Most ill-advised connection?
Jul 13, 2014 | 9:42 am
#17
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hold it down for The Bay, reppin' Oakland
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I just don't think that these EWR and FRA connections can compete with this beauty. Seriously.
33 minute connection - door closing on flight 733 = 23 minutes
Within that 23 minutes you have to get from the far end of Terminal A to Terminal B.
In that time you have to deplane, walk from the tarmac to the terminal, take the escalator up to the main floor, walk to the middle of terminal A, take the escalator to the train, take the train to Terminal B, take the escalator to the gate level, and walk to your gate.
I think you might just barely be able to do that on the minority of days that flight 3035 is on time, but 58% of the time this flight is at least 15 minutes late.
33 minute connection - door closing on flight 733 = 23 minutes
Within that 23 minutes you have to get from the far end of Terminal A to Terminal B.
In that time you have to deplane, walk from the tarmac to the terminal, take the escalator up to the main floor, walk to the middle of terminal A, take the escalator to the train, take the train to Terminal B, take the escalator to the gate level, and walk to your gate.
I think you might just barely be able to do that on the minority of days that flight 3035 is on time, but 58% of the time this flight is at least 15 minutes late.
Last edited by lexdevil; Jul 13, 2014 at 9:49 am
Jul 13, 2014 | 11:30 am
#18
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Agreed, EWR is the worst link in the system. Never book any UX-to-mainline international itinerary starting after 1200pm.
If you arrive FRA on time you'll make a 1:15 or less connection, even involving bus gates and rescreening. The problem is UA getting you there on time.
If you arrive FRA on time you'll make a 1:15 or less connection, even involving bus gates and rescreening. The problem is UA getting you there on time.
Jul 13, 2014 | 2:09 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
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Not saying it's a good idea, but if I can routinely make it from the door of my flight in the B concourse to the RTD curbside pickup on the far island in 7 minutes, then this *should* be possible as well. Not likely, but possible.
Jul 13, 2014 | 5:55 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Jul 13, 2014 | 5:59 pm
#21
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Jul 14, 2014 | 4:07 pm
#22
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Jul 14, 2014 | 4:16 pm
#23
Formerly known as tireman77
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Jul 14, 2014 | 4:17 pm
#24
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: TAS
Programs: A3*G, UA 1K
Posts: 9,250
There are often mentions tucked into various threads of legal but ill-advised connections. They often give me a giggle. Booking my son from PGA to SFO I recently stumbled on this gem:
Depart: 2:09 p.m. Page, AZ (PGA) Flight: UA3035
Arrive: 4:54 p.m. Denver, CO (DEN)
Operated by Great Lakes Airlines.
Aircraft: Beechcraft 1900D
Change Planes. Connect time in Denver, CO (DEN) is 33 minutes.
Depart:5:27 p.m. Denver, CO (DEN) Flight: UA733
Arrive: 7:07 p.m. San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Doesn't look impossible until you realize that you have to change terminals, and deal with this:
UA3035 PGA - DEN May. 2014
On time: 32% Late: 52% Canceled: 10%
Average delay: 55 minutes
Of course it was listed first, too!
Can anyone think of a connection more likely to go wrong?
Depart: 2:09 p.m. Page, AZ (PGA) Flight: UA3035
Arrive: 4:54 p.m. Denver, CO (DEN)
Operated by Great Lakes Airlines.
Aircraft: Beechcraft 1900D
Change Planes. Connect time in Denver, CO (DEN) is 33 minutes.
Depart:5:27 p.m. Denver, CO (DEN) Flight: UA733
Arrive: 7:07 p.m. San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Doesn't look impossible until you realize that you have to change terminals, and deal with this:
UA3035 PGA - DEN May. 2014
On time: 32% Late: 52% Canceled: 10%
Average delay: 55 minutes
Of course it was listed first, too!
Can anyone think of a connection more likely to go wrong?
Jul 14, 2014 | 4:18 pm
#25
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: TAS
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Jul 14, 2014 | 5:27 pm
#26
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
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My worst have 30-ish minute connections at LAX... from the end of T8 to the end of T6. Doable but a long dash to be sure.
While I'd never book one of those, I was lucky enough to make my sub-1-hour connection at FRA Friday morning. It had been a 2:50 connection until UA got me in about 2 hours late...
We pulled up at a gate--no bus!--and my connection involved only passport control, no security, and was pretty close by. I'm still at a loss why I sometimes have to go through security at FRA when going US-Schengen, and sometimes don't, but I believe we have a whole thread about the vagaries of FRA connections and the chance that following signs will get you to your gate albeit sometimes with multiple border crossings and screenings.
I've made basically that connection before. It involved a lot of running and yelling at people to get out of the way (particularly on the escalators and moving walkways between C & B--never have figured out why "stand to the right" is such a hard concept to grasp).
While I'd never book one of those, I was lucky enough to make my sub-1-hour connection at FRA Friday morning. It had been a 2:50 connection until UA got me in about 2 hours late...
We pulled up at a gate--no bus!--and my connection involved only passport control, no security, and was pretty close by. I'm still at a loss why I sometimes have to go through security at FRA when going US-Schengen, and sometimes don't, but I believe we have a whole thread about the vagaries of FRA connections and the chance that following signs will get you to your gate albeit sometimes with multiple border crossings and screenings.
I've made basically that connection before. It involved a lot of running and yelling at people to get out of the way (particularly on the escalators and moving walkways between C & B--never have figured out why "stand to the right" is such a hard concept to grasp).
Jul 14, 2014 | 5:41 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: IAH
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During a recent IRROPS, I was pretty desperate and almost had the 1K desk book me EWR-ROC-YYZ (with a 30 minute turn in ROC) because none of the EWR-YYZ directs could get me to Toronto in time to make a connection on to YYT.
We eventually found a way around it, but it would have been a helluva way to see Rochester...
We eventually found a way around it, but it would have been a helluva way to see Rochester...
Jul 14, 2014 | 6:09 pm
#28
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Probably the most ill-advised connection UA offers is an overnight at ICN followed by an OZ flight ICN-PUS.
You have a 90% chance of having your bags checked to ICN, forcing you to choose between (1) stay airside overnight at ICN or (2) retrieve your bags and try to re-check them at an OZ counter where they will insist your flight does not exist.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...snt-exist.html
Another good one is the "direct flight" UA was selling LAX-EWR-BOS a while back that had a 13-minute connection in EWR. Someone mentioned it on FlyerTalk, I sent them a tweet, and they renumbered / stopped selling it.
You have a 90% chance of having your bags checked to ICN, forcing you to choose between (1) stay airside overnight at ICN or (2) retrieve your bags and try to re-check them at an OZ counter where they will insist your flight does not exist.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...snt-exist.html
Another good one is the "direct flight" UA was selling LAX-EWR-BOS a while back that had a 13-minute connection in EWR. Someone mentioned it on FlyerTalk, I sent them a tweet, and they renumbered / stopped selling it.
Jul 14, 2014 | 7:48 pm
#29
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I booked award DTW-EWR-SFO-HNL for thanksgiving as that was the only route with flat beds. Originally had under an hour each in EWR and SFO, but any change in flight time would likely give me an illegal connection. UA came through with a 35 min connection in SFO and they rebooked me on ns EWR-HNL. ^
Jul 14, 2014 | 9:20 pm
#30
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
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I saw a routing on unied.com from SAN-IAH-LHR in August which left SAN at 3:05 pm. with a thirty-minute connection at IAH to the last flight of the day to LHR. Can't call it the "most ill-advised connection" I ever made because I am not foolish enough to actually book such a thing.
30 minute connections in IAH come up all the time at united.com.
30 minute connections in IAH come up all the time at united.com.