NWA has chisseled our layover down to 41 min.

[yooperfan]

Is this long enough to catch a Mesaba flight in early February? I wouldn't be so worried but it's the last flight in for the night. I talked to NWA and got the pat "acceptable layover". Maybe to them, they aren't the ones who might be sleeping in an airport.

[Hannathy]

Ar what airport and from what airlines? Is this from a regional to NW or between 2 regionals.

Can't answer until we know more info.

[yooperfan]

Originally Posted by Hannathy

Ar what airport and from what airlines? Is this from a regional to NW or between 2 regionals.

Can't answer until we know more info.

NWA Orlando International to Detroit, 41 min. to catch Mesaba to Marquette, MI on what we lovingly call "puddle jumpers".

[DebbieB]

If you are going from mainline to RJ, you will land at concourse A and then have to take an escalator down and go through the "psychadelic tunnel" then back up to B or C. 41 minutes is close but you will probably make it assuming the first flight is on time. Do you have seats near the front on the first flight? If it's a big plane and you are in the back, that could add 10 minutes. Do you have to wait for a stroller? Do you have young kids?

[Tara]

Originally Posted by yooperfan

Is this long enough to catch a Mesaba flight in early February? I wouldn't be so worried but it's the last flight in for the night. I talked to NWA and got the pat "acceptable layover". Maybe to them, they aren't the ones who might be sleeping in an airport.

Are you going through Detroit? I routinely make a 37-40 minute connection (they fiddle with those flight times a good bit) through Detroit. And I'm always going from the A terminal (where full-size jets land) to the B/C terminal (where regional/commuter jets land). That doesn't leave time to stop or dawdle, but if your flight isn't at all delayed, you should be fine if you are going from A to B/C or the reverse. If both your flights are in/out of A, even better.

I would be nervous enough to want to choose seats near the front of the plane and be sure to gather up all my stuff so I could get off the plane quickly. I'd also watch the flight status for my two flights for a few days prior to see if they consistently arrive at the same gates or to get a general idea of what to expect.

[Callie]

I wouldn't chance it. Its a LONG walk, and especially if you have a gate at the end of the big Terminal. Plus you'll have to wait for gate checked bags, and it seems Mesba loves to run a little late all the time we've flown them, and usually you are the last plane to get a parking crew (yes we missed a flight once due to no parking crew).

[DebbieB]

Originally Posted by Callie

I wouldn't chance it. Its a LONG walk, and especially if you have a gate at the end of the big Terminal. Plus you'll have to wait for gate checked bags, and it seems Mesba loves to run a little late all the time we've flown them, and usually you are the last plane to get a parking crew (yes we missed a flight once due to no parking crew).

They are going mainline to RJ, so they would not have to worry about getting gate checked luggage. Checked luggage could be an issue, it's possible it will not make the connection if it's short.

[yooperfan]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe I'll have a decent size change on the flight out of Orlando and they will let me change it to an earlier flight. We are at WDW for 8 nights and by the time we get to the day we go home, I just want to get it over with. BTW, we don't have kids, but we only have one day at home before DH has to go back to 11 hour shifts, so spending the night in the airport is not something I would want for this trip.

[jlewisinsyr]

The Minimum Connection Time is 30 minutes according to NWA if I am reading the chart right (possibly 35), so yes, the airline is correct, the connection is still valid and is not illegal, they are under no obligation to adjust your flight times.

[Brian Noble]

41 minutes is close but you will probably make it assuming the first flight is on time.

I'd think so too. DTW is surprisingly easy to navigate, even with the A-B/C crossover. The other thing to look at is whether or not there's another flight out of Marquette to anywhere later that night. Because it's the last flight of the night, chances are good there is not---this plane won't be needed until the next morning to feed back to MSP or DTW. If that's the case, they are likely to hold the RJ if your inbound from MCO is delayed a little, provided they aren't running up on crew flight time limits. It doesn't cost them much, and it avoids ticking off passengers.

If your inbound is delayed a lot, then there's a fighting chance it will be due to weather on the DTW end, in which case it doesn't much matter what your connection time is, because nothing will be on time, and many will be cancelled. The joys of February travel here in the upper midwest.