Connection time

daisyduckie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm wondering, how short of a connection are most of you comfortable with having?

I see many from my home airport to and from Orlando with 45 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours. Does it depend mostly on the connecting airport? How many are in your travel group? How close the connecting airport is to your home airport? Time of day? Trying to pick from a few different flights and I'm making myself a bit crazy.
 

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Lots of variables. Kids or no kids, amenities, time of day, and which airport ... O'Hare, Newark, or Memphis ? No way
 

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
How about Midway or Baltimore?
We had a 45 minute layover at Midway this fall, and we really had to hustle to get to our gate. The airport is basically a U and we landed at the top left and our connecting flight was at the top right of the U. I anticipated the problem though and had our seats at the second row of the plane so we were able to exit right away. I've never had a problem with Baltimore though.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
It's hard to say as there are so many variables -- with the biggest being the size of the airport at which you're connecting. (Pull up a map and take a look -- are there multiple terminals? Will you have to take a tram to get from one to the other? Will you be able to make the connection without having to go back through a security line?) If you're flying the same airline for both legs, it's less of an issue, as they'll often have gates near one another in the same terminal (plus if you book direct on the airline's own website, it will typically weed out flights with a connection the airline considers too close for comfort). Again, this (airlines and their typical gate/terminal locations) is information you can usually find on the airport's website. If you're flying multiple airlines, it's always best to err on the side of caution: you don't want a slight delay on your first leg (the chances for which increase as the day goes on) to cause you to miss the second.

For example, if I'm connecting at JFK from an early morning flight on JetBlue (which flies exclusively out of one terminal at JFK, and morning flights are typically on time), I'd be comfortable with a layover of 45 minutes. If I have to change terminals at JFK due to booking with different airlines (e.g., Delta to American) -- which means leaving the terminal, taking the AirTrain to another terminal and going back through security -- I wouldn't want a layover any less than 90 minutes, with 2 hours being even better (and I don't check any luggage -- if you're changing flights between airlines and will have to pick up your checked luggage, haul it somewhere else and re-check it for your next flight, add an additional hour for that....) Moral of the story: unless you're saving a ton of money by doing so, don't fly two different airlines if you can possibly help it... if you're flying the same one, your luggage will be transferred, they'll at least try to help you if a delay in your first flight creates an issue with your connection, and your connecting flight is less likely to be at the other end of a giant airport...
 
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I've flown into major airports and smaller ones, and 45 minutes is the shortest layover I feel comfortable with changing planes. (Especially since delays can whittle that time away quickly.) An hour is better.

More than two hours gets boring and tiring.

If you have kids, though, or an adult who can't sprint through an airport, the more time the better.
 

Rob562

Well-Known Member
I agree that it depends on the airport. I've connected in Washington-Dulles, and the walk from where the national jets' gates are to where the puddle-jumper regional gates are is long. (Even worse than Philly and Charlotte) I think I had just shy of an hour and I made it just before boarding started.

If you're curious, check to see where your flights' gates are the next few days and how far apart the gates are. That'll give you historical data on where they might be in the future.

-Rob
 

daisyduckie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So I'm just back from my trip. Both ways I had flight delays, so any connection time shorter than 2 hours would have been a problem. Very glad I booked the longer connections! Thanks for your advice!
 

Shouldigo12

Well-Known Member
I'm wondering, how short of a connection are most of you comfortable with having?

I see many from my home airport to and from Orlando with 45 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours. Does it depend mostly on the connecting airport? How many are in your travel group? How close the connecting airport is to your home airport? Time of day? Trying to pick from a few different flights and I'm making myself a bit crazy.
At least one hour, mostly as a buffer for if the plane is slightly behind schedule.
Edit- and this why you always read through a thread first haha. Looks like the op is already done with their trip! Hope you had a good time :).
 
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