MCO to Hobby change to go to Dallas

[lighteningqueen]

I am in a pure panic here. I have never flown and we have a flight leaving MCO at 4pm in the afternoon then land in Houston hobby at 5:35 and board another plane at or leave at 6pm. Where or how do I do this... Is it a run to make it and do they change over our luggage for us???? Just petrified that we will not know where to go and how fast to get there. We land in Dallas at 7pm. Flight 2235 to 46.. Anyone done this before and how far is it to the other plane????Thanks so very much for any help in calming me down we leave in 28 days!!!!!

 

[Rob562]

I've never flown through that airport, so I don't know any specifics on how it's laid out. But I can give you a few general ideas... (I presume both flights are the same carrier? Otherwise not all these suggestions apply)

First off, that *is* a rather tight connection time. Airlines' gates are usually all bunched together, so you probably won't have too far to go.

Your checked luggage will be tagged with tags showing your final destination airport. They will move them from one plane to the other.
You're on your own for carryon luggage. Try not to "gate check" anything like strollers, which can take extra time to claim as you get off of your first flight. (Gate checking is when they take things like strollers or carryons that there aren't room for in the cabin, take them from you at the door to the plane, place them in the cargo hold, and then return them to the door of the plane when you get off)

The flight attendants on your first flight may be able to check with the ground crew to find out what gate number your next flight is leaving from.

Try to ______ before flight #1 starts its descent into Houston so you don't have to waste time making a pit stop on your way to flight #2.

Lastly, over the next couple days, go to www.flightview.com and check out the info for your flight numbers today, tomorrow, the next day... typically, flights arrive and depart from the same gates every day, and even when there's changes the gates are usually close to the usual ones.
Anyway, check to see what gates your flights arrive into and depart out of. Then check the airport website for a map of the terminal and see how far apart the gates are. (You might want to print the map out to bring with you on the trip)

Good luck!

-Rob

 

[Monty]

I would recommend rescheduling the second flight. 25 minutes is simply not enough time to switch planes and have your luggage make it to the second plane no matter how efficient the airport is.

If your flight takes off at 6, then you'd have much less than 25 minutes, because take off is the scheduled actual departure from the airport, not the departure from the gate.

 

[Rob562]

I would recommend rescheduling the second flight. 25 minutes is simply not enough time to switch planes and have your luggage make it to the second plane no matter how efficient the airport is.

If your flight takes off at 6, then you'd have much less than 25 minutes, because take off is the scheduled actual departure from the airport, not the departure from the gate.

Listed departure time is for "push back" from the gate. I don't think it's ever the "wheels up" time. Airlines also have the "10-minute rule" where you have to be on the plane 10 minutes before departure before they start giving seats away to Standby passengers. And it takes them a couple mintues to close the doors and prep the plane for push-back. But either way, if you arrive at the gate at "departure time", you've missed your flight.


But as mentioned, 25 minutes is not much time at all. Any minor delay in your first flight could cause you to miss your connecting flight.
A question for the OP... Did you book these flights yourself? Were they booked simultaneously or individually? Did you go through a travel agent? (Most professional travel agents wouldn't have booked you on flights with that short of a connection time. I'm also surprised that an airline website would allow such a short connection)


EDIT #2: Using the date from the OP's signature (Dec 16th) and guessing that it was on Southwest, I was able to see the flights on Southwest. The flight # posted was wrong, it's 2758 out of MCO, and I'm very surprised that Southwest.com gives a 25-minute connection time in Houston. I also see that there are flights every half hour from 6 to 8PM, plus a 9PM.

The OP might want to call Southwest, explain that they're concerned about the short connection, and see about changing to a later connecting flight out of Houston. (For a first-time flier, you could REALLY do without the hassle of a short connection.) You could also perhaps change to the 7:10 flight out of Orlando that's a 1-stop (but no plane change), gets into Dallas at 9:45pm. It's also currently only $74, so the OP probably wouldn't have to pay any more (and might even get a credit voucher if they paid MORE than that originally) The additional benefit is that you get 3 more hours in WDW!

The wonderful thing about Southwest is that they don't charge any change fees to reschedule your flights, and the only time you'd pay more money is if the flight you're changing to costs more than what you orignally paid. And if it's less, you get the difference as a credit to use toward a future flight.

-Rob

 

[Monty]

Listed departure time is for "push back" from the gate. I don't think it's ever the "wheels up" time.

:lol:

Most of the airports I fly out of the time between push-back and wheels-up is so negligible as to be indistinguishable, given the normal departure delays with Air Canada... :shrug:

 

[lighteningqueen]

Thanks everyone.... I just called southwest out of sheer panic when you said it was not enough time. The customer rep said they would not move us on a plane that would take alot of time to get to because they ahd to change luggage as well. She said it could only be a gate or 2 down so that there is no problem. There is a huge difference to change flights. I got them for 59.00 each way and they are over 200.00 right now so we can deal with this. She also said that on the day we leave Disney we can call them and they will give us gate numbers etc so that we can know what we are to do. I am also going to print out the gate map at Hobby I found this morning on their site so we should be good to go and know just how far and which direction to move to. Thanks again. I still am a little stressed but I know that surely they will not leave me.ha ha

 

[disney4life2008]

For my trip next week, I have a 30 minute window for a layover. I already know I am going to miss my connection flight because its ATL. So I am prepared to bored the next flight as standby.

 

[lighteningqueen]

what is ATL now another thing for me to worry about. is this southwest????

 

[disney4life2008]

what is ATL now another thing for me to worry about. is this southwest????

Atlanta Airport. It is HUGE and has a horrible reputation.

 

[mkt]

Houston Hobby is TIIIINY, but that's not enough time for a connection.

A good rule of thumb is 60 minutes for connections.... except international connections though the US, then 120+

 

[happymom52003]

You will probably end up with more time than 25 minutes. Southwest nearly always get to the gate much earlier than their scheduled arrival time, then they claim to have gotten you to your destination "early". They pad their flight times. Not sure why, but probably because it helps keep their reputation for being on time.
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[lighteningqueen]

I sure hope so she said they would not do this that the gate will be within one or 2 because they haveto change luggage as well and need time for that. I will trust them. If this does happen and we do not get on do we tke the next one and have to pay for it again? I just do not have a clue the ins and outs of flying??

 

[Nemo14]

I really don't think you need to worry. As others have said, Southwest has a good reputation for getting in early, and since it's a connecting flight, chances are that others on your flight are making that connection too, so in all probability they will hold the flight for you.

I would strongly advise you to check in exactly at the 24 hour mark to get your boarding passes, and sit as close to the front of the plane as you can. That way you'll be one of the first people off the first plane, so more likely to make the connection to the second one.

 

[lighteningqueen]

Thanks so much. I am going to have someone check us in from home as we have dinner ressies at Boma during the 24 hour period. I can also buy the early bird she said to make sure and that checks us in at 36 hours prior for our flight back, which is the plane change.

 

[Nemo14]

Thanks so much. I am going to have someone check us in from home as we have dinner ressies at Boma during the 24 hour period. I can also buy the early bird she said to make sure and that checks us in at 36 hours prior for our flight back, which is the plane change.

You know you really only need to buy one early bird, then save the seats for the rest of your party.

 

[Rob562]

I sure hope so she said they would not do this that the gate will be within one or 2 because they haveto change luggage as well and need time for that. I will trust them. If this does happen and we do not get on do we tke the next one and have to pay for it again? I just do not have a clue the ins and outs of flying??

If you miss your originally-scheduled connecting flight in Houston because your incoming first flight was late, you'll be placed on standby for the next available flight. (Meaning that if there's room, they'll put you on the flight) There are flights to Dallas every 30 minutes from 6 to 8PM that evening and then one at 9PM, so chances are you'd make it onto one of those. You will not have to pay any more money for this.

-Rob

 

[MWC]

I live in Houston and fly out of Hobby anytime I fly anywhere (leaving for Disney in 6 days, 6 hours, and 13 minutes). Hobby is very small and ALL of the Southwest flights are in the same terminal. You won't have to go more than a few gates to get to your next flight. I would not worry about this at all. It won't be an issue.

 

[lighteningqueen]

Thanks so much I really think we will be ok. Like the lady said they have to have time to load the luggage so we will have time to step off to step back on another place. She said to call that day and they will give you the gate numbers. I will have the Hobby Map with me and then can look which way to go and just how far..