33 Minutes okay

[havencruiser]

As a parent, I would not let my 16-year-old try to make a connecting flight that had a 33-minute layover. There are just too many variables, especially at holiday times, to make it a realistic expectation that you will make the connection. Just a few extra minutes delay in getting out of the gate, being cleared for takeoff or landing, or getting to park at the gate will throw off your whole schedule. If it's a last day of school before a holiday, I would opt for leaving a little early and getting on the 3 o'clock flight.

 

[jpeppers]

We had an approximate layover of 30 minutes in Atlanta last year on our way back flying Delta and when we landed they changed our connection to a different terminal so we had no chance to make our connection. This is the second time I've had to switch terminals in Atlanta flying Delta. If you have to go to an different terminal there is no way you can make it. The airport is huge. They were nice enough to put us up in a flea bag hotel in a very bad area of town and we had to pay. We barely got a room because they had so many people they screwed over. They refused to even give us our luggage. We got out the next morning. I'm not a big Delta fan.

 

[snowbunny]

I don't understand this suggestion. I think I am missing something.

There are 2 possible flights I could book:

1.) Leaves Dayton at 3:30 for Atlanta. Leaves Atlanta at 9pm for Pensacola.

2.) Leaves Dayton at 6:50 for Atlanta. Same flight to Pensacola.

OK, most people didn't really understand this because you didn't explain it this way to begin with. It sounded like you had a choice of two connecting flights.

If you take the 6:50 flight, you take a huge chance that it will both leave on time and arrive on time during a holiday period, and that you will get to the next gate before they start giving away seats to standby passengers. You should take the earlier flight IMO.

 

[justplaingoofy]

I don't understand this suggestion. I think I am missing something.

There are 2 possible flights I could book:

1.) Leaves Dayton at 3:30 for Atlanta. Leaves Atlanta at 9pm for Pensacola.

2.) Leaves Dayton at 6:50 for Atlanta. Same flight to Pensacola.

The reason my parents are driving down is because my sister and I have school Monday and Tuesday. If we take the 3:30 flight we can only go to a half day of school Tuesday, kind of negating the reason for staying behind. My parents don't like the idea of us missing any school, so they want me to book the later flight. I also don't think they would like the idea of us being stuck overnight in Atlanta after missing a connecting flight...

This is what I do when I travel and there is a short connecting flight (I am a travel agent). I book the connection that leaves later. That way I am confirmed to get on that flight and dont have to worry about missing the earlier one. If your 1st flight gets in on time or early and the earlier connecting flight has not left yet, you can go to the gate counter and ask to fly standby and there should not be a charge. When all the passengers are checked in if there is space on the flight they will let you on. (most airlines allow this and do not charge for it, double check w/ your carrier.) In order to take a different flight other than the one that is scheduled it must be on the same day and to the same destination. Some airlines will allow you earlier in the day to do a "confirmed standby" they charge a nominal fee $20-$30 and they will basically change your reservation to the flight without it being on a "space available" basis.

Doesn't work if you are checking a bag though.

My husband is an air traffic controller and he said Atlanta can have alot of delays (volume related, not so much weather) and that there is no way he would do a layover there unless it was an hour or longer.

 

[havencruiser]

I think the OP's problem is that in order not to leave school earlier she has to take the later of the two flights from her hometown. That's the one that gives her 33 minutes to make the connection. If she takes the earlier flight, she has two hours to make the connection. The 2nd leg of the flight was the last flight out of that town for the day. I personally think that's more reason to leave on the earlier flight.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

I think the OP's problem is that in order not to leave school earlier she has to take the later of the two flights from her hometown. That's the one that gives her 33 minutes to make the connection. If she takes the earlier flight, she has two hours to make the connection. The 2nd leg of the flight was the last flight out of that town for the day. I personally think that's more reason to leave on the earlier flight.

Yes, that's exactly why.

I am a college student and it is a big deal for me to have to miss classes. My sister is in high school and she didn't really want to have to miss any school either. But, I went ahead and booked the afternoon flight with the 3 hr. 49 min. layover. We'll both have to miss some school, but we'll definitely arrive that night in Pensacola to spend Thanksgiving with our parents rather than being in Atlanta! Thanks for all the suggestions/imput!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Here's what I posted about connections in another recent thread, slightly edited to apply to this thread:

One thing to keep in mind is that flights begin boarding 30 minutes before scheduled departure time, and that the aircraft door is often closed and sealed 10 minutes before departure.

So a 33-minute connection really means 3 minutes until boarding or 23 minutes until the door is sealed — if you actually get off the first flight exactly at the scheduled arrival time.

I try to avoid connections. But sometimes, connections are the best, cheapest, or only option. My rule-of-thumb is to have at least one hour for the connection if there are other options to get me to my destination the same day. And I try to have at least two hours if it's essential to make it onto the connecting flight (for example, for connections to Hawaii or Europe, where the airline might only operate one flight every 24 hours).

Of course, there's no way to guarantee making it onto a connecting flight. You could have a four-hour layover, and your first flight segment could be delayed five hours. However, five-hour delays are very rare. But delays of 20-30 minutes are very common, so it's best to have a margin of safety for such delays.​

 

[chipscinderelly]

You can make it in 33 minutes if you need to and it sounds like for class that you need to. I've been flying alone since high school and have not missed a flight because of too short of a connection (yes, I've missed for weather, mechanical etc). My time is too valuable for me to waste it sitting in an airport for several hours if I can avoid it.

 

[justplaingoofy]

I think the OP's problem is that in order not to leave school earlier she has to take the later of the two flights from her hometown. That's the one that gives her 33 minutes to make the connection. If she takes the earlier flight, she has two hours to make the connection. The 2nd leg of the flight was the last flight out of that town for the day. I personally think that's more reason to leave on the earlier flight.

ohh.. I thought in the ops thread it said that she didn't want to wait around for 3+ hours. I didn't see anything about school, etc...

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Yes, I was just worried about missing classes. I will have to take my sister out of school at 12:30 and I will have to skip both of my afternoon classes. But the thought of getting stuck in Atlanta with just me and my 15 year old sister was terrifying! This will be both of our first times flying without our parents and we're a little nervous to begin with so hopefully the fact that I booked the flight with the longer layover will help alleviate some of the stress. Hey, we can catch up on any missed work in the Atlanta airport!

 

[Stitch1404]

I think you made the right choice. A 33 minute layover would worry me. This way you and your sister can relax. And, who knows, maybe you'll get some homework done!

 

[snowbunny]

You can make it in 33 minutes if you need to

Not necessarily. Sometimes planes are late regardless of how much you need them to be on time.

My time is too valuable for me to waste it sitting in an airport for several hours if I can avoid it.

Mine's valuable too, and I would consider spending an unneccesary night in and around Hartsfield airport a waste of time. The OP made a wise decision for her and her young sister.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Also departure time is typically not when the stop letting passengers board. It when the aircraft "pushes back" from the gate.