hughw

We had six family members ticketed BOS-EWR UA 1551 leaving at 2pm, arriving approx 3:35 to connect with UA 57 to Paris leaving at 6:40pm. UA just informed me that they had changed the flight to 1425 leaving at 4:00mp and arriving EWR at 5:36pm. Ouch....that;s a legal, but much too tight, a connection time to risk for the start of a family trip to France....I've checked UA's schedules carefully and determined that UA 1551 no longer is scheduled for July 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6, only, but fully scheduled prior to, and after.....I'll ask UA to re-ticket everyone on the earlier 11:47am flight, but that leaves a 5 hour connection, which isn't much fun.

Weird.....why? The July 4th weekend? a computer glitch? Should I wait a while to reschedule to see if 1551 magically reappears?

Kacee

Because the demand for business travel drops precipitously that week. Very common to see lighter schedules around various holiday.

EWR764

I'd take a 5 hour connection on a summer afternoon at EWR over a 1:04. I'd also consider going via IAD (new 777 config, so Polaris and PE if in premium cabin), or switching to the later EWR-CDG (UA54) if in Y.

RobOnLI

This. The fact that they dropped your original BOS-EWR gives you almost carte blanche to request a change to flights more convenient to you. 1:04 is a legal connection but super tight at EWR in summer with thunderstorms and a host of other potential issues. Ask for the later EWR-CDG or route via IAD as it should be no problem finding an agent willing to make the change.

-RM

Imstevek

highly recommend skipping BOS-EWR and the reverse in any kind of weather situation. In the summer 2017 I had 4 TATL itineraries through EWR and all 4 I ended up getting canceled and put on LH or EI ex-BOS. I'm not sure IAD is markedly better, given the connection time, location of INTL departures relative to domestic arrival, and the general dump that C/D has become. Nevermind the immigration hell of IAD on the return.

Often1

Same for AA on JFK/LGA-BOS. The former is pretty much completely cancelled and the Shuttle is on the Saturday reduced schedule. There's simply little traffic, so not worth operating.

However, those micro-hauls xEWR are the first to be cancelled or significantly delayed every time there is a drop of rain or a wind gust, so I would definitely use the change to request a better routing not involving a micro-haul (including EWR-IAD).

drewguy

I haven't looked at BOS-IAD-CDG connections, but the connection in terminal C/D would almost certainly be in the same terminal, dumpy as it may be.

No reason the return (presumably through EWR) needs to be changed as well, making immigration at IAD irrelevant.

drowelf

Totally agree with longer wait versus short for international connection. My baseline is that I generally want at least a wait of at least 2x the flight time from my origin airport to the connector for my international travel. Missing those once-a-day international connections is a sure way to put a crimp in your vacation plans.

hughw

Yeah....I'll take the 5 hour connection. It's a bit of a pain as three of the family is coming from Martha's Vineyard, meaning that they have to tale a 6am ferry to connect with the bus to Logan in order to have enough time to make the 11:47am flight to EWR. Everyone's flying in Y so no advantage in going to IAD, and that would end up with only an hour plus connection anyway.. Normally, taking the later EWR-CDG flight wouldn't be an issue, but arriving at CDG a few hours later will screw up a lot of coordination we've worked out with other family to take the TGV to Bordeaux, pick up a car, and drive to a house rental in the Dordogne....so the 5 hour connection it is....with summer weather, you never know, we may be glad to have all that time

EWR764

Totally reasonable... and that gives you enough time (not much, but enough) to hop an Amtrak if things REALLY go pear-shaped!

hughw

don't think that Amtrak didn't come to mind.

boolean64

Realize this is pricier, but you can always fly from MV to Logan. I haven't done it in several years but don't remember the price being too offensive. And i think it's on a Cessna so a very different experience to bigger aircraft.

hughw

Oh, yeah....Cape Air...They're a. lot of fun, but at $319 each for the 20-25 minute hop for three, not worth it...especially, as they often get delayed in the mornings with ground fog on the island, They have some type of alliance agreement with Jet Blue. Once I waiting to fly out of Logan to the Vineyard and an unsuspecting couple arrived at the gate after debarking from their San Francisco flight....they went nuts when they saw that 11 seat Cessna out of the boarding lounge windows, and then even more nuts when one of them was asked to sit in the (non-existent) co-pilot's seat. Me? I grab that seat when can.

gsalem94122

$180 each with the 10-ticket Cape Air Travel pack. (That is assuming you'll use the other 4 over a year).

I'd take the Cessna.

764toHI