Is a one hour layover long enough? Updated last post!

[Kassia]

We are leaving for vacation soon and have a one hour layover in Minneapolis.  Our second flight starts boarding five minutes after our first flight is scheduled to land.  I'm feeling anxious about this, but DH keeps telling me not to worry.  Ds just had a shorter layover in Chicago, but was with someone who knew the airport well (we don't know the Minneapolis airport).  We don't know the gate numbers either.  

 

 

[flyingaway]

The airline can tell you if that meets their minimum time for connections. You can also get a map of the airport online. I don’t think it’s hard one to navigate. I wouldn’t worry about it for domestic flights, but I did have to run through it once for international to domestic. 

[GinaPagnato]

That's way too close for my comfort. Over the last 5-7 years, flying with connections has been increasingly difficult. I now plan at least 1.5 hours between flights, or else I'll pay more for a direct flight.

If there's nothing to be done about it, try not to worry. It'll probably be fine. But if there's the possible of changing things, I'd look into it.

[Annie G]

I’ve done shorter but when that’s happened I made sure I had a seat close to the front for the first flight.  Nothing worse than being at the back of a plane waiting for people to get off-it makes me twitchy. 

[Kassia]

22 minutes ago, flyingaway said:

The airline can tell you if that meets their minimum time for connections. You can also get a map of the airport online. I don’t think it’s hard one to navigate. I wouldn’t worry about it for domestic flights, but I did have to run through it once for international to domestic. 

 

I'll call today and let them know and see what they say.  Thanks!

 

17 minutes ago, GinaPagnato said:

That's way too close for my comfort. Over the last 5-7 years, flying with connections has been increasingly difficult. I now plan at least 1.5 hours between flights, or else I'll pay more for a direct flight.

If there's nothing to be done about it, try not to worry. It'll probably be fine. But if there's the possible of changing things, I'd look into it.

 

I'm really nervous about it and won't feel good about the trip until we're on that plane! 

 

2 minutes ago, Annie G said:

I’ve done shorter but when that’s happened I made sure I had a seat close to the front for the first flight.  Nothing worse than being at the back of a plane waiting for people to get off-it makes me twitchy. 

 

yes, that's what I'm nervous about.  I'm sure we're at the back of the first plane and I know it takes a long time to wait for everyone else!  Last time I flew, some guy decided to use the restroom on the plane and no one was allowed to leave the plane until after his (very long) bathroom visit.  He had no idea that he was holding the entire plane hostage.  

[Rachel]

It’s cutting it a little close but I have found the Minneapolis airport easy to navigate. 

[Lanny]

I would NEVER do that, but, disclaimer, I am a former airline employee and after that I was a Travel Agent for one year. 

NOTE: If both flights are on the same airline and on the same ticket AND IF you misconnect, if they have another flight, going to your destination city, within a few hours, I might take a chance and hope that we could be accommodated on the later flight.

If your 2nd flight is the only one between those city pairs, I would want a minimum of 2 or 3 hours.

 NOTE: Print a Map of the Gates for that  airline in that airport.

Here's what can go wrong... Last Friday, we were scheduled for a 608 A.M. flight from Bogotá to Cali.  When I checked the performance, I also checked for the previous day. The previous day the aircraft was "Pushed back" at 1015 A.M.   On Friday, our flight pushed back 4 or 5 minutes early, but we landed a few minutes late, because we had to wait, near the end of the runway, for Landing Aircraft  and for aircraft that were ahead of us. That's a flight that normally requires approximately 30 minutes (wheels up to wheels down).

I DO NOT believe in "Tight" connections, although many people get away with them.  Enjoy your trip!

[Kassia]

5 minutes ago, Lanny said:

I would NEVER do that, but, disclaimer, I am a former airline employee and after that I was a Travel Agent for one year. 

NOTE: If both flights are on the same airline and on the same ticket AND IF you misconnect, if they have another flight, going to your destination city, within a few hours, I might take a chance and hope that we could be accommodated on the later flight.

If your 2nd flight is the only one between those city pairs, I would want a minimum of 2 or 3 hours.

 NOTE: Print a Map of the Gates for that  airline in that airport.

Here's what can go wrong... Last Friday, we were scheduled for a 608 A.M. flight from Bogotá to Cali.  When I checked the performance, I also checked for the previous day. The previous day the aircraft was "Pushed back" at 1015 A.M.   On Friday, our flight pushed back 4 or 5 minutes early, but we landed a few minutes late, because we had to wait, near the end of the runway, for Landing Aircraft  and for aircraft that were ahead of us. That's a flight that normally requires approximately 30 minutes (wheels up to wheels down).

I DO NOT believe in "Tight" connections, although many people get away with them.  Enjoy your trip!

 

Thanks!  We are flying tomorrow morning.  Delta is supposed to call me back so I can ask about it and we will print a map of the gates in the terminal we'll be in.  I am going to be a wreck!  I have been concerned about this since we first got our reservations but my family kept telling me it would be okay.  I should have listened to my gut.  Please send good wishes!  

[gardenmom5]

I'd prefer a bigger buffer.

I've had to run for domestic flights.   I've had domestic flights take off on time  - but fly around major thunderstorms in the midwest and landed very late. 

and even though the pilot asked people to stay in their seats so those who had an imminent connection could get off first - everyone tried to bail at once.

[JanetC]

Did you book this as two separate flights or is it a layover arranged by one airline on one ticket? The latter is not as risky as the airline you booked with would be responsible for rebooking you to another flight if you missed the connection. Also, you would be in the same general area of the airport if you are not changing airlines as all of one airline’s gates are typically in a group together. You don't really have to know your way around the airport for that. And, if you check a bag, baggage handling might hold up your plane as your bag is transferred, too. 

But, if you booked a “hacker fare” an hour might be cutting it close. 

ETA: Other things to consider is weather (blizzard season always got me flying home to Chicago for Christmas break as a student) and whether it’s a busy travel day for some reason (holiday, major convention in town, etc.) 

[Kassia]

2 minutes ago, JanetC said:

Did you book this as two separate flights or is it a layover arranged by one airline on one ticket? The latter is not as risky as the airline you booked with would be responsible for rebooking you to another flight if you missed the connection. Also, you would be in the same general area of the airport if you are not changing airlines as all of one airline’s gates are typically in a group together. You don't really have to know your way around the airport for that. And, if you check a bag, baggage handling might hold up your plane as your bag is transferred, too. 

But, if you booked a “hacker fare” an hour might be cutting it close. 

 

We booked it all as a package - lodging and airfare - through Club Med.  I called Delta and got the gate numbers and they are very far apart.  Even DH is concerned now, which just makes me even more nervous!  

[Lanny]

I hope this will work out perfectly for your family!   In the future, I strongly suggest that you make you own reservations so that you have control of everything.  However if it is a Package, the    Tour Operator (in this case Club Med) may have purchased a number of seats on those 2 flights and it never occurred to them that their passengers had very little time to connect.

Here's another issue one can run into: Latin America  airlines frequently leave EARLY.  I remember a sign at the Avianca gate in Orlando, that the Door will be shut 20 Minutes BEFORE departure.

If you have any Checked Baggage, this is more dicey for you.

 

 

[JanetC]

So your choices are to rebook or to live with a tight connection. If you want to rebook a longer layover, call Club Med since they are in charge of your package. 

[JanetC]

 

2 minutes ago, Lanny said:

If you have any Checked Baggage, this is more dicey for you.

 

Don’t worry about the bags. The baggage is not changing airlines, so it’s Delta’s problem to deliver it to your lodging if the bag does not make its connection. Carrying everything on board will slow you down and possibly make it harder to make a tight connection.

[Kassia]

20 minutes ago, JanetC said:

So your choices are to rebook or to live with a tight connection. If you want to rebook a longer layover, call Club Med since they are in charge of your package. 

 

At this point, we'll live with the tight connection and hope for the best.  I wish I would have addressed this much sooner but my family assured me all would be fine.  Now I'm a wreck.  It's been a very tough year for me physically, emotionally, and financially and I've been looking forward to this vacation for a long time!  I'm actually going against my doctor's orders.  Wish us luck! 

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, JanetC said:

Did you book this as two separate flights or is it a layover arranged by one airline on one ticket? The latter is not as risky as the airline you booked with would be responsible for rebooking you to another flight if you missed the connection. Also, you would be in the same general area of the airport if you are not changing airlines as all of one airline’s gates are typically in a group together. You don't really have to know your way around the airport for that. And, if you check a bag, baggage handling might hold up your plane as your bag is transferred, too. 

But, if you booked a “hacker fare” an hour might be cutting it close. 

ETA: Other things to consider is weather (blizzard season always got me flying home to Chicago for Christmas break as a student) and whether it’s a busy travel day for some reason (holiday, major convention in town, etc.) 

uh - no.

alaska's gates at seatac are on at least two different concourses accessible only by tram.

we went through detroit? - employer booked travel - the gates were on opposite ends of the airport. I had to run - with undiagnosed pneumonia.

 

but they do have to rebook you - who knows when that will be, it might be with them or they might put you on a different airline.

and they are in charge of your luggage making it.  my mother was booted from one flight (something with the airline - not overbooked) to the next  . .  her luggage made the first flight.  

dh got a nice clothing allowance since his bag didn't make it until the next day.

[Kassia]

I'm not concerned about my checked luggage  (mostly packed things like sunscreen and bug repellent in there since I can't bring those in my carry on bags).  I just want to make sure we get to our destination - my adult sons will be meeting us there for a family vacation.  

[Annie G]

Kassia have a great trip! I’m going to be an optimist here and declare you’re going to make your connecting flight with ease.  I hope you can relax and not worry.

[KatieJ]

Ah, I pray it all works out. 

Mpls has “golf” carts that can move faster than you can walk. Might want to hop on one. 

They also have people movers..like flat escalators. If you use those and walk while they are moving, you can make a better time getting from point A to point B. 

 

We were on a  delayed flight to Chicago I think,  with connection to Hawaii. Big trip! My oldest son said, Dad, I’ll get mom there and our carry on  luggage, you stand up when the doors open and RUN! 

Hubby got there just as they were ready to close the door.  He  begged them to keep the doors open. They grumbled, but waited for the rest of us. Closed the doors and we sat there for half an hour.

Can  you see my eyes rolling?..

[Kassia]

32 minutes ago, Annie G said:

Kassia have a great trip! I’m going to be an optimist here and declare you’re going to make your connecting flight with ease.  I hope you can relax and not worry.

 

I like the way you think!   Thank you!

 

 

10 minutes ago, KatieinMich said:

 

They also have people movers..like flat escalators. If you use those and walk while they are moving, you can make a better time getting from point A to point B. 

 

We were on a  delayed flight to Chicago I think,  with connection to Hawaii. Big trip! My oldest son said, Dad, I’ll get mom there and our carry on  luggage, you stand up when the doors open and RUN! 

Hubby got there just as they were ready to close the door.  He  begged them to keep the doors open. They grumbled, but waited for the rest of us. Closed the doors and we sat there for half an hour.

Can  you see my eyes rolling?..

 

LOL!  I always feel bad when I see people running through the airport - definitely BTDT (once with a toddler and about a million of his stuffed animals).  When I was in college, I thought I was going to miss a flight because I forgot about the difference in time zones.  I was so panicked that I ran in front of a long line at the gate to tell the flight attendant my story and was incredibly embarrassed when I found out I had an hour to spare still!  Oops!  

DH checked the concourse map and we are definitely going to be using the people movers while walking as quickly as possible!  

[AK_Mom4]

I will do an hour layover in Seattle or Portland providing I’m on Alaska Air or one of its affiliates, but I won’t do short stops on other carriers or other airports.  I’m just not familiar enough with other locations to feel comfortable doing that even though I travel a lot for business. 

[Maplinmum]

At this point you can't do anything about it, so I would tell myself to relax and accept that I may or may not make the connection and it I don't it isn't the end of the world, at the most you will be a bit late starting your vacation. Maybe co-ordinate with your sons so that they can check in with out you if necessary and so they know not to worry if you don't arrive on time.  Enjoy your holiday don't let this get you so stressed it spoils your trip.

[AK_Mom4]

There are some things you can do to make the short layover less of a problem. 

Print your boarding passes (at home or at airport) so you don’t have to panic if your phone runs out of battery and you can’t get at your pass. 

Organize your carryon so that you can find things easily without having to unpack the whole thing. The less spread out you are on the plane, the easier it is to deplane when the time comes. If your carryon will fit under the seat in front of you, that’s a real plus in deplaning and not having to mess with overhead bins  

Print the airport map (sounds like you already did this!) so you can quickly find your gate in case of changes. 

If the worst happens, whip out your cell phone and CALL customer service for the airline. It’s much faster than standing in line and they can get you rerouted more quickly. 

Have a great trip!!!

[LifeLovePassion]

Msp has moving sidewalks and tram trains in the terminal Delta uses. What are your gate numbers?

[Robin M]

What you can do is tell the stewardess/steward that you have a connecting flight and to let the employees at the other gate know you are on the way when you land.  Since it is a connecting flight, they should accommodate you unless the flight arrives too late to make the connection.  

[The Governess]

1 minute ago, Robin M said:

What you can do is tell the stewardess/steward that you have a connecting flight and to let the employees at the other gate know you are on the way when you land.  Since it is a connecting flight, they should accommodate you unless the flight arrives too late to make the connection.  

 

Agree. I have been on flights before where the attendants have asked everyone to stay seated when the plane landed so passengers with tight connections could get off first.  They might be able to help you. Or they might be able to reassure you that there is plenty of time.

[importswim]

When you are taxiing in to MSP tomorrow right before you catch your flight (and the plane is on the ground but headed to the gate) check your flight number in google (DL yourflightnumber, so if your flight is Delta flight #472 then you'd put in DL 472 in google) and it should tell you if the gates have been changed or if they're still the same. Should give you the most up to date info, that way you can make sure you're headed to the right gate (as these sometimes change last minute due to many unforeseen circumstances).

If you are a ticketed passenger on the flight then you could walk up at the end of boarding and still get on your plane. DH is an airline pilot (not with Delta) and we fly standby so we have to often wait until the end of boarding to get on. 

I've never been to MSP but I do know that looking at maps it sometimes seems like a much longer walk than it usually is. Get your fast walking shoes on and go. You will never be the only person in an airport who is running! LOL! It often feels much longer than it actually is to get from gate to gate especially if you're in a rush! Good luck!

[Frances]

MSP is the airport I fly through most frequently and several times I’ve had a short connection with gates very far apart because I am always arriving on a large plane and leaving on a very small one. The trams are very fast and you can quickly cover some major ground with them. And I always fly Delta to MSP. In my experience, they are great at handling any issues that might arise. Good luck!

[kitten18]

13 hours ago, Kassia said:

We are leaving for vacation soon and have a one hour layover in Minneapolis.  Our second flight starts boarding five minutes after our first flight is scheduled to land.  I'm feeling anxious about this, but DH keeps telling me not to worry.  Ds just had a shorter layover in Chicago, but was with someone who knew the airport well (we don't know the Minneapolis airport).  We don't know the gate numbers either.  

 

 

Am I reading that right? The second flight is boarding 55 minutes before it takes off?

[GinaPagnato]

Good luck this morning, Kassia! 

I know it will be stressful for you, but try to remember that the WORST case scenario is that you miss your connection, and the airline puts you on a different flight to get to your final destination. Nobody's life will depend on you making it there at a certain time. You will get there regardless.

I hope you enjoy your vacation!

[Rachel]

14 hours ago, Arctic Mama said:

Nope, you want at least half an hour between deplaning and boarding another flight it almost any airport, if you actually want your bags to make it with you.

 

Slightly longer layovers in Atlanta and Chicago are my preference, or if I know I’m jumping from a C gate to the N gates in Seattle.

And I avoid Atlanta and Chicago at all costs!

[Rachel]

Kassia, I hope today goes smoothly!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Best of luck!!!  

[Annie G]

1 hour ago, Rachel said:

And I avoid Atlanta and Chicago at all costs!

 

Those are my two favorites! 

[LarlaB]

12 hours ago, Robin M said:

What you can do is tell the stewardess/steward that you have a connecting flight and to let the employees at the other gate know you are on the way when you land.  Since it is a connecting flight, they should accommodate you unless the flight arrives too late to make the connection.  

 

Yes!  

Personally,  I think it’s doable.  Sure things could go wrong but they could also go very right!  Many many flights are on time and even early.  Sure many are late or delayed but don’t focus on that.

Same terminal is very doable- even 10 minutes of walking may feel like forever but in reality, you are fine. A client of mine had 1.5 hours between flights and DIFFERENT  airlines in DIFFERENT terminals.  She was worried and apprehensive and was just fine.  Sure she had to hustle and be focused but everything was fine.

ive been the last person to board and while it was stressful, I still got where I needed to go and we easily departed on time. 

Tell attendants on first flight and if your flight is delayed at all, they will likely give the courtesy of allowing you (and others with connections) of deplaning first. I’ve witnessed that happening many times and am happy to know those with tight connections to sprint passed.

Enjoy your vacation!!! 

[Dmmetler]

Remember, too, that first boarding time is first class/platinum/diamond elite, and then they’ll board other priorities, like military, parents with small children, etc. General boarding is probably not going to even start for another 10-15 minutes. And once they start general boarding, there will be a pretty good amount of time there, too. Unless it’s Southwest, as long as you don’t have a carryon that doesn’t fit under the seat, it truly doesn’t matter when you board within that 30 minute or morewindow. And even on Southwest, you’ll still get there if you board last.  It’s easy to panic at getting there for the begining of the boarding time, only to stand  waiting for 15-20 minutes to get on at all, and then sit for another 15-20 minutes while we wait for people who had connections, or for luggage to be transferred from other flights. And that still puts them closing the door 10-20 minutes before official departure. 

[Lanny]

OP please update the thread.  Did you make your connecting flight in MSP OK?  Enjoy your vacation!

[school17777]

46 minutes ago, Lanny said:

OP please update the thread.  Did you make your connecting flight in MSP OK?  Enjoy your vacation!

 

Yes, I want to know if you made it!  Hope youndid and you are enjoying your vacation.

[Kassia]

I am sorry it took me so long to update!  Spotty internet connection and I don't know how to log in from my phone.

We made it!  Barely, but we made it!  I would not do that again - it was extremely stressful.  To make a long story short:  The departure from the first flight was a little delayed then our landing was a little delayed, which made for very little time to make our connecting flight.  We walked as fast as we could without actually running through the airport and were the last in line to board and then the doors were closed.  The crew on the second flight were in a big hurry to shut those doors.  What a relief once we were actually in our seats!  

I want to thank you all so much for your support, suggestions, and good wishes!  

 

[gardenmom5]

On 5/11/2018 at 7:06 PM, Robin M said:

What you can do is tell the stewardess/steward that you have a connecting flight and to let the employees at the other gate know you are on the way when you land.  Since it is a connecting flight, they should accommodate you unless the flight arrives too late to make the connection.  

 

all well and good - unless the pilot orders the doors shut anyway so they can make their scheduled depature window.   - which happened to us (our previous flight had taken off on time- but we flew around the weather adding considerable time to our flight.).  I ran from one end of the airport to the other with pneumonia - running was faster than a moving walkway.    then a "mechanical" delay was announced - and it sat there for another hour.

airlines "accommodating" you - can also mean putting you on a later flight.

I've also done the 'golf carts' with my mom.  they don't make anything faster - just easier for people who struggle to walk.