What Happens If You Miss Connecting Flight?

[MickeyEars]

Hi~

I thought maybe someone with more flying experience could help me with this.
I found a great price on airfare for our June trip but the connection time is tight (35 minutes) in Atlanta no less. I know this is a large busy airport so I don't know if I should book it or not. The airline is Delta and it's an early morning flight. Arriving at MCO at 9:20 am. More time at Disney World!!

What happens if we miss our connecting flight? Please help I don't want to mess up.

Thanks!!

Carla

 

[DebbieB]

Hi~

I thought maybe someone with more flying experience could help me with this.
I found a great price on airfare for our June trip but the connection time is tight (35 minutes) in Atlanta no less. I know this is a large busy airport so I don't know if I should book it or not. The airline is Delta and it's an early morning flight. Arriving at MCO at 9:20 am. More time at Disney World!!

What happens if we miss our connecting flight? Please help I don't want to mess up.

Thanks!!

Carla

They will put you on the next available flight with empty seats. Delta has almost hourly flights to MCO from Atlanta, so you should get on another flight that day.

For June, chances are there will be several flight time changes before then.

 

[MillauFr]

Highly unlikely you can make a 35 minutes connection in Atlanta. It can take upwards of 15 minutes to even get off your first plane. I agree with the previous poster that Delta will but you on the next plane (with seats available) to Orlando.

 

[Spunky946]

There is no way I'd do that short of a connection in Atlanta.

 

[TwizzleMouse]

I wouldn't do it, esp in Atlanta. Too short of a connecting time.

 

[bumbershoot]

They will put you on the next available flight with empty seats. Delta has almost hourly flights to MCO from Atlanta, so you should get on another flight that day.

For June, chances are there will be several flight time changes before then.

Agreed and agreed.

If there's no change and this is the flight you end up on, talk to the others in your family about the "what ifs". Talk and talk and talk about it. Research how many other flights there are on delta through the day and make sure they understand this.

I had a flight booked to Dublin; we had an under-2-hour layover at Heathrow, and it wasn't anywhere near enough time. (heathrow is insane) American, coming in from Canada, transferring to a different airline to get to Ireland...augh. I had told my son it would be OK many times, but after a whole 40 minutes of sleep the whole flight he could not remember it or let the knowledge into his head. We wanted to TRY to make the flight, but the rushing just made him think we were going to miss it and be stuck in London forever or get in trouble or something... It was awful.

So if you're flying with others who are young or inexperienced, make sure they know that you won't be stuck in Atlanta forever.

 

[PSUGuy]

We had a tight window on Delta at Atlanta in 2004, 40 mins or so. We made it, but my SIL left a backpack he gate checked on the first flight, was about to go back when a Delta employee said to him, 'We're booked solid, you miss this flight and you won't get out of Atlanta today'. Delta got the pack on the connecting flight for him.

Bill From PA

 

[Hopefully]

I wouldn't even think of a 35 minute connection in Atlanta
Although Delta will put you on the next available flight with seats, there is no guarantee when that will be. You could be stuck in Atlanta a long time, even overnight as PP said.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Atlanta has concourses T-A-B-C-D-E-F, with a underground tram between the terminals.
2) If your Delta flight in/out uses the same concourse, the walk can be short.
3) However, if you need to take the tram to a different concourse, no way.
4) Plus, airplanes board 30-35 minutes before flight-time.
5) So, if your inbound flight is on-time, your outbound flight is boarding at the same time.
6) Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, so tardy flights due to plane traffic are common.
7) And, we haven't even talked about the frequent weather delays.

8) If you do miss the connection, Delta puts you on the next flight with open seats.
9) Now, this also means you and the family may not be sitting together!

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I flew standby and had a 35 min connection from MCO to home. Just getting to the gate to unload I knew I wasn't going to make it. They were loading 20 minutes before the flight. I waited until the next flight out going home as it was a smaller airport I had a longggg wait. But, it was standby.

 

[sam_gordon]

What are the ages and mobility situations of those travelling? I once made a plane change (including changing concourses) in 5 minutes in ATL. However, that was just me and I already knew where I was going.

If I was travelling with kids or anyone else who has mobility issues (ie: can't "rush"), I would not attempt this. I look for at least an hour layover.

 

[stinkpickle]

I wouldn't either.

 

[nkereina]

I had a 1 hr 10 min layover in Baltimore recently. Everything was on time, but by the time I was getting off my first flight until the time they were boarding my second flight (it was Southwest so I didn't want to be late for boarding), I really only had about 20 mins to kill. I wouldn't book a flight with a layover less than an hour.

 

[supersnoop]

If Delta will allow you to book it, then they think you can make it. Check the actual times for your flight over the past few days. Many arrival times at ATL are padded by up to 50 minutes to account for ground traffic. At ATL, I'm usually off my plane 20 minutes before i was scheduled to land. If you have kids with carseats and strollers, it might be tight, but two able-bodied adults should be no problem.

 

[robinb]

If Delta will allow you to book it, then they think you can make it. Check the actual times for your flight over the past few days. Many arrival times at ATL are padded by up to 50 minutes to account for ground traffic. At ATL, I'm usually off my plane 20 minutes before i was scheduled to land. If you have kids with carseats and strollers, it might be tight, but two able-bodied adults should be no problem.

This is what I as thinking too. I would book it if you don't have to haul a bunch of stuff through the airport and are OK with possibly being separated if you miss your connecting flight.

 

[jessa07]

If Delta will allow you to book it, then they think you can make it. Check the actual times for your flight over the past few days. Many arrival times at ATL are padded by up to 50 minutes to account for ground traffic. At ATL, I'm usually off my plane 20 minutes before i was scheduled to land. If you have kids with carseats and strollers, it might be tight, but two able-bodied adults should be no problem.

Precisely! I say book it!

 

[LadyBeBop]

To paraphrase Clint Eastwood: "Do you feel lucky?"

Normally, I wouldn't book a flight with that short of a layover, especially in Atlanta. But it looks like you're booking the first flight of the day from Atlanta to Orlando. Delta has flights to Orlando almost every hour, so you'll probably be on the next flight.

What I may do...book the following flight to Orlando. I'm assuming that's about an hour later. You'd still make it to WDW at a decent hour. Enough to make FP+ for Mine Train.

 

[Capt_BJ]

don't check any bags . . . .

on the other hand as a previous post mentioned

Delta has almost hourly flights to MCO from Atlanta


why not take the next flight ... is a few minutes of time standing in line at a WDW attraction worth the stress of worrying if you make the flight?

 

[sam_gordon]

To paraphrase Clint Eastwood: "Do you feel lucky?"

Normally, I wouldn't book a flight with that short of a layover, especially in Atlanta. But it looks like you're booking the first flight of the day from Atlanta to Orlando. Delta has flights to Orlando almost every hour, so you'll probably be on the next flight.

What I may do...book the following flight to Orlando. I'm assuming that's about an hour later. You'd still make it to WDW at a decent hour. Enough to make FP+ for Mine Train.

don't check any bags . . . .

on the other hand as a previous post mentioned

Delta has almost hourly flights to MCO from Atlanta


why not take the next flight ... is a few minutes of time standing in line at a WDW attraction worth the stress of worrying if you make the flight?

Booking the next flight is a good idea IF the price isn't too outrageous.

 

[maxiesmom]

I wouldn't do it. My shortest connecting through Atlanta was 47 minutes, and even with our first plane taking off early plane was boarding when we got to the gate. And my family has connecting through ATL a few times, so we knew where we were going and how to get there.

As another poster pointed out, it can take 15 minutes or more to even make it off of the first aircraft.

I wouldn't book that flight because if you miss it, even if there are many planes going to MCO that day, you don't know how many seats you may get on which flights. Never mind sitting together. And there is the running around the terminal you would have to do. Nope.