Connection Time Advice Needed ... Help Please!

[farmgirl]

Hi all,
We just got notification from our Airline that there was a flight change on our WDW trip. They have us now arriving at Minniapolis 6:28 AM on a Domestic flight and Departing for Orlando at 7:05 AM. We are confused what we should do we do not fly much but when we do we have always had plenty of time to get to our gate. When I called the Airline today they told me if we were not at the gate 30 minutes prior to departure they could give our seat away...Does this happen often? What happens if you miss your flight they try put you on the next flight the agent told me ..but what if the other flights are fully booked? Will you usually get there in the same day at least? Also with that short of a connection is there ANY chance of our luggage getting to the connecting flight? So what do you think we should do try get it changed to a later flight? Or is 37 minutes plenty of time and we are worrying for nothing. Any advice... opinions ... or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I appologize for all the silly questions but as I mentioned before.

We do not fly much. Thank you.

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[CAPTAIN HOOK]

If you stay as you are, you may find that you arrive in Orlando on the flight before your luggage. While it is the airlines responsibility to get your luggage onto your connecting flight, I can't see them busting a gut to get it there on time - particularly if the arrival and departure points are different sides of the airport.
I'd try and change to a later Orlando flight - speak with your travel agent

 

[Monty]

There are two different issues here:

If you check in and get boarding passes for both flights at your original point of departure, then the question of "giving away" your seats at the second gate becomes moot. Unless you're flying standby, you don't have to "check in" at the second gate.

The other issue is the timings between flights. Depending on where you're transferring [I don't know the Minneapolis airport], 37 minutes could be an impossible turnaround time [if it's a small airport and you're on the same airline for both flights you should be OK]. And as has been said, even if you make it, there is no guarantee your luggage will. This is a situation where using DME would be advantageous, you don't have to worry if your luggage is delayed, DME will trace it and get it to you when it arrives and since you're travelling so early in the day, it'll likely still make it to your resort room before you're done your day in the parks.

 

[farmgirl]

Thank you to both of you for your replys. Minniapolis is a big airport. I did call our old travel agent we used to have for her opinion and she said it is a valid connection time. So we should make it. I don;t know if I am that positve when it comes to such a short layover. Any delay and we can be sure we will miss our connectiong flight I feel . So since we would check in at our original departure does that mean they Cant give our seat to someone on standby? Oh decisions decisions! lol

 

[mkt]

Assuming that you'r flying internationally into Minneapolis, you are taking a HUGE risk, seeing that you have to clear customs there.

 

[farmgirl]

Assuming that you'r flying internationally into Minneapolis, you are taking a HUGE risk, seeing that you have to clear customs there.

Actually that is one thing we will not have to worry about this time. Our flight prices here were ridiculous $1200 for coach it has been that way the last few years so it by far paid for us to take a drive to the United States and fly out from there as we got the flights for half the price.

 

[Rob562]

So since we would check in at our original departure does that mean they Cant give our seat to someone on standby? Oh decisions decisions! lol

If it's the same airline for both flights and you've got your boarding passes for both flights at your origination airport, I think the only deadline you have to worry about is the 10-minute window (it's 15 with some airlines, I think). The airline rules say that after you've checked in, you have to be at the gate 10 minutes before the flight.

What airline are you flying?

-Rob

 

[farmgirl]

If it's the same airline for both flights and you've got your boarding passes for both flights at your origination airport, I think the only deadline you have to worry about is the 10-minute window (it's 15 with some airlines, I think). The airline rules say that after you've checked in, you have to be at the gate 10 minutes before the flight.

What airline are you flying?

-Rob

I did not even know about that rule. Thank You! We are flying with Northwest.

 

[Rob562]

I did not even know about that rule. Thank You! We are flying with Northwest.

I checked NWA's website (not exactly the easiest to find info), and their rules are that you have to be at the gate, ready to board 15 minutes before the flight.

Also, looking at the MSP terminal map, Northwest uses gates in all concourses. I'd suggest looking up the flight info for your flight numbers for today and the next few days (and especialyl on the same day of the week as your'e travelling). Typically, the same flights arrive and depart from the same gates, or within the same group of gates. So if you look to see what those flights are doing now, which gates they're flying in and out of, you can look on the MSP map and see how far aaprt they are.

http://www.mspairport.com/msp/maps_guides/default.aspx

-Rob

 

[TURKEY]

If you're also flying on NW for both legs, they might hold the flight to Orlando if you're slightly delayed in getting into MSP and depending on how many people are on both flights with you.

 

[farmgirl]

I checked NWA's website (not exactly the easiest to find info), and their rules are that you have to be at the gate, ready to board 15 minutes before the flight.

Also, looking at the MSP terminal map, Northwest uses gates in all concourses. I'd suggest looking up the flight info for your flight numbers for today and the next few days (and especialyl on the same day of the week as your'e travelling). Typically, the same flights arrive and depart from the same gates, or within the same group of gates. So if you look to see what those flights are doing now, which gates they're flying in and out of, you can look on the MSP map and see how far aaprt they are.

http://www.mspairport.com/msp/maps_guides/default.aspx

-Rob

I have been checking what the gates have been doing as of now and they are most day accross the airport but the odd day here and there they throw in one that is closer they just switch back between the two. I will pay attention to which days and if there is a pattern thanks for the suggestion. Still so undecided what to do.

 

[SAV]

I would let your flight attendant on your flight to MN know that you are connecting to another flight and only have a 30 minute window. They may let you de-plane first, which would save you some time.

 

[farmgirl]

I would let your flight attendant on your flight to MN know that you are connecting to another flight and only have a 30 minute window. They may let you de-plane first, which would save you some time.

Do they really do that? That would be helpful if they did.

 

[SAV]

I dunno...:shrug:

But it wouldn't hurt to mention it. Especially since you are connecting on one of their flights.

 

[Amber]

I have seen airlines hold flights for people with connections, it happened to me once (not with NWA though). And I've also flown NWA thru Minneapolis many times. I usually have to haul from one end of the airport to the other. It's really not that bad. Take the suggestion from above and mention to the flight attendant that you need to make a connection, I've also heard announcements on the plane that those that are at their destination or those that have time please stay seated so the people with connections can make it. It never hurts to ask.

Your luggage, on the other hand, most likely will not make your flight and you will have to deal with that. United has lost my luggage so many times I now carry shorts and everything needed for the parks in my carry-on so it's not that big of a deal to wait a few hours for my luggage. I learned to stop stressing about that a long time ago. Have fun on your trip!

 

[farmgirl]

Okay.... one more silly question. Like I mentioned I have not flown alot. Suppose they lose your luggage? Do you need to go back to the airport to pick it up or do they deliever it to you where you are staying? Thanks for all the advice and tips so far.

 

[Amber]

Okay.... one more silly question. Like I mentioned I have not flown alot. Suppose they lose your luggage? Do you need to go back to the airport to pick it up or do they deliever it to you where you are staying? Thanks for all the advice and tips so far.

I've always had it delivered. Once we were scheduled to have it delivered but were driving by the airport and picked it up ourselves, but that was our choice. It would have been delivered as well.

EDIT: If I remember correctly, delivery was the only option. I was never told I was expected to come back to the airport and pick up my lost luggage.

 

[Rob562]

Okay.... one more silly question. Like I mentioned I have not flown alot. Suppose they lose your luggage? Do you need to go back to the airport to pick it up or do they deliever it to you where you are staying? Thanks for all the advice and tips so far.

They'll deliver it to your hotel. But as MontyMon mentioned earlier in the thread, this is one time when using the DME luggage service with the yellow tags is truly advantageous.

If your bags are delayed or mis-routed by the airline, DME acts on your behalf to get those bags from the airline and deliver them to you. And because you're arriving so early, even if your bags *are* delayed, you may not even know it because by the time you get back from the parks that evening, your bags will be waiting for you.

And if they're not there yet, you can call the Front Desk and they can check for your bags in their system. When your bags arrive in Orlando (normally or delayed), the barcodes on the DME tags are scanned multiple times as they progress through the steps of sorting, loading onto a truck, transportation to the resort and Bell Service delivery. So if they're in the DME system, they'll be able to tell you exactly where they are. If they haven't been scanned into their system yet, it means that the airline still has your bags.

One suggestion, when you're checking in at the DME desk, it might be a good idea to mention to them that you had a tight connection and that you think your bags may not have made it. Make sure to give them your airline baggage claim check #'s so they can trace your bags with the airline, if necessary.

-Rob

P.S. - Over my years of travelling, I've had my bag delayed/mis-routed twice, both times when returning home. The first time they delivered it and it was the only option given. (That was USAir, I think, might've been Delta) The second time was on Southwest, and they gave me the option of free delivery to my house, or if I came back the next day and picked it up after it arrived at the airport (I had flown in on the last flight of the night), they'd give me a $100 credit to use for a future flight on Southwest. For $100, I felt the 90-minute round-trip drive to the airport and back was well worth it.

 

[TURKEY]

And if they're not there yet, you can call the Front Desk and they can check for your bags in their system. When your bags arrive in Orlando (normally or delayed), the barcodes on the DME tags are scanned multiple times as they progress through the steps of sorting, loading onto a truck, transportation to the resort and Bell Service delivery. So if they're in the DME system, they'll be able to tell you exactly where they are. If they haven't been scanned into their system yet, it means that the airline still has your bags.

One suggestion, when you're checking in at the DME desk, it might be a good idea to mention to them that you had a tight connection and that you think your bags may not have made it. Make sure to give them your airline baggage claim check #'s so they can trace your bags with the airline, if necessary.

-Rob

I'd do all possible to be sure Disney got your DME packet mailed to you. If you don't have it 14 days from your arrival, call DME guest services.


Just note that DME will have no way of tracking your bags until they reach Orlando unless you give them your claim check numbers. I'd definitely do this.