45 minutes at Midway

[maxiesmom]

Would you be comfortable with that connection not knowing where you will be seated on the flight before?

Due to work I should return a day or two earlier from my vacation. I can fly on Saturday, but the question is do the 45 minute layover or the 2 hour layover.? Or I could fly super early Sunday and have a 1 hour layover. All of this is on Southwest thru Midway.

Which do you think?

 

[sam_gordon]

What’s the arrival times?

 

[maxiesmom]

Saturday I would leave MCO at 10 am and arrive home at 335. Same arrival time with the 11:15 am flight. Sunday is a 7:05 am flight with me getting home at 11:45 am.

Or do you mean when would I arrive in Chicago? The first slight Saturday lands there 11:45 am. The second 1 pm. The flight Sunday I would land at 8:55 am in Chicago.

There is an hour time difference between home and Chicago.

 

[sam_gordon]

Saturday I would leave MCO at 10 am and arrive home at 335. Same arrival time with the 11:15 am flight. Sunday is a 7:05 am flight with me getting home at 11:45 am.

Or do you mean when would I arrive in Chicago? The first slight Saturday lands there 11:45 am. The second 1 pm. The flight Sunday I would land at 8:55 am in Chicago.

There is an hour time difference between home and Chicago.

Nope, I was referring to your final arrival. I would take the 10am flight. Longer layover means more cushion in case something goes wrong. The only advantage to the 11:15 flight is it's an 1:15 later, but I don't think that's worth it.

 

[Jimsig]

If flying Sat for the difference of 75 min earlier leaving MCO I would go with the longer layover. As Sam said above it's a bigger cushion and it also allows you time to get something to eat and use the restroom between flights without being rushed.

However, are you traveling alone? Are there other flights from Midway to your home airport after the one you would take and how many on Sat? If traveling alone it makes it easier if they have to re-book you on a later flight (if there are later flights).

I would also be tempted to take that Sunday flight as chances are the aircraft is probably sitting in MCO all if not most of the night so it's not like you would have to worry about it arriving late on the previous flight so it should leave on time. Although getting up that early YAWN!!!! And I say that with having to get up a 330a for work each day

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I would not attempt making a connection at MDW with just 45 minutes between scheduled arrival and departure of the next leg of my journey. They generally start boarding 30 minutes in advance and frequently close the doors 10 or 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure. Southwest has so many flights out of their MDW hub that you could have to go from one concourse to the other (A to B or B to A) to get to your plane, and even a small delay waiting for your inbound flight to get parked at the gate could make the connection time marginal.

 

[writerguyfl]

For me, the key question is this: How many other Southwest flights are scheduled later that same day. Meaning, if you miss you flight because of a day, how many other opportunities will you have to get home.

Given that you're flying solo, I'd say the chances of getting on another flight that day (assuming they exist) in you misconnect would be strong.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

With 45 min. remember SWA starts boarding 30 minutes before your flight time so you have 15 minutes to get there. It can take you 10 - 15 minutes just to get off the plane you are arriving on Remember at MDW your next gate could be far away from where you land. so if you are a good runner then go for it.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'd also consider time of year. If it's winter at Midway...I'm looking for a longer connection time because I'm expecting deicing or other weather delays.