Short layover...opinions

[bhardy]

I will be traveling in Nov with DFIL, DH, and 2 DD (5,8mos) at time of travel. I can get a flight that lands in MCO at 9:40pm but it only has a 45 min layover in Charlotte (airline is USAirways). Or I can land at 11:40 with an over 2 hour layover. I would like to land earlier but am unsure of the short layover. Thoughts?

 

[whitney250]

We like longer layovers just in case our plane is running behind.

 

[Thing 1]

Charlotte is not a huge airport and pretty easy to manipulate. I would do the earlier flight. 11:40 land time is going to put you like 1AM or later getting to your resort with little ones.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If your originating flight is on time, 45 minutes is plenty of time for the connection at that airport.

 

[Tattylou]

I'd go with the 45 min layover and get there earlier

 

[charmed59]

If the flight is running on time you have lots of time in Charlotte. If you aren't ontime they will put you on the next available flight, which during a not busy time of year may well be the one that lands at 11:40.

Charlotte is a USair hub, and has lots of flights to MCO. However, if you do get stuck in Charlotte overnight there are no hotels in the airport.

 

[sprousehouse]

I'd go with the shorter layover. We always prefer shorter layovers with the kids as being in the airport only seems to wind them up and make the second flight harder.

 

[Cruisin Spartan]

The shorter layover is a little bit of a gamble, but probably worth it. As others have said, you can likely catch the later connection (assuming it is also in Charlotte) if it is not full.

The thing with short layovers is that you need to be prepared to be disappointed if that first flight is delayed. Having little ones always makes things take longer, and if you are bringing a stroller in the aiport, you may need to wait for that on the jetway where you'd pick up gate-checked bags. That will also add extra time.

Good luck either way, and I hope you have a great vacation!

 

[wencherous]

And I thought I was the only crazy person that opted for short layovers

We have 40 minutes between flights at Ohare with a four year old. In December.

We can get a later flight but I'd really rather not hang around for three hours in an airport at the end of a 10 day vacation.

 

[awalker1015]

Definitely vote shorter layover. If you said you were changing planes in ATL I might rethink. But charlotte is super easy to navigate.