May 24, 2013, 3:38 am
Last edit by: LoganFlyer
According to EF, these are the MCTs for MSP:
For DL-DL connections:
D-D: 30 minutes
D-I: 35 minutes
I-D: 1 hour 15 minutes (30 minutes if coming from a Canadian airport with preclearance, 1 hour if coming from a Canadian airport without preclearance)
I-I: 1 hour 15 minutes (35 minutes if coming from a Canadian airport with preclearance, 1 hour if coming from a Canadian airport without preclearance)
Generic online and offline connection times:
D-D: 40 minutes
D-I: 40 minutes
I-D: 1 hour
I-I: 1 hour
Between DL and another carrier: 3 hours 30 minutes
For DL-DL connections:
D-D: 30 minutes
D-I: 35 minutes
I-D: 1 hour 15 minutes (30 minutes if coming from a Canadian airport with preclearance, 1 hour if coming from a Canadian airport without preclearance)
I-I: 1 hour 15 minutes (35 minutes if coming from a Canadian airport with preclearance, 1 hour if coming from a Canadian airport without preclearance)
Generic online and offline connection times:
D-D: 40 minutes
D-I: 40 minutes
I-D: 1 hour
I-I: 1 hour
Between DL and another carrier: 3 hours 30 minutes
Minimum Connection Transfer Time at Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP): The Definitive Thread
Nov 7, 2018, 7:33 pm
#842
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 26
Minimum connection time at MSP
I am looking at booking a trip from YXE to MYR and have to clear customs in Minneapolis St. Paul. I am looking at 1:01 would that be sufficient time to clear customs and make my connection to Atlanta? Any help and feedback is welcome.
Nov 7, 2018, 7:37 pm
#843
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
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Is this a transborder flight with immigration and customs preclearance? If not, MCT should be about 1:15-1:30, but there's a big MSP MCT thread here with a wiki giving this information.
Nov 7, 2018, 8:42 pm
#844
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MSY
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Plat, VS Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,531
YXE (Saskatoon - had to look that one up, and would have been helpful if you had spelled it out) is not a preclearance airport. You will have to clear US customs and immigration in Minneapolis. An hour is going to be extremely tight.
Nov 7, 2018, 10:08 pm
#845
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,066
MCT looks to be 60 minutes. Tight, but I'm guessing there are a number of later flights to ATL. What date is your flight? Unless you have to be in ATL at the scheduled arrival time, I would say it's worth the risk as there will likely be numerous ways to get to ATL from MSP (both non-stop and connecting) if you miss your flight. Important variables would include are you traveling with checked luggage and do you have Global Entry? Those can make a considerable difference.
Last edited by xliioper; Nov 7, 2018 at 10:15 pm
Nov 8, 2018, 6:32 am
#846
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Formerly at PIT, now planted near MSP.
Programs: No flights since April 2019 (Medical Issues). Lost all my status.
Posts: 1,483
Nov 8, 2018, 7:26 am
#847
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
Really? I would describe the situation as that DL is willing to take responsibility for rebooking the customer is the connection is missed, not that MCT necessarily means that you have enough time, which of course can depend not only on delays but also how quickly the person is able to walk, if a big international flight arrives just before the plane, whether CBP agents are in a bad mood that day, etc.
Nov 8, 2018, 7:30 am
#848
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Now in SLC
Programs: DL GM 1MM, MR LT Titanium
Posts: 4,119
Nov 8, 2018, 7:47 am
#849
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Formerly at PIT, now planted near MSP.
Programs: No flights since April 2019 (Medical Issues). Lost all my status.
Posts: 1,483
Really? I would describe the situation as that DL is willing to take responsibility for rebooking the customer is the connection is missed, not that MCT necessarily means that you have enough time, which of course can depend not only on delays but also how quickly the person is able to walk, if a big international flight arrives just before the plane, whether CBP agents are in a bad mood that day, etc.
“margin of error - an amount (usually small) that is allowed for in case of miscalculation or change of circumstances.”
Last edited by RRDD; Nov 8, 2018 at 7:54 am
Nov 8, 2018, 8:56 pm
#850
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 26
MCT looks to be 60 minutes. Tight, but I'm guessing there are a number of later flights to ATL. What date is your flight? Unless you have to be in ATL at the scheduled arrival time, I would say it's worth the risk as there will likely be numerous ways to get to ATL from MSP (both non-stop and connecting) if you miss your flight. Important variables would include are you traveling with checked luggage and do you have Global Entry? Those can make a considerable difference.
Nov 8, 2018, 9:36 pm
#851
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,784
That isn’t a busy time for international arrivals. The peak numbers are between noon and 2pm, when there are arrivals from HND, CDG, and AMS, often within a one hour period.
Dec 4, 2018, 8:22 pm
#852
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 9
I see that I-D is 1 hour 15 minutes from the Wiki. We're going to be flying Zihuatanenjo (ZIH) -> MSP -> MSN on DL and our original MSP connection time was going to be 1:20, but now after a recent DL flight change (that they didn't bother to email us about), it stands at 58 minutes. The MSP -> MSN flight is the last flight of the day, so there isn't another option to rebook to. Is there a fair chance we might wind up having to stay overnight in MSP?
Dec 4, 2018, 10:20 pm
#853
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, Hyatt Discoverist, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,303
I see that I-D is 1 hour 15 minutes from the Wiki. We're going to be flying Zihuatanenjo (ZIH) -> MSP -> MSN on DL and our original MSP connection time was going to be 1:20, but now after a recent DL flight change (that they didn't bother to email us about), it stands at 58 minutes. The MSP -> MSN flight is the last flight of the day, so there isn't another option to rebook to. Is there a fair chance we might wind up having to stay overnight in MSP?
Dec 5, 2018, 7:53 am
#854
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Now in SLC
Programs: DL GM 1MM, MR LT Titanium
Posts: 4,119
You may run into problems if you don't change your ticket. You may not be able to check in at all because the computer sees you have a ticket that violates MCT, or if you try to check a bag, they might not let you do that. So I would you say you really need to change your ticket. I can think of three options, none of which is great for you:
1. Get a refund for the ticket entirely and book on another carrier.
2. Can you fly into MKE instead? If there's an MSP-MKE flight that meets MCT, you may be able to convince a phone agent to book you on that instead.
3. Cross your fingers and hope for a another schedule change that makes your itinerary meet MCT again. Just don't wait too long for DL to have another schedule change or you may be forced to buy an expensive flight on another carrier.
1. Get a refund for the ticket entirely and book on another carrier.
2. Can you fly into MKE instead? If there's an MSP-MKE flight that meets MCT, you may be able to convince a phone agent to book you on that instead.
3. Cross your fingers and hope for a another schedule change that makes your itinerary meet MCT again. Just don't wait too long for DL to have another schedule change or you may be forced to buy an expensive flight on another carrier.
Dec 5, 2018, 8:19 am
#855
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
I see that I-D is 1 hour 15 minutes from the Wiki. We're going to be flying Zihuatanenjo (ZIH) -> MSP -> MSN on DL and our original MSP connection time was going to be 1:20, but now after a recent DL flight change (that they didn't bother to email us about), it stands at 58 minutes. The MSP -> MSN flight is the last flight of the day, so there isn't another option to rebook to. Is there a fair chance we might wind up having to stay overnight in MSP?
I don't know ZIH, but could it be a preclearance airport?