jeffreyt

Is that even an legal connection?

DLNYC

Don't see why not (on the outbound, at least). I had a 35 minute connection a few months ago (granted, domestically).

battensea

I know flights can always be directed to alternative gates at the last minute, especially if they arrive late (or if the departing flight at the gate is delayed and blocking the gate).

However, looking at Flightstats.com (wish I wish I'd known about that site before), it seems that at least this week DL17 and DL1641 park next to each other in terminal 5 (gates 51 and 53). If that's their usual gate situation, it could explain how the 37-minute connection might make sense - but again that highly depends on the frequency of delays of the incoming and the outgoing flights

Nugget_Oz

DL17 to SYD usually leaves from 58, make sure you check the outbound to SYD and not the inbound from ATL which from others on the board here have experienced as being a different plane.

battensea

Thanks for making that correction. I was looking at the info on a tiny cellphone screen.


I've just looked back at the past two weeks of flights for DL1641 arriving from RDU scheduled at 9:58pm and DL17 departing for SYD scheduled at 10:35pm. There were 9 days during this period on which both flights were scheduled and a passenger presumably could have booked a connection.

On 33% of days DL17 would have departed before DL1641 arrived (missing the connection by 4, 19, and 26 minutes, respectively).

On another 33%, the connection would have been very tight, possibly too close for transfer of checked bags (26, 28, and 38 minutes).

On the remaining 33%, there should have been plenty of time to make the transfer (1hr 24 min, 1:51, and 2:14).

DL17 always left from terminal 5 gate 58.
DL1641 varied in its arrival gate: term 5 gate 51 44% of the time, another gate at term 5 in the 50s 22%, and 11% at gate 63 in term 6.

battensea

Yesterday, I decided to take the plunge. I was scheduled for RDU-LAX-SYD on the flights discussed above.

The plane was about an hour late arriving into RDU, so I knew I was going to have trouble making the connection at LAX. There was no mention of the cause of the delay.

DL1641 landed at LAX at approx 10:34, and it took maybe 10 minutes to taxi over to the terminals area, but there were no free gates. I could see DL17 sitting at gate 58 while I was still stuck on DL1641 out on the tarmac.

We finally pulled in at approx 11:07, missing DL17 by about 10 minutes.
BUT, we arrived in terminal 6, which was a VERY long walk from term 5, and which involved going down into the basement and through a long tunnel, with few signs.

There were no agents waiting to greet the arriving flight (although there were crew waiting to get on the plane and GAs handling a large crowd at the desk waiting for the next flight).

I was very happy with Delta's response: they gave me a voucher for an overnight stay at a nice hotel (Holiday Inn near the airport), plus vouchers for 3 meals, and they booked me the next night's LAX-SYD flight.
(The booking took a bit of doing, however. The first agent I called on the helpline wasn't able to get me a booking for a flight until 2 days after the originally scheduled flight. But the RDU GA was able to get me a different flight that was only one day later than the original.)

I wasn't the only person who had missed the LAX-SYD flight. There was a crowd of maybe a dozen other people at the courtesy desk trying to make arrangements.

battensea

I'd usually never attempt such a tight connection, but I was tempted by DL's current double miles promotion out of RDU. And I didn't check any bags, so I thought it might be worth a try.

If I had known about the data at FlightStats.com, I would have been in a better position to judge the chances of a successful connection, so I'd suggest anybody else considering a close connection like this should look there or a similar site before committing.

(One of the catches in my case is that the RDU-LAX route is new, just re-introduced during the past month I believe, so there aren't a lot of on-time data available to review.)

Nugget_Oz

I presume that you will be heading back to RDU via LAX from SYD. If that is the case be sure to have a contingency if you miss your RDU connection. It can be messy if DL16 is late.

battensea

As long as there's no cancellation or something extreme (earthquakes, volcanoes, etc), I should be ok. The layover at LAX is over 12 hours.

traveller99

Hi everyone. Have followed this thread with interest. Will be returning SYD - LAX (BE) on Oct 8 this year, with an connecting domestic flight. I am interested in finding out the process and time required to clear immigration and customs in LAX. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Nugget_Oz

Other than getting off the plane first there is no special BE line at US CBP. You basically head off the plane at Gate 58 and traverse the outside corridors of T-5 to the CBP area, go through to luggage claim, pick up any checked luggage and then head through Agriculture. As you head out the door there is a luggage transfer desk where you can put your checked luggage and off it goes. Head outside turn left and head to escalator which takes you upstairs to departures (don't wait for the elevator). If you are SP head down the elite line for security, if not wait in the queue.

Menzies runs the DL desk in SYD and they will give you your connecting boarding pass and tag your checked luggage to the final destination.

The only wrinkle will be if DL 17 is delayed and you miss your connection. If you have missed your connection you can't use the luggage transfer desk but need to head back upstairs to ticketing. This is where it will be a bit of a task. For some reason they tell everyone to head over to special services even though they have essentially rebooked everyone already. So if you are happy with your rebooked flight you can either go to the kiosk and bag drop or straight to the ticket desk. If not speak to the medallion line to get it changed and then head over to the kiosk or ticket desk.

traveller99

Thanks very much for the info. At least now I have a feel for the process. Again, thanks!

battensea

I made it on the DL17 LAX-SYD last night, after having missed my previously scheduled flight on DL17 the night before due to a missed connection.

This time, DL17 was delayed I think over an hour, waiting for an incoming connecting flight that I think I heard was coming from DTW. (I wish they'd been able to wait for my flight from RDU the night before!)

Every seat was filled. I think I also heard that last night's flight had been overbooked and some passengers had been asked to give up their seats. If that was the case, I truly appreciate DL having made it possible for me to get on the flight.

battensea

I never buy travel insurance because the restrictions to be able to collect are so strict that it never seems to be a reasonable value. But if contemplating another tight connection like this, I might make a different decision, depending on the terms of the insurance.

curl

after reading this, I have concern about 1 hr. 11 minutes connection in LAX on a MSP-LAX-SYD booking. traveling on a Friday night in August and flight stats says the average delay is 34 minutes. yikes. we are not in not in F, but second row of Y for MSP-LAX leg.

also short connection on return (Saturday morning) with 1 hour 15 minute connection to MSP. not as worried as we will just be on our way home.

should I change ... or?