45 Min MUC Connection for 80 YO Senior
Apr 27, 2023, 9:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 446
45 Min MUC Connection for 80 YO Senior
Got my mother a trip for her 80th birthday. Due to schedule change she is now on a flight from SFO to MUC on UA then MUC to IST on Turkish with a 45 minute connection time. She needs wheelchair assistance. How likely is she to make such a short connection time. She is in the back of the plane in coach.
Anything to do to help?
Anything to do to help?
Apr 27, 2023, 10:06 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
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Posts: 3,454
Got my mother a trip for her 80th birthday. Due to schedule change she is now on a flight from SFO to MUC on UA then MUC to IST on Turkish with a 45 minute connection time. She needs wheelchair assistance. How likely is she to make such a short connection time. She is in the back of the plane in coach.
Anything to do to help?
Anything to do to help?
That said, if she's on the UA Munich flight there is another flight that evening in the event she misconnects. If she is on a UA codeshare of the [later] LH SFO-MUC, then I might be worried.
Apr 27, 2023, 10:08 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: SQ, QF, UA, CO, DL
Posts: 2,879
Got my mother a trip for her 80th birthday. Due to schedule change she is now on a flight from SFO to MUC on UA then MUC to IST on Turkish with a 45 minute connection time. She needs wheelchair assistance. How likely is she to make such a short connection time. She is in the back of the plane in coach.
Anything to do to help?
Anything to do to help?
Apr 27, 2023, 10:12 am
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,524
It's going to be a tight connection, unless her flight arrives early. Her SFO flight will arrive at Terminal 2, and Turkish flights operate from Terminal 1. There is a shuttle between terminals that run every 10 minutes. I'd look for a better connection, given that your mother needs assistance.
Apr 27, 2023, 11:24 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Morris County, NJ
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Avis Pres, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,305
Is it *possible*? Yes.
What's the likelihood that something goes wrong? Fairly high.
I guess the question is .. how would your wheelchair-bound 80 year old mom handle missing a flight in a foreign airport for hours or a day or two?
If that's a nightmare, I'd suggest an alternative. If she's a savvy traveler, and knows how to deal with misconnects, maybe booking herself an overnight hotel and getting there - then maybe give this a whirl ...
But my instincts all say this could end in a bad way.
What's the likelihood that something goes wrong? Fairly high.
I guess the question is .. how would your wheelchair-bound 80 year old mom handle missing a flight in a foreign airport for hours or a day or two?
If that's a nightmare, I'd suggest an alternative. If she's a savvy traveler, and knows how to deal with misconnects, maybe booking herself an overnight hotel and getting there - then maybe give this a whirl ...
But my instincts all say this could end in a bad way.
Apr 27, 2023, 12:35 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2012
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Apr 27, 2023, 1:10 pm
#9
Moderator: United Airlines
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Someone familiar with MUC and able bodied, sitting in the front of the plane has a chance of making this flight, otherwise not realistic.
Are these cash or award flights?
Apr 27, 2023, 1:27 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,638
45 minutes from arrival to departure is effectively something like a half an hour depending on when Turkish closes their flights. There's basically no plausible way someone who needs wheelchair assistance is going to make that.
If you paid out of pocket for this ticket, why not put your mother on the nonstop on Turkish?
If you paid out of pocket for this ticket, why not put your mother on the nonstop on Turkish?
Apr 27, 2023, 1:50 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 413
If you call in they should be flexible if you offer an alternative, even though it's above MCT. I had a similarly short connection with little kids last year and they were happy to move me to a more doable connection without paying fare difference.
Apr 27, 2023, 2:13 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MBS/FNT/LAN
Programs: UA 1K, HH Gold, Mariott Gold
Posts: 9,630
Is this all on one ticket?
I see UA offers the connection for sale.... but there are several other options that give MUCH more time at other connection points (AMS, CDG, FRA). Since a schedule change, I would try to have her swapped to one of those.
While it is likely she *COULD* make it.... it leaves room for ZERO error or hiccup.
Also, TK has a 2:20 flight on Monday.... if the same ticket.... they *should* protect her on that.
I see UA offers the connection for sale.... but there are several other options that give MUCH more time at other connection points (AMS, CDG, FRA). Since a schedule change, I would try to have her swapped to one of those.
While it is likely she *COULD* make it.... it leaves room for ZERO error or hiccup.
Also, TK has a 2:20 flight on Monday.... if the same ticket.... they *should* protect her on that.
Apr 27, 2023, 6:50 pm
#13
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Isn’t the required MCT much greater when requesting assistance to transit MUC than when not requesting assistance? Or does things like the ACA prohibit that for wheelchair assistance but not for UAM assistance?
Apr 27, 2023, 8:20 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: EWR
Programs: Latam Pass Black; UA 1K, 1MM; Marriott LT
Posts: 300
I'm normally a proponent of go for it. That said, just looking at Flightaware, the flight isn't early very often, so I would look for a later connection as a non w/c user.
That said, if you mum is an easygoing type and happy to go with the flow, the MUC folks have always been (mostly) good in my experience, and if the worst case scenario is an overnight at the Hilton at the airport, it could be worse.
That said, if you mum is an easygoing type and happy to go with the flow, the MUC folks have always been (mostly) good in my experience, and if the worst case scenario is an overnight at the Hilton at the airport, it could be worse.
Apr 27, 2023, 9:41 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RNO, NV, USA.
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Posts: 5,059
The MCT is 45 minutes, very unlikely an individual needing wheelchair assistance will make this unless the UA plane arrives 30+ minutes early.
Someone familiar with MUC and able bodied, sitting in the front of the plane has a chance of making this flight, otherwise not realistic.
Are these cash or award flights?
Someone familiar with MUC and able bodied, sitting in the front of the plane has a chance of making this flight, otherwise not realistic.
Are these cash or award flights?