American Charlotte terminal

[SwanVT2]

We have a little under an hour to get to our connecting flight that arrives in Charlotte from BTV to airline to MCO. This is American. Is Charlotte a small airport? Will we make it ok?

 

[bgirl29]

We have a little under an hour to get to our connecting flight that arrives in Charlotte from BTV to airline to MCO. This is American. Is Charlotte a small airport? Will we make it ok?

Charlotte is not a small airport and it is a hub for American Airlines. That said the few times we have connected there we have had no problem with about an hour connection.

 

[Jacksonian]

We have a little under an hour to get to our connecting flight that arrives in Charlotte from BTV to airline to MCO. This is American. Is Charlotte a small airport? Will we make it ok?

Any connections at any airport that are under an hour are dicey. We had 45 min to make a connection in Charlotte a few weeks ago. You almost have to have the "perfect" flight to make it. Our flight left 45 min late, so that ate up our connection time. The pilot was able to make up time and we landed with 15 min to make the next flight. We still had to taxi, get to the gate and exit the plane. Our connecting gate was only 2 away from where we de-planed. Had our connecting flight not been delayed, we would have missed it. I, personally wouldn't have a connection less than 60 min as you sometimes need extra time for the reasons mentioned above.

Charlotte is a fairly big and busy airport.

 

[sam_gordon]

I would not qualify Charlotte as "small" or "easy to get around".

The walk from B to E is LONG.

American can be on B, D, or E that I know of. Go to flightaware.com, search for both of your flights. Looking at a couple days worth will give you general idea of what gates they arrive/depart from.

You also don't say how many there are in your party and if there's anything to slow you down. While I would prefer 90 minutes, I would take an hour layover compared to 3+ (for example). If you miss the connecting flight, American will get you on the next available.

ETA: Don't let the map fool you. You don't have to clear security going between concourses.

 

[SwanVT2]

Any connections at any airport that are under an hour are dicey. We had 45 min to make a connection in Charlotte a few weeks ago. You almost have to have the "perfect" flight to make it. Our flight left 45 min late, so that ate up our connection time. The pilot was able to make up time and we landed with 15 min to make the next flight. We still had to taxi, get to the gate and exit the plane. Our connecting gate was only 2 away from where we de-planed. Had our connecting flight not been delayed, we would have missed it. I, personally wouldn't have a connection less than 60 min as you sometimes need extra time for the reasons mentioned above.

Charlotte is a fairly big and busy airport.

We land at 10:22 and plane departs at 11:15.

 

[SwanVT2]

I would not qualify Charlotte as "small" or "easy to get around".

The walk from B to E is LONG.

American can be on B, D, or E that I know of. Go to flightaware.com, search for both of your flights. Looking at a couple days worth will give you general idea of what gates they arrive/depart from.

You also don't say how many there are in your party and if there's anything to slow you down. While I would prefer 90 minutes, I would take an hour layover compared to 3+ (for example). If you miss the connecting flight, American will get you on the next available.

ETA: Don't let the map fool you. You don't have to clear security going between concourses.

Three people- 2 adults and a 10 year old. We land at 10:15 and depart at 11:22

 

[sam_gordon]

Three people- 2 adults and a 10 year old. We land at 10:15 and depart at 11:22

It's doable. Not a guarantee though. Where you're sitting on the first plane makes a difference. Is the first plane small enough that carry ons get gate checked? Which gates you're going from/to make a difference.

 

[SwanVT2]

I would not qualify Charlotte as "small" or "easy to get around".

The walk from B to E is LONG.

American can be on B, D, or E that I know of. Go to flightaware.com, search for both of your flights. Looking at a couple days worth will give you general idea of what gates they arrive/depart from.

You also don't say how many there are in your party and if there's anything to slow you down. While I would prefer 90 minutes, I would take an hour layover compared to 3+ (for example). If you miss the connecting flight, American will get you on the next available.

ETA: Don't let the map fool you. You don't have to clear security going between concourses.

That is very cool. Thank you.

 

[SwanVT2]

I would not qualify Charlotte as "small" or "easy to get around".

The walk from B to E is LONG.

American can be on B, D, or E that I know of. Go to flightaware.com, search for both of your flights. Looking at a couple days worth will give you general idea of what gates they arrive/depart from.

You also don't say how many there are in your party and if there's anything to slow you down. While I would prefer 90 minutes, I would take an hour layover compared to 3+ (for example). If you miss the connecting flight, American will get you on the next available.

ETA: Don't let the map fool you. You don't have to clear security going between concourses.

Well, I plugged in the flights and of course it looks like we land at B and have to get to E. Ugh!

 

[EACarlson]

What is your plane type on the flight into Charlotte? If it's a Regional Jet, and your have full size carryons you can take another 10 minutes off your connection time. The airport isn't that big or difficult, but going from regional to mainline can take a few minutes.
I was there last month and made it from B to E in 20 minutes. It is AAs largest hub.

 

[jeff_h]

We've been through there a handful of times and you should be fine - there are some moving walkways which help speed things up and each time we've been there people actually did "walk left/stand right" and things moved quickly.

Good luck!

 

[PrincesCJM]

I've been worried about the same thing. Portland ME to Charlotte to Orlando. We have 1hr 5 minute layover. They are both larger planes and when I've checked, they both seem to be in C or B. We don't fly until April but I keep watching the flights for changes. I have already moved our seats up closer to the front of the plane, no gate checked items.

I'm more worried about our return flight. 1 hour layover in PHL. Usually land in A and depart out of F. Paid to move our seats up. Other flight options have similar layovers (taking off at the crack of dawn or landing too late for my crew) and my husband doesn't want to go DCA.

 

[SwanVT2]

I've been worried about the same thing. Portland ME to Charlotte to Orlando. We have 1hr 5 minute layover. They are both larger planes and when I've checked, they both seem to be in C or B. We don't fly until April but I keep watching the flights for changes. I have already moved our seats up closer to the front of the plane, no gate checked items.

I'm more worried about our return flight. 1 hour layover in PHL. Usually land in A and depart out of F. Paid to move our seats up. Other flight options have similar layovers (taking off at the crack of dawn or landing too late for my crew) and my husband doesn't want to go DCA.

I think I have done the one hour layover in PHL. Last year. We made it! I am going to check our seats now and see how close we are to front of plane. Thankfully, we don't have any gate checked items.

 

[SwanVT2]

What is your plane type on the flight into Charlotte? If it's a Regional Jet, and your have full size carryons you can take another 10 minutes off your connection time. The airport isn't that big or difficult, but going from regional to mainline can take a few minutes.
I was there last month and made it from B to E in 20 minutes. It is AAs largest hub.

Is this regional?
Operated by PSA Airlines as American Eagle

Bombardier CRJ900

 

[SwanVT2]

I've been worried about the same thing. Portland ME to Charlotte to Orlando. We have 1hr 5 minute layover. They are both larger planes and when I've checked, they both seem to be in C or B. We don't fly until April but I keep watching the flights for changes. I have already moved our seats up closer to the front of the plane, no gate checked items.

I'm more worried about our return flight. 1 hour layover in PHL. Usually land in A and depart out of F. Paid to move our seats up. Other flight options have similar layovers (taking off at the crack of dawn or landing too late for my crew) and my husband doesn't want to go DCA.

I see now we have about a one hour layover in DCA on the way back--why does your husband not like DCA? Will we have enough time there?

 

[LadybugsMum]

Is this regional?
Operated by PSA Airlines as American Eagle

Bombardier CRJ900

Yes, that's regional as it has 70-80 seats

 

[sam_gordon]

Is this regional?
Operated by PSA Airlines as American Eagle

Bombardier CRJ900

Aren't CRJ900 the ones where you "gate check" bags if they don't fit under the seat? They are on Delta (pretty sure).

 

[PrincesCJM]

I see now we have about a one hour layover in DCA on the way back--why does your husband not like DCA? Will we have enough time there?

Couldn't tell you why. I don't think he's ever flown through it. He used to work for Piedmont, who did all the servicing/cleaning/baggage for American in Portland. When he gets things in his head, there is no changing his mind.

 

[EACarlson]

Is this regional?
Operated by PSA Airlines as American Eagle

Bombardier CRJ900

Yes, that's a Regional, but it's the largest of the Regionals. So you might be ok.

Aren't CRJ900 the ones where you "gate check" bags if they don't fit under the seat? They are on Delta (pretty sure).

There are three levels of CRJ: The CR2 where there is less space in the overhead than there is under the seat, it only fits a half full backpack. The CR7 that is a little bigger and a full backpack is going to fit overhead but not a full on 21" carryon. And the CR9 where depending on how new it is, you might be able to fit a full size carryon in the overhead.

OP, if you have full size carryons, and are worried about time, you might be better off paying to check them. I wouldn't trust anything bigger than the Underseat size carryons to make it into the cabin with you.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

Our DD regularly flies through Charlotte(multiple times a year) If she has under an hour she must run to make the connection. For Thanksgiving and Christmas 2022 do to delays some as little as 20 min she missed every flight. Often times the gate isn't available, the 1st flight was delayed etc etc We no longer book under an hour connections.