Time between connecting flights?

[CarolAnnB]

How much time would you leave between your arrival and departure at Chicago Midway, on the same airline, no checked luggage? Southwest does not fly directly to Dulles from Boston so I guess I have to book 2 separate flights, Boston-chicago and Chicago-Dulles. Is 50 minutes enough? Otherwise I am looking at a 3 hour layover... Thanks.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Is there a reason you can't fly into BWI and then use ground transportation for your final destination? It would seem less expensive, shorter, and less confusing. Or use another airline?

Just for fun, I priced out two one-way trips using September 1.
Boston to Baltimore fare is $39 or $59, depending on flight time.
The least expensive combined fare Boston to Midway to Dulles is $180.

Plus, because five or twenty minutes isn't a reasonable connection time, you'd be at Midway a couple of hours; total travel time becomes about 6 hours 20 minutes. Boston to Baltimore takes about an hour and a half.

 

[Lewisc]

but you're not booking a connecting flight, you're booking 2 seperate flights. 50 minutes is more then enough time for a connecting flight, even enough time for your luggage to get transferred.

I'm not sure if it's long enough for seperate flights. If your first flight is delayed you may get to the gate after the flight has already boarded and after your seat was given to a standby passenger. You wouldn't have this problem if your flight was booked as a connecting flight.

PP is correct, fly to BWI. You can take a bus to a Metro station or a free shuttle bus to the Amtrack station.

 

[CarolAnnB]

I have credits on SW that expire in January. My husband is going to visit his elderly parents who live near Dulles and it is an hour and a half at least drive to BWI. There is no way he will get on a bus or train and I can't ask my brother-in-law to drive 3 hours total to pick him up. If I didn't have the credits I would probably just pay $150-$200 on Jetblue. I was trying to not have to spend any cash out of pocket and use up the credits.

 

[Lewisc]

Book the 50 minute layover, SW will let you take the later flight (standby) if you miss your flight. I guess it sort of makes sense if you're not going to use the credits. You're trading off a lot of time in exchange for saving a few dollars in ground transportation costs.

DC mass transist is pretty good and isn't that expensive. I think your husband is wasting time. I'm sure there is a Metro station close enough for a pick up by your B-I-L.

I'm not sure what the problem is with a train or bus.

 

[CarolAnnB]

The problem is he is a man who does not want to read any signs or directions. If it was me, I would fly to BWI and rent a car to Dulles for $35 and drive the hour and a half. But being that I would be the one getting calls every half hour when he can't find the bus station or the train station or the right train or bus or the bus was late, yada yada yada, I would rather let him sit on a plane, at a gate, then on another plane.

 

[miabelle]

The problem is he is a man who does not want to read any signs or directions. If it was me, I would fly to BWI and rent a car to Dulles for $35 and drive the hour and a half. But being that I would be the one getting calls every half hour when he can't find the bus station or the train station or the right train or bus or the bus was late, yada yada yada, I would rather let him sit on a plane, at a gate, then on another plane.

thanks for the laugh as this sounds just like my dh, LOL!!