Help with connecting flights

[WDW2002]

We have to make a connection each way (to and from). Having never flown before I am not sure what to do or excpect. Anyone who can tell me what to except on my layover/connection please do so.

Do I have to retrieve and recheck my luggage? or does the airline do that?? I was talking to a friend today and she made it seem as if I would have to collect and recheck my luggage??

Do I have to recheck in at the second airport? Do I have to get a new boarding pass??

What happens if we miss out connection, either due to the airline fault or our own?

Any other help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[SamSam]

First.....try not to worry, it's all much easier than it seems. When you are arriving at your connecting airport, the plane you are on will usually tell you what gate you are coming into and then give a long list of all the connecting flights and the gates they leave at. Even if you miss this info, you can get it as soon as you get off the plane. There are monitors all around the airports that list all the incoming and outgoing flights along with their gate numbers. I usually check this first thing, just in case there's been a change. You do NOT have to claim and recheck your luggage; it will be sent on to your connecting flight automatically.
You also do not have to check in again when you reach your connecting gate, you should receive all your boarding passes at your origination airport. However, if you think you will feel better go ahead and check in, it can be slightly intimidating the first few times you fly.
If you miss your connecting flight, the airlines are generally pretty accomodating in getting you on the next available flight.
Have a great trip!!!!!

 

[drusba]

Ditto to the above with some caveats:

1. When you arrange your flights, it is usually advisable, particularly for any large airport, to make that connecting flight's take-off time at least 50 minutes after the scheduled arrival time of your flight as that connecting flight can sometimes be on the other side of the airport from your arrival flight.

2. Though airlines are accomodating when it comes to people missing their connections, there can be problems particularly during heavy flying times like around holidays as it can difficult for the airline to put you on any other flight during the same day as they are all heavily booked.

 

[WDW2002]

Thank you for the information.

Our layover on the way there is only 40 mins (which is of some concern). Both flights are from the same "terminal" but who knows about where in that termial the connecting flight is.

Any info on Atlanta Airport?? or Salt Lake?? (this layover, on the way home is about 1 hr. 40 mins.)

 

[peg2001]

Connections are not as tricky as they seem. Airports try to make it as easy as possible with lots of signs pointing you in the right direction. It would be hard to get lost.

The layouts of the airports are available online if you want to take a look before you go. Try a search on Atlanta Airport, for example. The Atlanta Airport is BIG but they have trains to get you from concourse to concourse, or you can choose to walk (they have moving sidewalks to make that a bit easier too).

I like to give myself at least an hour to make a connection but 40 minutes is doable if your first flight is not delayed. If you ARE delayed, tag the first Delta employee you see upon deplaning and ask if you can still make your connection. If not, they'll do what they can to get you on a later flight.

I just got back from some Delta flights and they had some serious problems with overbooking. They were begging people to volunteer to be bumped if their flight plans were flexible. They warned that waiting overnight for a flight was possible!

Peggy

 

[peg2001]

Connections are not as tricky as they seem. Airports try to make it as easy as possible with lots of signs pointing you in the right direction. It would be hard to get lost.

The layouts of the airports are available online if you want to take a look before you go. Try a search on Atlanta Airport, for example. The Atlanta Airport is BIG but they have trains to get you from concourse to concourse, or you can choose to walk (they have moving sidewalks to make that a bit easier too).

I like to give myself at least an hour to make a connection but 40 minutes is doable if your first flight is not delayed. If you ARE delayed, tag the first Delta employee you see upon deplaning and ask if you can still make your connection. If not, they'll do what they can to get you on a later flight.

I just got back from some Delta flights and they had some serious problems with overbooking. They were begging people to volunteer to be bumped if their flight plans were flexible. They warned that waiting overnight for a flight was possible!

Peggy

 

[drusba]

If you are in the same terminal at Atlanta for both arriving and connecting flight you should be OK if your flight is on time. Otherwise, you will be rushing like hell there to catch that connecter as the terminals are far apart -- I have been in that situation in Atlanta and it ain't no picnic; felt like I had to change cities to get to that flight at another terminal. At Salt Lake you will have no problem at all.

 

[WDW2002]

I went into Delta and check the arrival gate and departure gate. Now the question is do the gates stay the same for the flights?? I know everything is subject to change (just like Disney) but in general.

It appears that we arrive at gate A04 and depart A12 (same terminal, same concourse).

 

[CarolA]

They will probably stay the same unless there are weather conditions. Then all bets are off!