Continental flight through Houston with toddler

[tkitty]

Our flight to MCO is through Houston Airport. We are. 4 adults and 2 children 2yrs, and 7yrs old.
If we explain to attendant that we have a 30 min window to catch our connecting flight, and we have a toddler, will they help us to de-plane before others?
I've been watching these two flights for about 1 month now, checking daily. They always flight into the same terminal (C), and some times the gates are next to each other, sometimes they are halfway through terminal C.
Only once in the last month, was this flight late to Houston.
I've called, and can change to much later flights (Cont. changed my flight, that's why we are cutting it close), but would sure like to make this.
Really just want to know if attendants will help us as we have a 2 year old, or if they will even care.

 

[Lewisc]

Call and see if you can get your seats moved to the front of the plane. Get to the gate early and ask again. Try to go light with carryon bags, even if it means paying to check an extra bag. Assume you won't have time for a bathroom break or time to purchase food at your connecting airport.

The FA might ask other passengers to remain at their seats until passengers with a short connection exit. The problem is passengers rarely honor those requests.

 

[crashbb]

The only times that I have ever heard the request, is when a flight was late coming in and an announcement was made requesting that those who were staying in the city at which we were arriving to please let those with connecting flights get off the plane first. As Lewisc said, however, even this request is not always heeded.

Sitting near the front of the plane and having all your carry-ons under the seats in front of you (rather than overhead) will definitely help you get off of the plane quickly.

Given that you have the opportunity to avoid the issue (i.e. take the later flight), but don't want to due to the inconvenience, I wouldn't assume that the FAs would inconvenience everyone else on the plane for you. Who knows how many other people also have tight connections? Unfortunately, you are going to have to make the choice between risking the tight connection or having too much time at your connecting airport. If there are a couple of flights to MCO after the one you want (and they tend not to be full), the worst that would happen if you didn't make your early flight is that you'd be put on the later flight. However, you'd be flying stand-by and with six people, it is difficult to know if you'd get on a flight (not knowing how many flights there are between Houston and Orlando).

 

[tkitty]

Call and see if you can get your seats moved to the front of the plane. Get to the gate early and ask again. Try to go light with carryon bags, even if it means paying to check an extra bag. Assume you won't have time for a bathroom break or time to purchase food at your connecting airport.

The FA might ask other passengers to remain at their seats until passengers with a short connection exit. The problem is passengers rarely honor those requests.

Thanks for your quick response, I'll try your suggestions. We plan on very little carry on, and will have a "runner" (my SIL) head quickly to the next gate. No potty breaks for us! It's the plane potty or nothing.

 

[Lewisc]

I think Continental is one of the airlines that reserve seats in the front of the plane for elite fliers. Double check, you might persuade Continental to give you one of those seats. If the answer is no check policy. You might be able to change to those seats 24 hours before your flight.\

crashbb---Continental, not the OP, decided 30 minutes is a "legal connection". The OP didn't book two seperate flights with 30 minutes to make the flight. I don't have an issue if letting those passengers leave the plane first is a solution. It's really not the end of the world if a few passengers have to wait an extra 2-3 minutes to let those passengers with tight connections deplane first. I don't think passengers will comply with the request. Sitting near the front of the plane is probably the best solution.

 

[crashbb]

crashbb---Continental, not the OP, decided 30 minutes is a "legal connection". The OP didn't book two seperate flights with 30 minutes to make the flight. I don't have an issue if letting those passengers leave the plane first is a solution. It's really not the end of the world if a few passengers have to wait an extra 2-3 minutes to let those passengers with tight connections deplane first. I don't think passengers will comply with the request. Sitting near the front of the plane is probably the best solution.

I understand that Continental made the change, but the OP indicated that he could change the second flight to later flight, giving them an easy connection, but did not want to do so. So, yes, Continental initiated the change, but the OP does have an viable option to avoid the short connection. I totally understand not wanting a long connection - just pointing out that the OP does have the option of not trying to make a tight connection. As I said, in many, many flights, I have only heard the request in cases where the first flight was significantly delayed.

OP - if you cannot get all 6 people near the front, try to at least get your "runner" up there and try to get aisle seats, or rather, try to avoid having anyone shut into window/middle seats with an unknown person on the aisle, since then you are at their mercy. Not that they'd purposefully be slow, but they might just be slow plane exiters.

 

[Lewisc]

I understand that Continental made the change, but the OP indicated that he could change the second flight to later flight, giving them an easy connection, but did not want to do so.

Despite what some of us think a passenger isn't required to scour the internet to learn the "tricks". A passenger who's given a 30 minute connection has the right to assume that 30 minutes is an appropriate amount of time. My opinon would be different if Continental suggested taking a later connecting flight and the passenger asked to keep the 30 minute connection.

I'd generally have no issue honoring a request to remain seated an extra 2-3 minutes so passengers with short connections, for whatever reason, can deplane first. I don't think enough passengers will honor that request. Asking to get moved to the front of the plane makes sense.

Some of the "elite" fliers in the front seats might get upgraded to first class. Getting at least the "runner" a seat near the front of the plane is the best solution.

 

[crashbb]

Despite what some of us think a passenger isn't required to scour the internet to learn the "tricks". A passenger who's given a 30 minute connection has the right to assume that 30 minutes is an appropriate amount of time. My opinon would be different if Continental suggested taking a later connecting flight and the passenger asked to keep the 30 minute connection.

But the OP said in the first post that they were offered the option of a longer connecting time. I am not requiring them to learn any tricks.

FACT 1 - The OP is aware that 30 minutes is a tight connection (hence their request for help). If the OP was sure it was an "appropriate amount of time" they wouldn't be asking the FAs to let them off of the plane first.

FACT 2 - The OP has been told that they can switch to a flight offering a long connection. So, the OP knows that these flights exist and that they can be switched to them.

I don't think it take a rocket scientist to make the leap to my thought that the OP is knowingly (and willingly) taking an avoidable risk. I am saying the OP is a "bad person" for taking the risk, just pointing it out.

 

[bavaria]

And while I don't think that OP intended it this way, what places OP's needs over someone else's needs? Houston is a major connecting point; chances are good that many on that flight have a connection, and most likely one of under an hour. Who gets to decide which passenger has priority? Someone with a 45 minute connection may feel that they too have time pressure, and shouldn't be held back from deplaning.

Unlike crashbb, I have had that announcement on many of my late night flights and/or flights into major hubs like ORD, but like crashbb I have rarely witnessed passengers complying with the rest. The majority actually point out that they too have connections to other airlines, or trains, or ferries, or have to reach the rental car counter before it closes. They have needs too.

I can do B to C gates at ORD in under 14 minutes, yet I do not knowingly or willingly book connections of under an hour. I prefer two hours for my connections. Passengers do have the right to take later connections, and if they willingly choose the shorter one they shouldn't expect others to make way for them (not that the OP seems to want that)

All that OP can do is book as far forward as possible (difficult on CO without status), or have the 'runner' pay for a seat in F, or plan to run as fast as possible and expect to miss the connection, or book a longer connection.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

If you're on a plane with two classes as well, First Class/Business Class will also deboard before anyone in Coach.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If you're on a plane with two classes as well, First Class/Business Class will also deboard before anyone in Coach.

Unless you're on a plane which exits from both the front and the back of the plane.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Unless you're on a plane which exits from both the front and the back of the plane.

Usually these are just for International routes, but yes, that would also be a correct statement.

 

[ironz]

Usually these are just for International routes, but yes, that would also be a correct statement.

or the SW flights in/out of Burbank.

 

[greg126]

Despite what some of us think a passenger isn't required to scour the internet to learn the "tricks". A passenger who's given a 30 minute connection has the right to assume that 30 minutes is an appropriate amount of time.

It might be legal and at IAH it is indeed doable IF everything runs like its supposed to - IMO something that doesn't happen nearly enough in air travel for me to be comfortable with it.

A couple of 'tricks' that admittedly work far better without a toddler. (1) get a reservation on later flight, then try for stand-by on the 30 minute connect if you make it to the gate in time (whats CO standby policy?). (2) Check seat availability on later flight, if there's a lot go for the reservation on the earlier one, knowing you've got a back-up that would likely get you out of there.

Its a risk management deal - if you go for the earlier, don't make it and subsequent flights are full you could be looking at a next day arrival.

Having said that - last time we missed a flight at IAH they locked one of us into a first class seat on the next flight and by the time we got to the gate the other came off standy-by also into a 1st!! Wouldn't have worked for 3 tho, especially when 2 need to be seated together (altho if you get seats you shouldn't have a problem with someone being willing to swap).

 

[tkitty]

I want to thank you all for the thought you all put into this for me.
My original flight had a 1 hour connection in Houston, which I felt was perfect. I chose the flight out of Phoenix, and accepted the connection that was given me online.(Bought back in April)
Because I am obsessed with planning my trip, I happened to check my flight. Lo and behold, my 1st flight is moved up 1/2 hr. I never would have known.
So now we are left with 30 min to connect. The airline never made an attempt to change our conecting flight.
I talked to someone I work with who flies through Houston to Fl. a few times a year, and he said it can be done. As someone above said, no stopping, no potty break, etc.
I've printed out the layout of all the gates at Houston, and have been watching that same flight and arrival times for it every day.
I called the airline, to see if, since it was not my idea to have such a short window, what my options were, if they thought that was enough time, and they did tell me I could always change it to 3 hrs later.
I may very well do this. My DD (28) wants to try the early one, and I am pretty optimistic myself, But our vacation would really start out bad if that flight is late.
The airline made this change without notifying me, and I would think others could be in for a surprise if they don't see the change before they go to check in.

 

[tkitty]

or the SW flights in/out of Burbank.

I fly this one alot. I like hopping out the back door while the line forms at the front.