general connection question- half hour between flights
Dec 28, 2011 | 5:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 80
general connection question- half hour between flights
I am flying from LA to NYC and i'm looking at some flights. on Kayak, there is a cheap flight from LA, stopping in ORD prior LGA. Kayak is showing a warning that there is a 35 minute connection between landing in ORD and taking off on the connection for LGA. I know this is a tight window.
My question is, what happens if i miss the connecting flight. I assume if the first flight is late, aa in this scenario will take care of putting me on the next available flight at no cost since the connection is on aa as well. What happens if the first plane lands in chicago with 15 minutes before take off. Technically i could make the connecting flight. Does the airline care? or do they charge me a rebooking fee or do they just put me on the next flight from Chicago to NYC without issue? i know if the first flight is late, it's on them and they'll take care of me. But i'm just curious on if i really am sprinting to the other plane and can't make it. Will i be screwed?
i've never done this before, but hte price is so good, i just want to see what people's experiences are. Thanks for any help you can give me.
My question is, what happens if i miss the connecting flight. I assume if the first flight is late, aa in this scenario will take care of putting me on the next available flight at no cost since the connection is on aa as well. What happens if the first plane lands in chicago with 15 minutes before take off. Technically i could make the connecting flight. Does the airline care? or do they charge me a rebooking fee or do they just put me on the next flight from Chicago to NYC without issue? i know if the first flight is late, it's on them and they'll take care of me. But i'm just curious on if i really am sprinting to the other plane and can't make it. Will i be screwed?
i've never done this before, but hte price is so good, i just want to see what people's experiences are. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Dec 28, 2011 | 5:52 pm
#3
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
do you see the flights on aa.com as a connection?....if so, then aa should take care of getting you on another flight....the ? is, does it meet the airport/aa min connection times....
Last edited by clacko; Dec 28, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Dec 28, 2011 | 9:47 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA Platinum, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 8,179
What happens if the first plane lands in chicago with 15 minutes before take off. Technically i could make the connecting flight. Does the airline care? or do they charge me a rebooking fee or do they just put me on the next flight from Chicago to NYC without issue?
By "take care of you" I mean that they'll a) confirm you on the next flight with an open seat in your same cabin regardless of fare class, and b) if there are flights before that flight, allow you to stand by for those flights to see if a seat opens up at the last minute. Note that the "next confirmable flight" might not be for awhile, and in some cases not even that day or in the worst case, could be several days later. If that happens, you can stand by for each and every flight in the meantime, and usually you'll be able to get on something. Other alternatives which you may have to suggest is to use alternate routings (that is, take a connecting flight instead of waiting for a non-stop or direct), or in the case of multiple carriers, see if the carrier operating the first leg can help you.
In my experience, when you miss a connection on a single-ticket itinerary, the carriers will go out of their way to accommodate you on their own flights without trying to upsell you or otherwise make life difficult. But they have only a limited number of seats on each flight, and if flights are full, there's nothing you can do but wait.
Also, if you have checked baggage, do not expect to see it until you reach your final destination. There's a chance that it will make your originally-scheduled connection even though you don't, and if not, most likely it will be put on the next flight to your destination, even if you're not on it. It's very unlikely for a domestic flight that it will stay at the connecting airport with you, and it's very unlikely that you'll be able to retrieve it at the connecting airport.
Dec 29, 2011 | 1:07 am
#5
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,708
If you miss your connection, and you are traveling on one ticket, then the carrier is responsible for putting you on their next available flight. Note that this does not mean the very next flight, it means the next flight with an empty seat. Possibly that that will not be until the next day. They will not provide food or accommodation in the mean time, or any other sort of compensation. Also, since you never know whether there will be a seat on a flight or not until it is about to depart, you will have to wait at the airport.
The first thing to find out is how many more ORD-LGA flights there are on this particular airline after yours that day. If there are at least 1-2, then I would say go for it if the fare is good.
The first thing to find out is how many more ORD-LGA flights there are on this particular airline after yours that day. If there are at least 1-2, then I would say go for it if the fare is good.
Dec 29, 2011 | 11:47 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 80
thanks all. it was all on AA. i saw the fare through kayak. perhaps i'll go straight to aa.com and check to make sure. they wouldn't sell the ticket on one itinerary unless it was kosher, right?
also, cbn42, i did check the flights after, and there are 3 after the one i'm supposed to be on including one 30 minutes later. so i think i'll go ahead with that booking.
appreciate everyone's help.
also, cbn42, i did check the flights after, and there are 3 after the one i'm supposed to be on including one 30 minutes later. so i think i'll go ahead with that booking.
appreciate everyone's help.
Dec 30, 2011 | 12:31 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Programs: various
Posts: 4,240
I am flying from LA to NYC and i'm looking at some flights. on Kayak, there is a cheap flight from LA, stopping in ORD prior LGA. Kayak is showing a warning that there is a 35 minute connection between landing in ORD and taking off on the connection for LGA. I know this is a tight window.
My question is, what happens if i miss the connecting flight. I assume if the first flight is late, aa in this scenario will take care of putting me on the next available flight at no cost since the connection is on aa as well.
My question is, what happens if i miss the connecting flight. I assume if the first flight is late, aa in this scenario will take care of putting me on the next available flight at no cost since the connection is on aa as well.
ORD is a high risk airport for connections due to frequent delays due to weather. A 35 minute connection allows no room for error even under good conditions:
Inbound can be 14 minutes late and still be "on time".
It can take 10 minutes to get out of the plane if you are in the back.
It can take 10 minutes to get to the next gate if you don't know where it is and it is far away.
And they probably closed the door or gave away your seat to a standby some time before.
Dec 30, 2011 | 8:28 am
#9
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
What they sell and what they can deliver are two totally different things. Any delay at all on your first flight (and you can spend a half hour just driving around Chicago after you land to get to the gate) and you will miss the connection. It may be a perfectly legal connection in their system, that doesn't mean you will make it.
They will take care of you, but you don't know how long it will be before they have space for you. It could be the next flight out, but if those don't have space it could be the one after that, or the day after that or the next day, etc.
I would not book a connection that tight, I would book something allowing much more room for error so I don't have to worry about missing the connection and which middle seat in the last row seat they will put me in when they have space.
Dec 30, 2011 | 9:49 am
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,253
thanks all. it was all on AA. i saw the fare through kayak. perhaps i'll go straight to aa.com and check to make sure. they wouldn't sell the ticket on one itinerary unless it was kosher, right?
also, cbn42, i did check the flights after, and there are 3 after the one i'm supposed to be on including one 30 minutes later. so i think i'll go ahead with that booking.
appreciate everyone's help.
also, cbn42, i did check the flights after, and there are 3 after the one i'm supposed to be on including one 30 minutes later. so i think i'll go ahead with that booking.
appreciate everyone's help.
2. I would never book on a third-party site unless there are very significant savings and I would definitely not do such a booking where there is a reasonable chance of a misconnect (as in ORD with 30 minutes, even if legal).
3. As others note, AA will take care of you on its next flight to LGA, but that's a popular route and often oversold. You could well be waiting a long time for a connecting flight. And, if you booked through Expedia, depending on the specific ticket you've been sold (Expedia acting as agent for AA or as a bulk purchaser), you could be referred back to Expedia for acommodation.
Unless there is a real urgency, why not give yourself some leeway and book the next ORD-LGA.
Dec 30, 2011 | 12:37 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Diamond, HH Gold, SPG Plat, Avis PP
Posts: 165
Depends on how important it is for you to get to the destination and the size of the airport as well as the terminals for the arriving and the departing flight, the delays during departure and the actual air time of the flight - the ease of getting a gate for the incoming flight - there are a number of variables at play here. I risked this once and ran between the two terminals of MSP on a 30 minute connection - getting from one terminal to the other is a big pain at MSP and there is a lot of walking involved - I barely managed to get to the gate - after this experience, I would not take such a huge risk at a major hub again.
Jan 3, 2012 | 9:57 pm
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
Glad it worked out..^
On 1/2 hour connections, definitely see if the airline can book a more comfortable connection..
On 1/2 hour connections, definitely see if the airline can book a more comfortable connection..
Jan 5, 2012 | 2:00 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, M&M*G, HH Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,919
Here is the Minimum Connection Time for ORD for reference:
[KVS Availability Tool 6.8.1/Diamond - Reference: Minimum Connection Time [MCT]: ORD/AA-AA]
Not quite sure how an arrival from DUB is considered domestic (unless it's because of preclearance).
[KVS Availability Tool 6.8.1/Diamond - Reference: Minimum Connection Time [MCT]: ORD/AA-AA]
Code:
DD DI ID II STANDARD: ORD 050 075 090 090 AA-AA ONLINE ORD 035 035 080 080 EXCEPTIONS: A/L FLT-NBR EQP TR DEPARR AREA AA 0001-5099 --- --- --- 120 AA 7181-7218 AMM AA 0001-8349 CA --- SUP SUP --- AA 0001-8349 CA AA 0001-8399 CA SUP --- --- SUP AA 0001-8399 CA AA 0001-8399 MX --- --- --- SUP AA 0001-8399 MX AA 0001-5099 3 FPO --- 060 --- --- AA 0001-8099 3 AA 0001-5099 3 NAS --- 060 --- --- AA 0001-8099 3 AA 0001-8349 3 --- 090 --- --- AA 5970-6017 5 AA 0001-8349 3 --- 120 --- --- AA 7181-7218 5 AA 3 --- 075 --- -- AA 5100-8399 5 AA 0001-5099 W DUB 055 --- --- --- AA 0001-8399 AA 0001-2699 DEL --- --- 090 090 AA 0001-8399 AA 0001-5099 DUB 050 --- --- --- AA 0001-8399 AA 0001-5099 FPO 060 --- --- --- AA 0001-8399 AA 0001-5099 NAS 060 --- --- --- AA 0001-8399 AA 7181-7218 AMM --- --- --- 120 AA 0001-5099 AA 2700-5099 CA 039 --- --- --- AA 2700-5099 AA 6125-6749 W --- --- 085 --- AA 0001-5099 AA 0001-5099 050 --- 090 090 AA 5100-8399 AA 0001-5099 --- 090 --- -- AA 6071-6124 AA 0001-5099 --- 075 --- --- AA 8140-8399 AA 2700-5099 029 --- --- --- AA 2700-5099 AA 5100-6070 --- --- --- 090 AA 0001-5099 AA 5100-8399 050 075 --- --- AA 0001-5099 AA 5100-8399 SUP SUP SUP SUP AA 5100-8399 AA 5815-5969 --- --- 085 --- AA 0001-5099 AA 5815-5969 --- --- 090 --- AA 5100-8349 AA 5970-6017 --- --- 120 --- AA 0001-8349 AA 6018-6070 --- --- 090 --- AA 0001-8349 AA 6071-6124 --- --- 120 12 AA 0001-5099 AA 6125-6749 --- --- 085 --- AA 0001-5099 AA 6125-8399 --- --- --- 090 AA 0001-5099 AA 6750-8399 --- --- 090 --- AA 0001-8349 AA 7181-7218 --- --- 120 --- AA 0001-5099 AA 8140-8399 --- --- 090 --- AA 0001-5099 -ALL- SUP --- SUP --- AA 5100-8399 -ALL- --- --- --- 120 AA 7181-7218 -ALL- --- SUP --- SUP AA 8140-8399 AA 0001-2699 W --- --- --- 085 AA AA W DUB --- 055 --- -- AA AA DUB --- 050 --- --- AA AA W CA 050 050 --- --- AA AA CA 045 045 --- --- AA AA W 040 040 085 --- AA -ALL- W --- --- 085 --- AA -ALL- --- --- 080 --- AA AA 5100-8399 SUP SUP --- --- -ALL- AA 7181-7218 --- --- 120 120 -ALL- AA 8140-8399 --- --- SUP SUP -ALL- AA FPO 060 --- --- -- - -ALL- AA NAS 060 --- --- --- -ALL- **END OF DISPLAY**