33 Minutes okay

[PrincessJasmine08]

Is 33 minutes enough time for a layover? I am booking a flight through Atlanta, and our layover can either be for 3 hours and 49 minutes or 33 minutes. I don't really want to do the 3 hr. 49 min. layover, that would be a LONG time to just be sitting in Atlanta, but at the same time, I don't want to be missing my flight. It will only be 2 adults traveling, so we can rush through the airport if necessary. Any opinions?

 

[cstraub]

That's a tough one. I think I would go with the 33 min layover if you're booking it as a package through one airline. If you do miss the flight then they will take care of getting you to you destination.

I have had a hour layover many times in Atlanta and DFW which are big airports. If you get lucky and the gates are close to each other you could make it. If the gates are far apart and your flight is even a little late you may not be able to make it. We have barley made it with an hour in between flights because our flight has been a bit late and the gates are far apart. Sometimes they will delay the next flight by a few minutes if they are waiting for people to make a connecting flight on the same airline.

Hope that helps.

 

[CarolA]

Who are you flying? DL or AirTran.

AirTran gates are all pretty close together, DLs can be pretty far apart. I can do this, but I don't have kids etc which tend to slow things down....

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Who are you flying? DL or AirTran.

AirTran gates are all pretty close together, DLs can be pretty far apart. I can do this, but I don't have kids etc which tend to slow things down....

Airtran. We did this last year and I told the flight attendant we were afraid of missing our flight. She had the entire plane stay seated when we landed and let us exit first and rush to the next gate. She also called the next gate and they were expecting us. We had great customer service with Airtran.

 

[CarolA]

Well you might make it. Considering that IMHO NOTHING AirTran flies from Atlanta takes off on time you probably have more then 33 minutes. (I flew them to Orlando last week. I was not overly impressed with thier customer service. Plane was scheduled to leave at 10:18. At 10:15 the gate agent was still saying we were on time... Well that would have been amazing as we had NO plane and NO one had boarded! LOL!)

I am truly shocked that your fellow passengers stayed seated. I never see that even when the FAs ask....

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Well you might make it. Considering that IMHO NOTHING AirTran flies from Atlanta takes off on time you probably have more then 33 minutes. (I flew them to Orlando last week. I was not overly impressed with thier customer service. Plane was scheduled to leave at 10:18. At 10:15 the gate agent was still saying we were on time... Well that would have been amazing as we had NO plane and NO one had boarded! LOL!)

I am truly shocked that your fellow passengers stayed seated. I never see that even when the FAs ask....

Sounds like we got lucky! I guess it would be a good thing if the flight is a little late from Atlanta. I think I am going to book it, since it's just 2 adults, we'll sprint through the airport if necessary...I can see it now....

 

[arminnie]

I think I am going to book it, since it's just 2 adults, we'll sprint through the airport if necessary...I can see it now....

Just be prepared that your luggage might not make it. Although these days you can't carry on the stuff you need anyway so I'm not sure how you really prepare.

This just happened to me at DFW. My second flight got delayed an hour, but no one's luggage from the first flight got transferred. It came in on the next flight that night, but the delivery service took 6 hours to deliver it, and it didn't get it there until 5 am the next morning.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Bicker? "Legal" layover times?

I think this is too short, based on the amount of time the airlines MUST schedule for connections. Is AirTran's website letting you continue booking with this short layover, or are you dealing with a Reservationist, or are you just checking the website to see what's available?

 

[CarolA]

"Legal" layover times are based on the airlines not anything really legal.

Airtran does consider this a valid connection. They routinely book about 30 minute connnections in Atlanta. (I think it's because they KNOW they won't leave on time so it's really a 45 mintue layover LOL!)

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Okay, here's some more information...

This is for a Thanksgiving trip from Dayton, Ohio to Pensacola, Florida. We're not actually going to WDW, but everyone here always has such great answers, so I thought I'd ask. Anyway, my parents are driving down on a Sunday and we will send our suitcases with them so there's no luggage to worry about. Then my sister and I will have school on Monday and Tuesday before flying down Tuesday night to meet our parents. I'm 20 and my sister is 15 so we can run for our next gate if necessary.

This is the last flight of the day out of Atlanta to Pensacola. This worries me. If we miss the flight, do they put us up in a hotel? Do they book us with another airline to still get to Pensacola that night?

I am looking at booking this online, not through a reservation agent.

I am thinking I should just go with the 3 hr. 49 min. layover. We can find a restaurant in the Atlanta airport and get dinner. It won't be such a bad wait and I guess it's always better safe than sorry, but I really would like a shorter layover....I can't decide!

 

[debster812]

This is the last flight of the day out of Atlanta to Pensacola.

This would be the deal breaker for me, I would just not want to risk it or the hassle on the last flight out.

I'd go for the 3 hour layover, grab dinner, stroll the airport, and relax. It's not like you have to keep small kids entertained. Besides, by the time you get off the plane, hit the restroom, find somewhere to get a bite to eat, eat, find your new gate, hit the restroom again, you'll probably only have an hour or so left until you board.

 

[seashoreCM]

YOu might have made connections in 33 minutes. An airline may consider 33 minutes a legal connection. But 33 minutes is not "okay" and this is not just IMHO.

I do think that one hour is "okay" although not ideal. Here is an acid test. If the airline will put you up in a hotel (or forcibly book you on the next flight of the day if there is one) if you miss the connecting flight (33 minute connection) by fewer than 27 minutes for any reason whatsoever including weather, then we can consider 33 minutes "okay".

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[havencruiser]

I haveat times tried to book short layover flights online only to have a message pop up that the "connection time" is too short. If you are traveling at a holiday time that makes things even worse. The hassle you will endure of not making the next flight, not getting your luggage, probably not making the next connecting flight if you miss the first one since that one may already be full, won't be worth it.....in my opinion.

 

[solotraveler]

This would be the deal breaker for me, I would just not want to risk it or the hassle on the last flight out.

I'd go for the 3 hour layover, grab dinner, stroll the airport, and relax. It's not like you have to keep small kids entertained. Besides, by the time you get off the plane, hit the restroom, find somewhere to get a bite to eat, eat, find your new gate, hit the restroom again, you'll probably only have an hour or so left until you board.

I totally agree! You will probably want a little extra room just in case there is a delay. ATL is a large airport with lots of ways to kill time. I'd take the longer connection.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

YOu might have made connections in 33 minutes. An airline may consider 33 minutes a legal connection. But 33 minutes is not "okay" and this is not IMHO.

I do think that one hour is "okay" although not ideal. Here is an acid test. If the airline will put you up in a hotel (or forcibly book you on the next flight of the day if there is one) if you miss the connecting flight by fewer than 27 minutes for any reason whatsoever including weather, then we can consider 33 minutes "okay".

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

So 27 minutes is illegal for a connection, but 33 minutes is legal?

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Airlines set their own minimum connection time
. . . depends upon individual airports
. . . depends upon on-time history
2) I have seen some times
. . . as low as 30-minutes (NWA through Memphis)
. . . as long as 45-minutes (NWA through Minneapolis)
. . . as long as 50-minutes (Continental through Newark)
3) A 30-minute period for Aitran in Atlanta doesn't seem bad.
4) Problems may arise with on-time departure from Orlando
. . . sometime families take longer to board than planned
. . . the frequent (brief) thunderstorms can hold departures for 15-30 minutes
5) After 2-million air miles, I prefer not to have such a close connection.


NOTE: "Usually" airlines will hold a connecting flight if there are 6-10 people coming in on another flight. However, do not count on this. If your flight into Atlanta is late you will be forced onto the later flight. THEN, the problem becomes one of a) is there room on the next flight and b) can you sit together on the next flight.

 

[snowbunny]

I am thinking I should just go with the 3 hr. 49 min. layover. We can find a restaurant in the Atlanta airport and get dinner. It won't be such a bad wait and I guess it's always better safe than sorry, but I really would like a shorter layover....I can't decide!

The odds are very good of missing that connection. During holiday time, with full flights, are you really feeling that adventurous? Even if you get to the gate before they close the door, that doesn't mean they didn't already give your seats to standby passengers. Go with the longer layover, and when your first- leg plane is 10 minutes late getting to the gate, you'll be patting yourself on the back rather than than having a cow.

 

[justplaingoofy]

How about booking the later flight and if you get in early go to the gate to see if you can get on the earlier one. That would be standby and shouldn't be a charge.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Good suggestion, justplaingoofy! The OP should check AirTran's standby policy, but since they won't have any checked luggage, it could work.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

How about booking the later flight and if you get in early go to the gate to see if you can get on the earlier one. That would be standby and shouldn't be a charge.

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...