Flying American into Charlotte

[katallo]

SW flights are expensive and we are thinking of booking on American. Anyone familiar with Charlotte NC airport; will 55 minutes be enough time to change planes? We have never flown into CHL and are wondering if this will be a comfortable task. Thanks

 

[DebbieB]

SW flights are expensive and we are thinking of booking on American. Anyone familiar with Charlotte NC airport; will 55 minutes be enough time to change planes? We have never flown into CHL and are wondering if this will be a comfortable task. Thanks

You should be fine, it's easy to navigate. I used to travel a lot for work and I think I hold the record for the number of times in the Charlotte airport but never leaving the airport. I connected there a lot when I flew USAirways (before they became American). By the way, it's CLT, are you sure it's Charlotte?

 

[katallo]

Thank you for the info. Yes, my typo. It's Charlotte

 

[momtwoboys]

I have been eyeing the flights on American too with a CLT layover and we NEVER Do layovers! I am getting desperate, JB has priced us out, and SW opens monday.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I've changed planes multiple times at Charlotte. It's an easy airport to navigate, and assuming the first flight is on time you will be able to make your next gate with time to spare.

 

[katallo]

Thanks so much. We need BWI to TPA but SW has not budged unless you want super early or late or connecting flights. Even those have never dropped below 118.00. We're actually going to Anna Maria Island so Sarasota airport will also work with American.

 

[writerguyfl]

Every airline establishes a "Minimum Connection Time" for each of their hubs. They will not sell you a ticket that has a connection shorter than number. Since the airline has to re-accommodate you on a different flight if you miss your connection, they tend to be fairly cautious when setting that number.

I don't think American Airlines publishes their Minimum Connection Times on their website. But a quick internet search says that for Charlotte, that time would be 40 minutes. A 55 minute layover shouldn't be a problem.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

One more thought for the OP. Don't forget that most planes start boarding roughly 30 minutes before departure. That means of your 55 minute layover, you have 25 minutes to reach the next gate before the plane starts boarding. (Again, assuming all flights are on time.) So if you need to buy a coffee or use the restroom, it's probably better to locate your gate and THEN take care of details like that.

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

Have connected on American several times in CLT and it's one of my fave connector airports. You should be fine!

 

[AngiTN]

We've flown AA several times to Orlando. From here, that means a change in Charlotte. I always go with a change of 55 to 60 min and it's always plenty of time. But I'm not one that wants to be the first on the plane either. I'd rather be later to board vs. first. I'm never in any hurry to board to sit in those horrible seats. I wait till the very end of boarding even if we are standing at the gate.

 

[NotUrsula]

While Charlotte is easy to navigate, it is also large, and the walk from gate to gate can be quite long if your connection requires you to change concourses, which AA flights often do. A connection between B11 and C14 can take you a while to walk, especially if you land at a busy time, because the place can get crowded. Here is the terminal map. http://www.cltairport.com/MapsandDirections/Documents/CLT Maps/SDWRMap.pdf
You should have enough time, but you should also plan on maintaining a brisk walking pace.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

will 55 minutes be enough time to change planes? We have never flown into CHL and are wondering if this will be a comfortable task. Thanks

1) I lived in Charlotte and flew about 60,000 miles per year.
2) Th airport is not hard to navigate.
3) I don't like the airport, but it is fine to just "pass through".

 

[Magnoliafan]

Ahh, American Airlines and the Charlotte Airport. The worst experience I've ever had in my (admittedly short) history of solo trips.

A few weeks ago, I did a last minute long weekend trip to celebrate my birthday and enjoy GMR and UOE for the last time. I worked until 5 on Friday night and then drove straight to the Cleveland airport. I normally fly direct (usually Spirit or Frontier) and I've never had any issues, but the fact that I was leaving so late in the day forced me to book a flight with a layover. The connection at CLT was going to be on the tight side, but I figured it would be fine. And at first, it was. Plane left on time. Easy and quick flight. We even landed ahead of schedule. I was happy, smiling, and ready for a sleepy midnight arrival at Pop.

But then they wouldn't let us off the plane. They said that the early arrival meant that they didn't have a gate ready, so we'd have to wait a bit. No worries, right? The gate would be ready soon and we'd still be getting off at the intended time and I'd have the full 45 minute layover to switch planes. Right? Wrong. The clock kept ticking away and we still sat there. As it got closer and closer to the boarding time for my second flight, I started to panic. I searched online for the next available flights from CLT to MCO, but it was almost 10pm. So if I missed my flight, then I would be choosing between renting a car and driving through the night or sleeping in the airport. Neither option seemed a great way to start my birthday weekend and I found myself trying to hold back the tears. And then finally, they said that there was a gate ready. They opened the door 40 minutes after we landed. 40 flipping minutes. I was sitting about halfway back on the plane, so I then had to wait for all the people in front of me to get off. And then I had to speed walk from E 30 to C 12, which took another 10 minutes. I had intended to stop at a bathroom and freshen up a bit between flights, but I was literally minutes away from the door to the flight closing. So it was go go go and Amazing Race myself through the never ending airport. And I made it! Whew. I was sweaty, I was gross, I was out of breath. But I was on the plane.

And I'm always booking direct from now on because I never want to go through that again.

 

[writerguyfl]

And I'm always booking direct from now on because I never want to go through that again.

Point of Clarification: In the airline industry, the term "direct" means a flight between two airports with no change of flight numbers. A direct flight may make one or more stops. Additionally, a direct flight still may require passengers to change to a different aircraft at the stopover airport. So it's still possible to miss the second portion of a direct flight just like a connecting flight.

For example, here's a direct flight with a change of planes. (I went international, as it's easier to find examples.) Note that the first leg of Flight 41 is on a Boeing 757 and the second leg is on a Boeing 777.

Although most folks make airline reservations online, there are still some who prefer to call. That's why I'm replying with this information. The term that airline employees use is "non-stop" not "direct."