF metal)
Departs CDG 08 Jan 2005 10:25AM

Finally, will I have any issues with the 2pcs/70Lbs international baggage allowance on the domestic COMAir legs (Domestic allowance 50lbsx2)?

Thank a lot for your feedback.

mhbaker

Your Comair flight arrives at terminal C which is connected by shuttle bus to terminal B where your CDG flight will depart. The connection seems a bit tight. While the buses do run continuously, there is sometimes a delay as the buses must yield to aircraft operations. If you arrive late in CVG and get caught on a bus waiting for an aircraft to push back, you could be cutting it pretty close. I've also had a couple of recent experiences where my Comair flight was on time and held on the tarmac for 15+ minutes because the arrival gate was not yet available. Assuming none of these problems, it shouldn't take you more than 15-20 minutes to go gate-to-gate.

NOLA Flyer

I've made connections with a 35 minute layover (in particular, DL4514 MSY-DFW, DL1090 DFW-LGA). As long as your flight isn't delayed at takeoff/landing, then you should be OK.

It's cutting it close. though. I don't know if I would risk it with an international flight.

aceflyer2

If everything works perfectly, you're ok. Personally, I wouldn't risk it.

RDU-DL&SPG

I'll join the chorus here...it's a close cut given all the possibilities of things to get in your way and no oppty (there's the answer on the interline question...unless there's mech delay, i haven't had any good experience with DL, even for a PM, going out of their way to re-route someone on other carriers, esp when they could point to your planning as a reason) to get out later...I wouldn't do it....esp if the tradeoff is that you have to only spend ~90 extra mins in CVG. On the question of baggage, I haven't personally experienced this situation, but I suggest calling SMS/DCC and asking in advance..might avoid having people watch you stuff your skivvies in a cardbox box at the check-in desk.

NHFL9

What about this option? If you mis-connect in JFK there is another flight you could take and still make the connection in CDG. You leave PIT two hours earlier, but have peace of mind, worth it in my opinion.

DL5241
PIT 1500
JFK 1634
CRJ (COMAIR)

Connect at JFK

DL16
JFK 1805
CDG 0735 +1 Day
763

OR

DL118
JFK 1910
CDG 0840 +1 Day
763

OR

DL8581
JFK 1950
CDG 0850
777 (AIR FRANCE)

Connect at CDG

DL8650
CDG 1025
DEL 2300
747 (AIR FRANCE)

This to me would make more sense, since there are three options on the JFK-CDG sector, all leaving ample connecting time on both ends.

rebadc

Am I missing something?

"Delta is suggesting this itinerary for my travel to Paris "

Call SMS / Delta and have them book you on an earlier flight From PIT to CVG, Sit in CVG for a few hours and enjoy your flight to CDG.

35 Minutes to conect in CVG from Comair to a Intl Flight is insane.

RobertS975

I completely agree that 35 minutes is not a comfortable connection even if it is legal, especially if it involves the bus from the Comair terminal to terminal B. I wouldn't be happy with this connection even if it were mainline to mainline.

Take the earlier flight to CVG... I'd bet dollars to dimes that you will not have as much time on your hands as you think. Take the 35 minute connection and you'll have a night and a day to kill in CVG! Because of the high chance of a missed connection and very little that anyone can do about it if you do indeed miss the connection!

peteropny

Agreed!!

indufan

Interline? This is all SkyTeam.

Normally, I definitely say that 35 minutes is more than enough time at CVG and IT IS. But the risk of being late and the misconnections that would result are difficult to recover from in this case. A reminder that Comair is early more often than they are late.

RobertS975

I do not even feel that 35 minutes is necessarily adequate even if everything is on time. First, they hold you on the RJ until all the gateside luggage is unloaded... that can eat away 5 minutes. Then it is entirely possible that one will not get on the first bus and have to wait a couple of minutes for the next one. The point is that even a so-called ontime Comair arrival could lead to a harried and rushed connection.

But we belabor this point... there are many legal connections that are foolish, to say the least. Always either leave yourself extra time or a relatively foolproof Plan B if there is a missed connection.

gmttr1

Folks:
Thanks for all your insights. My sane-impulse is pushing me towards possible change in itinerary because of the overly tight routing, but I am also tempted to chance it since it will be overly difficult for me to take off much earlier from PIT that day. So the realistic choice is between taking the chance on Friday and taking a more relaxed, comfortable connection on Saturday.

And to clarify a couple of issues raised in your comments. This is the "published" itinerary determined by Delta for a routine PIT-DEL flight on that day; I do not have role in concocting this itinerary. Of course, I could ask for earlier connections and they should happily oblige.

As for the interline question, was my question not correctly phrased. For e.g, within the US if your original airline can't get you to your original destination within a certain window of time, they are obligated to try to route you on another carrier that can. Is there a similar rule or framework for international itineraries.

RobertS975

If your flight into CVG is delayed by either weather or air traffic reasons, they are not obligated to do anything other than try to get you to your destination on their next available flight. That would result in a minimum of a 24 delay in arriving at your destination.

Furthermore, by the time you arrive late and get things sorted out by somebody in CVG, most likely any other opportunity to cross the ocean that night will have lapsed, and you will be stuck in CVG for the night. Perhaps they could get you JFK later that night, but too late to get any further than that.

We realize that you are not "concocting" this itinerary out of thin air, but more experienced travellers will often shun a published connection due to logistical factors that make the connection a risky one, even if "legal".

In a nutshell, that's the gist... the connection is risky even though it is a published connection.

indufan

Comair does not do this. It is the ever awesome ASA that does.