Connecting Flights

[Lamb]

Did you ever have to take a connecting flight to get to your destination when traveling by air? I've always made sure I had direct flights to avoid any type of layover. The reason is because the places I've traveled to, with the connections it would have been almost the same time as driving!

My daughter is flying today and has a very short time period for her connecting flight. Talk about stress! It's also at an airport she's never been to so we printed out the map and I told her to memorize the restaurants to get a feel if she's headed in the right direction to the concourse she needs to get to.

 

[tango]

I won't do connections unless there's a very substantial price reduction in it and even then I'll think twice.

Lately I've found when booking flights between the UK and US the options make no sense at all. I can get a direct flight for one price, or an indirect flight that introduces a layover, adds several hours to the journey time, and for good measure adds several hundred to the price. Why would anyone choose that option?

 

[vince284]

I try to take nonstop flights whenever I can, and direct flights are okay too. However, I've had to make connecting flight many times before. I sometimes fly into places that don't have direct flights. It happens that some times the long leg of the flight is on a bigger plane than my destination airport can handle so I have to catch a puddle jumper. I like the small planes and airports, getting on and off from the tarmac, no long lines! If it's a vacation and I have a layover, then I usually schedule a day or two in the first city then take my next scheduled flight out.

 

[tango]

I try to take nonstop flights whenever I can, and direct flights are okay too. However, I've had to make connecting flight many times before. I sometimes fly into places that don't have direct flights. It happens that some times the long leg of the flight is on a bigger plane than my destination airport can handle so I have to catch a puddle jumper. I like the small planes and airports, getting on and off from the tarmac, no long lines! If it's a vacation and I have a layover, then I usually schedule a day or two in the first city then take my next scheduled flight out.

I always hated flying on the little puddle-jumper planes, and hated layover times at all. You either have so little time you have no sense of security you'll get through the check-in line and security in time (especially if you've got an international flight followed by the short hop internal flight) or you have so long you slowly lose the will to live in an uncomfortable gate area.

Truth be told I hate flying in general. I'd be very happy if I never had to get in an aircraft ever again. Sadly with friends and family spread across two continents that's not likely to happen until I'm too old to be flying anyway.

 

[Josiah]

Did you ever have to take a connecting flight to get to your destination when traveling by air?

MANY times..... It's good to avoid this, but often that's not possible.


When connecting flights are the only option, I've learned THE HARD WAY to be sensitive to two issues:


1. The layover. Sometimes the first leg gets delayed. Sometimes the gate to the connecting flight is some distance away. I try to give myself AT LEAST a one-hour layover (and I'm not opposed to two hours). I've RAN full out, luggage in tow, the last to board a plane and it ain't fun. And one I missed the connecting flight entirely.


2. Try to use the same airline, so that both "legs" are with the same carrier. This way, IF something happens and you can't make that connector, the airline will work with you and get you to your destination (and no extra fees will apply). If you go with two different carriers (and I've done that if it can't be avoided) then if something happens, the neither carrier will care and likely fees will apply. If it is two different carriers, make sure you have a good layover and probably pay extra for that second ticket that allows for last minute cancellations.


Happy travels!


Josiah




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[Lamb]

There were some strong jet streams this morning and my daughter's flight arrived an hour early! She made her connecting flight. Whew.

 

[psalms 91]

Yes, a long time ago when I was home on leave from the service

 

[tango]

MANY times..... It's good to avoid this, but often that's not possible.


When connecting flights are the only option, I've learned THE HARD WAY to be sensitive to two issues:


1. The layover. Sometimes the first leg gets delayed. Sometimes the gate to the connecting flight is some distance away. I try to give myself AT LEAST a one-hour layover (and I'm not opposed to two hours). I've RAN full out, luggage in tow, the last to board a plane and it ain't fun. And one I missed the connecting flight entirely.


2. Try to use the same airline, so that both "legs" are with the same carrier. This way, IF something happens and you can't make that connector, the airline will work with you and get you to your destination (and no extra fees will apply). If you go with two different carriers (and I've done that if it can't be avoided) then if something happens, the neither carrier will care and likely fees will apply. If it is two different carriers, make sure you have a good layover and probably pay extra for that second ticket that allows for last minute cancellations.


Happy travels!


Josiah




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Ha... if you're linking an intercontinental with an internal flight don't even think about less than two hours. For reasons best known to the people who design such things it's pretty common (or at least it used to be, back in the years before I decided to just drive the last leg) to have to claim your bags, leave the secure area, check in to the connecting flight and then go back through security. I get that customs needs to be at the port of entry because the final destination might be little more than a field without too many trees in it, but why they can't allow people on connecting flights to just check in to their onward flight without then having to go through security all over again is a mystery.

The longest layover I had that was by design was just shy of 8 hours. The options were a 2 hour layover which probably wasn't enough (and with the benefit of hindsight definitely wouldn't have been enough), or 8 hours. What I didn't know then that I know now is that I could have rented a car and driven it in 4-5 hours.

 

[JRT]

Three years ago I had to catch a flight from London to Toronto connecting to St Johns. They cancelled due to thunderstorms in the area but sent me to Toronto in cab. What a rat race! I managed to board at last call. Man, I hate big airports.

 

[JRT]

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[NewCreation435]

Yes, about a month ago I had to connect at a large airport and had about 15 minutes between flights because the first one had been delayed and had to basically run to the next flight which I caught just before they shut the door. When I got on the plane they told me just to sit in any empty seat available. I guess some people had moved around at the last minute to sit near friends.

 

[Lamb]

I have enjoyed hearing these experiences and it makes me want to drive in the car even more LOL

 

[tango]

Yes, about a month ago I had to connect at a large airport and had about 15 minutes between flights because the first one had been delayed and had to basically run to the next flight which I caught just before they shut the door. When I got on the plane they told me just to sit in any empty seat available. I guess some people had moved around at the last minute to sit near friends.

I once had to catch a connecting flight at Oslo airport in Norway. Our incoming flight was delayed and we were helpfully advised that "you run, yes?" to catch the last flight home of the evening. So run I did... I put the suitcases on an airport cart and ran full tilt through the airport. Of course being Norway the language most people spoke was Norwegian and I have no idea how to ask people to move in Norwegian, so I just fell back on shouting "Move" and letting people figure that the oversized guy headed their way very fast pushing a loaded cart was a really good reason to get out of the way.

Needless to say having arrived at the departure gate in a bath of sweat, having probably upset most of the other travelers in the airport, our flight was delayed by nearly an hour.

Did I mention that I hate flying?