Short layover (50 or so minutes) - which airport would you choose for ease?

[Minnesota!]

Flying with 2 kids, solo. Not many choices (that I can afford, points wise) have layovers longer than 50-55 minutes. We are pretty good travelers...off plane, bathroom, back to gate. But, 50 minutes just seems short when SWA boards so early.

Anyway, for ease of access to next flight...which airport would you choose to connect through?

Midway, St. Louis, BWI, or Atlanta?

Thanks!

 

[maxiesmom]

I voted BWI. But have you been thru Atlanta before? If you know where you are going 50 minutes is doable, as long as you are seated near the front of the first plane and don't stop for anything until you are at the gate for your connecting flight.

 

[Carriemel]

BWI. Everything on Southwest is within the length of a football field. Much easier to connect there than ATL.

With MDW, you're dealing with possible weather, same with ATL. STL, I can't give you anything - one of the few I've not yet been to.

 

[Stitch_Is_King]

Voted BWI as well. Easier to get around compared to ATL. Can't comment on STL or MDW as I have never flown into either before.

 

[cranbiz]

You didn't say when. In the winter I would opt for BWI, in the summer, MDW.

I don't like BWI but like it better than STL and ATL, however in the winter, MDW is a potential problem.

 

[Minnesota!]

Sorry....in June . I am comfy with MDW, but if we come in one on concourse and leave.on another, it can be a haul.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I would go with BWI. Haven't been through St. Louis, but BWI is the best choice of the others. I would choose Atlanta last. Guess which airport I'm flying into Sat? yep, Atlanta because SWA doesn't connect between BWI and the small airport we're headed. It's been said that even the road to He77 connects through Atlanta and it's just not my laughing place.

 

[Hopefully]

I didn't vote. I will not do a 50 - 55 minute layover even solo, let alone with little ones

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

I voted for BWI, love it there. The SW area is pretty compact as far as airports are concerned. I would never ever choose ATL or MDW for that short of a layover. I can't really say much for STL, as I've never been there.

 

[keishashadow]

OP I would put BWI on top, then ATL & MDW.

You referenced June, no winter worries there at least, but always a chance of first flight being delayed. Are you booked on the 1st flight out?

More important to pick an airport that would have a later connection into MCO on your airline jik. No guarantee they can get you on the flight but at least the option is a possibility vs flying of into an airport wherein u are on the last fight fight out to your final destination. Hedge your bet.

 

[kar915]

As have been through all of the above mentioned airports. They are all fairly easy compared to other hubs.
I think the simplest would be STL. The smaller the airline operation, the more likely it is compact into one concourse.
Southwest at STL uses 11/12 gates all in Terminal E. MDW & BWI are both at 35 & 28 gates respectively. ATL 18 gates.

As an airplane fanatic though I would probably choose MDW.

 

[bumbershoot]

More important to pick an airport that would have a later connection into MCO on your airline jik.

I agree.



Also, OP, when you know you have a short connection I have found that it's good to get a bathroom break in shortly before the seatbelt sign goes on. That way if you find yourself in a rush you aren't also dying for the bathroom.

And when you board I've found that they don't mind if you use the bathroom then. Can be hard to get back to your seats immediately but if ya gotta go...

 

[Minnesota!]

I didn't vote. I will not do a 50 - 55 minute layover even solo, let alone with little ones

I am not really worried about the time frame...they aren't THAT little - almost 12 and 9 at that point. They are seasoned travelers, too... just have not done it solo before. DH is usually the one that prods them along in the bathroom, and we can play man-on-man vs being outnumbered. My abundance of vacation time in 2016, though, has me taking them earlier than DH can go. So, it will be something... Unfortunately, there are no other options at this point. The non stops don't exist from MSP anymore, and none of the flights have a layover that is any longer..

As have been through all of the above mentioned airports. They are all fairly easy compared to other hubs.

I think the simplest would be STL. The smaller the airline operation, the more likely it is compact into one concourse.

Southwest at STL uses 11/12 gates all in Terminal E. MDW & BWI are both at 35 & 28 gates respectively. ATL 18 gates.

As an airplane fanatic though I would probably choose MDW.

We are currently booked through STL because I remember it not being so spread out. We LOVE MDW, too, as we are airplane fanatics, as well. But, I know that there have been times we have come in at gate, say, A17, and next flight took off out of B23. It can be a haul, through a mess of people.

Unfortunately, there are no options with a layover longer than 65 minutes (which is BWI and is currently sold out...). If that one opens, I will grab it. Looks like there is a flight later in the day that has 2 hours in MDW but the price is a little obscene right now, so will keep my eye on that one, too. I REALLY want to avoid dealing with luggage, so I have to arrive within "DME handles it" hours.

We always fly first thing in the AM - the flight we are currently out on (through STL) leaves here at 5 something AM. So, that's something, at least

 

[nkereina]

My first choice is BWI. Not sure if it's typical, but every time I have connected on SWA through BWI, my next gate has always been in the same vicinity. I'm guessing the one concourse is used almost exclusively by SWA. I've had to change concourses at MDW before with SWA.

If BWI ends up no longer being an option, ATL would be my second choice. I do agree with PPs in that 50 minutes is tight. I travel for work and have done the 50 minute layover and by the time I get off the plane and use the restroom, my gate is already boarding. SWA usually starts boarding 30 minutes before the flight time I believe. Keep that in mind in case its important you all sit together.

 

[hsmamato2]

BWI is easiest IMHO

 

[Jestocost]

As have been through all of the above mentioned airports. They are all fairly easy compared to other hubs.
I think the simplest would be STL. The smaller the airline operation, the more likely it is compact into one concourse.
Southwest at STL uses 11/12 gates all in Terminal E. MDW & BWI are both at 35 & 28 gates respectively. ATL 18 gates.

As an airplane fanatic though I would probably choose MDW.

SWA is up to 15 gates at STL (they've taken over three gates at the east end of the old D Concourse in addition to the E gates) but it's still fewer than the others. So purely from a stand point of how far you'll have to go between gates it's going to be the best. I would avoid ATL. MDW is easy to navigate and has good amenities but there are a lot of SWA gates and some are pretty far apart. BWI is pretty easy.

I personally would go with STL or BWI as my first choices if ease in changing from one gate to another is your primary goal.

 

[NH-to-FL]

I also voted for BWI. I have been through both BWI and Midway on Southwest and BWI is definitely the better of the two for a connection. Midway can get jammed up by weather. That said, Southwest is pretty good about connections and I would trust them to make sure you make your connection. And for traveling between Minnesota and Orlando BWI seems quite out of the way.

 

[Minnesota!]

Thank you, all! I am going to stick with the STL one unless BWI opens...just to get that extra leeway of 10 - 15 minutes. Lord knows that it would be my kids that decide to get an upset stomach as we are racing from one gate to another. My older son is pretty well known for ill timed bathroom stops..

 

[MillauFr]

Even if I had to pay extra I would pick an airline that flies that route nonstop

 

[Jhondy210]

We ha a 50 minute at ATL this past Nov. with SWA. We found on all our SWA flights that SWA had over exaggerated the time they expected to land. We were able to land at ATL get to the new gate and then go find the Starbucks as we waited to board. One of the reasons that I was comfortable doing the short layover at ATL was that I figured if we missed out layover plane we could easily find another plane going to MCO from ATL. Also, if we were late to the gate and couldn't sit next to each other the flight from ATL to MCO was short.