35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

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squirm
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35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by squirm »

I'm booking our Christmas flights. Is a 35 minute connection in Denver long enough? Seems like a close call, but all the other flight schedules are terrible and costly. It's United.

Second, I've got a bunch of Chase rewards, should I got through the Ultimate rewards website or transfer to United?

Sorry, I should be more specific, I'm buying the flight as from the airline as one ticket.
Last edited by squirm on Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
KlangFool
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by KlangFool »

squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:22 pm I'm booking our Christmas flights. Is a 35 minute connection in Denver long enough? Seems like a close call, but all the other flight schedules are terrible and costly. It's United.

Second, I've got a bunch of Chase rewards, should I got through the Ultimate rewards website or transfer to United?
squirm,

Are you buying the ticket together? Aka, the flight before connection and the connecting flight? If you missed the flight, who is responsible for getting you another connecting flight? Please check it out.

As per my understanding, only if all the flights are together in one itinerary, the airline is responsible for putting you into a hotel if you missed the flight and/or find you an alternate flight.

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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by whodidntante »

I wouldn't do a 35 minute connection. I don't like to gamble. :twisted: :beer
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by phantom0308 »

If it’s one itinerary on United and the other options are bad then I’d take it. Denver is a United hub so you’re more likely to get put on another flight if you miss yours. I’ve made all my 35-45 minute connections so far (85% of United flights are on time if you like data rather than my anecdotes). You’ll be safer if you don’t have carryon luggage (checked or personal item)
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by bradpevans »

Other considerations: are there additional flights to your destination? Is it likely to be the same terminal? Big planes and little planes sometimes means more walking distance.

If the airline will let you book it then I would do it. But if research additional schedules in case you land too late
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by Miakis »

If it's 35 minutes until boarding, I'd probably take a chance. But if it's 35 minutes to take off, I would not. Remember that gates usually close 15 minutes prior to take off. So that 35 minute window could be a 20 minute window.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by HRPennypacker »

35m is too short.
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squirm
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by squirm »

The flight itinerary says 35 minute connection, what does that mean? The inbound flight to Denver says gets there at 11:54, the outbound flight says 12:30, does that mean boarding or leaving time??
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by tim1999 »

squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:01 pm The flight itinerary says 35 minute connection, what does that mean? The inbound flight to Denver says gets there at 11:54, the outbound flight says 12:30, does that mean boarding or leaving time??
12:30pm would be the departure time, assuming it's running on time, and they will probably close the boarding door at 12:20-ish. If the first flight is even a few minutes late, plus if it's a big plane and you're sitting towards the back (takes a while to get off) you are at a very high risk of missing it, especially at a big airport like Denver.

No way would I book that.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by squirm »

KlangFool wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:31 pm
squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:22 pm I'm booking our Christmas flights. Is a 35 minute connection in Denver long enough? Seems like a close call, but all the other flight schedules are terrible and costly. It's United.

Second, I've got a bunch of Chase rewards, should I got through the Ultimate rewards website or transfer to United?
squirm,

Are you buying the ticket together? Aka, the flight before connection and the connecting flight? If you missed the flight, who is responsible for getting you another connecting flight? Please check it out.

As per my understanding, only if all the flights are together in one itinerary, the airline is responsible for putting you into a hotel if you missed the flight and/or find you an alternate flight.

KlangFool
Yes, the flights are all together. This is to visit family for the holidays, so I don't think we're up to the gamble. My wife and I are leaning to flying into ORD with a direct flight instead and driving two hours instead of flying into MKE and driving one hour.
Last edited by squirm on Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Topic Author
squirm
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by squirm »

tim1999 wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:05 pm
squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:01 pm The flight itinerary says 35 minute connection, what does that mean? The inbound flight to Denver says gets there at 11:54, the outbound flight says 12:30, does that mean boarding or leaving time??
12:30pm would be the departure time, assuming it's running on time, and they will probably close the boarding door at 12:20-ish. If the first flight is even a few minutes late, plus if it's a big plane and you're sitting towards the back (takes a while to get off) you are at a very high risk of missing it, especially at a big airport like Denver.

No way would I book that.
I'm surprised the airlines allow such a tight connection. We don't fly much so that's why I wanted to check with you guys here.

We're thinking of bailing on this particular flight and doing a direct flight to ORD.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by HIinvestor »

I would never book that short a connection. I prefer connections of 90 minutes but have taken some slightly under 1 hour. I’m always nervous with short connection times and finding another flight during busy holiday season due to your missed connection is unpleasant!

I rather pay more and/or have time to grab some food during the connection than pray my flight will land on time and the next gate won’t be clear across the airport and not board early (yes, that can happen).
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by Beth* »

35 minutes is very tight. The Denver United terminal is large and even if your first flight is on time you may be a long walk/run from the gate for the second flight. United generally doesn't hold planes even if they have a plane full of connecting passengers come in late. I once got in late to Denver on a United flight and they shut the door of the connecting flight in my face even though it turned out that there were about 15 of us trying to make the connection and the flight wasn't scheduled to leave for another 10 minutes. If you do miss a connection, United will prioritize frequent flyers when rebooking people on alternative flights. I have status with United so I got out on the next flight when I missed that connection but some of the other people had to wait until the next day. I don't know whether or not United put them up at a hotel. If you are traveling at holiday time there may not be many empty seats on other flights to rebook you if you miss the connection. Even at non-holiday time planes tend to be full these days.

I fly a lot and I avoid connections whenever possible even if that means using an airport somewhat further from my final destination. If I do have to connect, I wouldn't book a connection with less than 45 or 50 minutes and I'd prefer to have at least an hour.
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squirm
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by squirm »

Folks,
Thanks for your excellent advice, we've decided to get a direct flight into ORD instead.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by iamlucky13 »

I would only book connections that tight if it doesn't affect your plans significantly to miss the connecting flight and be rebooked several flights later. During busy seasons, there's often not a seat available on the very next flight.

As far as I know, it is common for prices to be high this far ahead of a departure. Generally you find the best deals 2-3 months ahead of time, although Christmas is a difficult season to plan flights for.
KlangFool wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:31 pm
As per my understanding, only if all the flights are together in one itinerary, the airline is responsible for putting you into a hotel if you missed the flight and/or find you an alternate flight.
Even if you purchase on the same itinerary, there are limits to when they will provide accommodations if an alternate flight is not available that day. My understanding is in the US, this is based on airline policy, not regulations.

I believe maintenance related delays overnight will usually result in hotel vouchers being issued if you ask, but not weather.

This was cemented in my mind during a trip that resulted in me trying to sleep in the San Francisco terminal under a newspaper because they kept the air conditioning running all night, and I had accepted the request to gate check the bag my coat was in.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by inbox788 »

squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:40 pm Folks,
Thanks for your excellent advice, we've decided to get a direct flight into ORD instead.
You're trading one risk for another. For a 35 minute connection, even if you make it, sometimes your checked luggage might not, so that's something to consider if you're trying a tight connection. It's possible Denver gets snowed in, but I've heard of numerous ORD closures during the winter season, so good luck. If you want to avoid that risk, try a warmer airport (though there are other risks with that too). No free lunch.

FWIW, I wouldn't book such a short connection, especially during the busy season when running through the terminal is harder with more obstacles than usual.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by jminv »

35 minutes is tight given that they close the gates for flights 15 minutes before departure. At the same time, airlines offer these because most of the time they are doable. This means there is 20 minutes for you to make it from the plane to the next gate. Also, arrival times and when you get off the plane are two different things. It can take some time to get a gate and then to get the door open. In your favor, Airlines started passing their flight times when they were receiving so much flak for their on time record. This lets them claim they arrived early often. If you miss the flight around holidays, though, there’s a real chance you could end up stranded.

Check the on time arrival of your incoming flight and on time departure of your connecting flight. If they both seem to run like clockwork, then you might take it. I personally like 2+ hour layovers to keep from being stranded, having to run to the next gate, getting on another flight in a middle seat, etc. I spend the time the extra time in the airport lounge reading.

Edit: just saw you went with the direct. Enjoy it.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by lazydavid »

inbox788 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:05 am You're trading one risk for another. For a 35 minute connection, even if you make it, sometimes your checked luggage might not, so that's something to consider if you're trying a tight connection. It's possible Denver gets snowed in, but I've heard of numerous ORD closures during the winter season, so good luck. If you want to avoid that risk, try a warmer airport (though there are other risks with that too). No free lunch.
Based on the fact that his destination is 1 hour from Mitchell and 2 hours from O'Hare, it's somewhere in Southern Wisconsin. There's not a whole lot of "warmer airports" to choose from. I suppose he could fly into Nashville and drive ten hours.

O'Hare does have a fair number of flights delayed or cancelled over the winter, but the overwhelming majority are fine. And being that ORD is UA's global hub, it should be relatively easy to get an alternate flight in the event of IRROPS. Much easier than it would be at MKE, which will be impacted by most of the same storms, and also has lake effect snow to deal with (O'Hare is inland).

Even so, it's not really trading one risk for another. The original plan was to fly to two airports that get a lot of snow (DEN and MKE) with a tight connection time, and the new plan is to fly to just one. That's a reduction of risk.

Disclosure: Tomorrow I will be at O'Hare for the fifth time in 8 days.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by oldcomputerguy »

squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:22 pm I'm booking our Christmas flights. Is a 35 minute connection in Denver long enough? Seems like a close call, but all the other flight schedules are terrible and costly.
I’d say just from general experience (and from a couple of connections through Denver) that 35 minutes absolutely is pushing it. The fact that it’s during Christmas in my mind makes it even more unlikely that you’ll make it.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by UpperNwGuy »

A 35 minute connection is a recipe for disaster.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by Tamarind »

I suggest you do direct to ORD. Yes they have closures but as a big busy northern airport they have the most experience handling bad weather with a minimum of fuss.

I would not take a 35-minute connection in the north in winter unless I felt fine spending the night in airline-provided accommodations. When traveling for work I routinely take 45 minute connections but 35 is just not enough if there are any delays, or you aren't sitting towards the front, or you happen to get two gates further apart. Denver is particularly bad for short connections because you can be forced into a holding pattern by fog even when general conditions are fine.

If it's critical that you get there on time for family, direct is best. Or you could try to connect through Dallas or Phoenix?
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by KSOC »

squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:40 pm Folks,
Thanks for your excellent advice, we've decided to get a direct flight into ORD instead.
Good move.

I missed one flight in my life & I vow never to let that happen again. My family knows this, so they are aware of my insistence to be at the gate early.

Also, seems like in the past few years I've (& others I know) encountered many more delays than usual.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by ResearchMed »

KSOC wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:11 am
squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:40 pm Folks,
Thanks for your excellent advice, we've decided to get a direct flight into ORD instead.
Good move.

I missed one flight in my life & I vow never to let that happen again. My family knows this, so they are aware of my insistence to be at the gate early.

Also, seems like in the past few years I've (& others I know) encountered many more delays than usual.
We've started getting to the airport extra early and also allowing lots of time for any connections.

There's just too much stress with traveling (flying) these days, and so many ways one can be delayed.
Also, we usually have luggage, either carry on or checked or both.

Gone are the days of a quick day trip on a shuttle, with only a briefcase, and if one flight is missed, there's another in an hour. Or if the flight is full, they roll out another plane.

DH was on his way to the airport early this morning (and it's *still* early!) when the airline notified that flight was cancelled. Several hour delay til next flight, meaning he'd miss his lunch meeting.
He's on his way back home; never even got to the airport.
:annoyed

Did I mention more stress these days with the airlines?

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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by nisiprius »

I would never do a 35 minute connection, not ever... but especially not at a holiday time. If you miss your connection, regardless of all the who-pays-for-it questions, however you get on "the next plane," it all depends on the availability of seating on a "next plane" and there won't be much.

Also, I've never seen this discussed so it might be personal superstition, but it has always seemed to me that tight connections increase the chances of luggage issues--specifically, luggage being sent by a different route so you have to hang around the final airport waiting in line for agents to tell you where it will be coming in.

(I remember with great clarity a connection, OK it was O'Hare... but seemingly no big deal... and this was before the 9/11 security procedures were in place. I had a half-hour connection on a single airline, but due to some vagary of airline operation the two flights were at the extreme ends of two different and non-adjacent gates, i.e. it was about a 2000-foot walk to get from one to the other).

(I've been with people who seem to lead a charmed life... they arrive at the gate late, waiting area empty, door closed... and the door opens and they let her take a steamer trunk as carry-on baggage...)
Last edited by nisiprius on Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:12 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by ivk5 »

inbox788 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:05 am I've heard of numerous ORD closures during the winter season, so good luck. If you want to avoid that risk, try a warmer airport
OP is visiting family in the Chicagoland area. No way to avoid risk of Chicagoland weather.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:05 pm

My wife and I are leaning to flying into ORD with a direct flight instead and driving two hours instead of flying into MKE and driving one hour.
ORD: The terminating point of all on time flights.

I had to laugh, thinking that O'Hare would be spoken along with reducing risk or avoiding missed flights. It does help that your end point is Chicago. So when the plane appears to be just driving around the airport or there's no gate available or another plane is in the way or ATC diverts the plane or ......... at least you don't have to catch another flight. (have had all the above happen with ORD connections)
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by mancich »

That is cutting it way too close
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by livesoft »

I just flew through Denver with a short connection, but not 35 minutes short. My arriving flight landed 20 minutes early, so I had no problems. In Denver with United, one may need to use the shuttle train to switch concourses, too.

But the week before, I had an 80 minute layover in San Francisco and my luggage didn't make the connection. Go figure.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by OnTrack2020 »

A few years ago, I booked a flight to Orlando for our family with a connection through Denver on SW. The connection time was 45 minutes. Never again would I do that. The departing gate was not even remotely close to the gate where our plane landed, and we basically had to run to catch the next flight. I learned my lesson. One hour minimum for connections.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by 6miths »

That would be too tight for me. I just did it inadvertently last week. Flight leaving Addis Ababa was held up because the president of Eriteria landed and they held up all flights for security reasons. Got to see a nice brass band and a bunch of dignitaries out of the plane window. Flight landed in Lusaka 30 minutes before scheduled departure. I could see my connection sitting two planes down on the apron but of course had to go into the terminal and go through security. A small airport but a very convoluted pathway from arrivals to departures with a couple of wrong way signs to add to the fun. I had all my clothes and essentials in my carry-on so was ok but amazingly they managed to get my checked baggage over to the connecting flight. I was impressed. Not something that I would purposely chose to do. I agree with others, I am surprised the airline let you book it.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by midareff »

If they are both the same airline and you don't have any checked bags or decent choices maybe. I don't like anything under an hour and prefer two hours.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by oldcomputerguy »

nisiprius wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:17 am (I remember with great clarity a connection, OK it was O'Hare... but seemingly no big deal... and this was before the 9/11 security procedures were in place. I had a half-hour connection one a single airline, but due to some vagary of airline operation the two flights were at the extreme ends of two different and non-adjacent gates, i.e. it was about a 2000-foot walk to get from one to the other).
This is one reason I hate CLT; there are no facilities for moving people between concourses, so you’re almost always traversing the entirety of the airport on foot.

As a counterpoint (and an aberration of the natural order of the universe)...

A couple of years ago DW and I travelled to Jamaica through Atlanta. Due to some unknown issue with gate availability, Atlanta Ground Control ordered our flight to dock at a gate in the International Concourse (E), which as luck had it was the exact gate from which we departed on our connecting flight. I sure wish I could figure out what to do to make those stars align again.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by rich126 »

If everything is on the same ticket and you miss the flight, the airline will (eventually) get you to your destination. Personally I'm not a fan of short connections. At Christmas things could be tighter since flights fill up.

Whether you buy though Chase's portal or transfer to United would depend on how many points are required in each situation. My understanding is that going through Chase's portal you get somewhere between 1 cent to 1.5 cents per point. (See below)

If you transfer them to an airline FF program then the # of pts required depending on the airline rules, which could be more or less. You don't mention where you are flying to, but a domestic economy award on United runs from 10,000 to 32,500 each way. The lower priced awards are not always available. Check out https://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps/m ... ravel.aspx

If you have the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, your Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.25 cents each when booking travel through the Chase travel portal.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ Card provides the best deal through the travel portal as each point is worth 1.5 cents each.
https://upgradedpoints.com/chase-ultima ... ds-review/

Personally I usually use points/miles for international trips but plenty of people use them domestically as well.

A final note is that I often use a travel agent like service (https://crankyconcierge.com/) to monitor my flights and handle communications with airlines when things go bad. I don't usually use them for simple non-stop domestic flights but connecting flights, international flights, I do and it saves me a lot of aggravation. Something else to consider.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by SquawkIdent »

Absolutely no way would I book flights with that tight of a connection. It's a recipe for disaster and way too much stress for things that are totally out of your control.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by car733 »

I am tired or running across terminals. I always go for 90 mins connection.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by tibbitts »

No, not long enough. 90 minutes is what I try for ideally. I have chosen 3hrs over 35min.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by GoldStar »

Risky - might be worth the risk if you are don't have a checked bag. Definitely don't expect a checked bag to make it even if you do (it will be on the next flight out).
With a 35 minute connection I'd say you have a 20% chance of missing your second flight (airline won't care - they will just rebook you on another flight to meet their obligation - and it might not be until the next day if all flights are full) and a 95% chance of a checked-back missing the connection even if you make it.
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by cherijoh »

KlangFool wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:31 pm
squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:22 pm I'm booking our Christmas flights. Is a 35 minute connection in Denver long enough? Seems like a close call, but all the other flight schedules are terrible and costly. It's United.

Second, I've got a bunch of Chase rewards, should I got through the Ultimate rewards website or transfer to United?
squirm,

Are you buying the ticket together? Aka, the flight before connection and the connecting flight? If you missed the flight, who is responsible for getting you another connecting flight? Please check it out.

As per my understanding, only if all the flights are together in one itinerary, the airline is responsible for putting you into a hotel if you missed the flight and/or find you an alternate flight.

KlangFool
KF- the airlines are definitely NOT required to find you a hotel. If it is a mechanical issue, they might do so as a goodwill gesture, but if the delay is weather related you are definitely on your own.

OP - for a winter flight, I would not want to be flying through either Chicago or Denver. And I certainly wouldn't want to have a tight connection.

I'm pretty sure that 45 minutes is the minimum "legal" connection for a domestic flight. But my personal rule is to go for at least 1.25 hours if I'm connecting to another domestic flight. Especially if it is a flight later in the day. When feasible, I try and book the first flight of the day for the first leg of my flight, since that improves the odds of having a plane and flight crew ready for the flight.

I recently had a 1 hour 50 minute connection through JFK for an international trip. Even then, I paid to upgrade to a premium coach seat to put me at the front of the plane. We were held for almost an hour on the runway in Charlotte - air traffic control was slowing flights down due to weather conditions. We made up some time and actually landed only 20 minutes after the listed "arrival" time. But then we had to wait on the tarmac in JFK for them to find us a gate since we lost our original one. I was lucky and the new gate was just 3 gates away from where we disembarked. By the time I got off the plane and found a restroom and walked to the gate they were ready to start boarding the plane for my second leg. If I had been at the back of the plane and we had drawn a different gate assignment, I might have missed my flight. I'm pretty sure the people who booked a 1-hr connection for a flight to London were not so lucky - they had about 5 minutes to get from Gate 44 to Gate 6.

If you have a legal connection, they are responsible for getting you on another flight to your destination - but it doesn't have to be the same itinerary that you originally booked. On the return flight from JFK to Charlotte, there were bad thunderstorms and AA cancelled a bunch of flights - fortunately not mine although it was delayed for 2 hours. I was talking to a woman whose flight to Pittsburg had been cancelled. American rebooked her - via Charlotte. :oops: So instead of being home by mid-afternoon she would be lucky to be home by midnight. But at least she had a confirmed seat - there were at least a dozen people wait-listed for the flight.
cherijoh
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by cherijoh »

KlangFool wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:31 pm
squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:22 pm I'm booking our Christmas flights. Is a 35 minute connection in Denver long enough? Seems like a close call, but all the other flight schedules are terrible and costly. It's United.

Second, I've got a bunch of Chase rewards, should I got through the Ultimate rewards website or transfer to United?
squirm,

Are you buying the ticket together? Aka, the flight before connection and the connecting flight? If you missed the flight, who is responsible for getting you another connecting flight? Please check it out.

As per my understanding, only if all the flights are together in one itinerary, the airline is responsible for putting you into a hotel if you missed the flight and/or find you an alternate flight.

KlangFool
KF- the airlines are definitely NOT required to find you a hotel. If it is a mechanical issue, they might do so as a goodwill gesture, but if the delay is weather related you are definitely on your own.

OP - for a winter flight, I would not want to be flying through either Chicago or Denver. And I certainly wouldn't want to have a tight connection.

I'm pretty sure that 45 minutes is the minimum "legal" connection for a domestic flight. But my personal rule is to go for at least 1.25 hours if I'm connecting to another domestic flight. Especially if it is a flight later in the day. When feasible, I try and book the first flight of the day for the first leg of my flight, since that improves the odds of having a plane and flight crew ready for the flight.

I recently had a 1 hour 50 minute connection through JFK for an international trip. Even then, I paid to upgrade to a premium coach seat to put me at the front of the plane. We were held for almost an hour on the runway in Charlotte - air traffic control was slowing flights down due to weather conditions. We made up some time and actually landed only 20 minutes after the listed "arrival" time. But then we had to wait on the tarmac in JFK for them to find us a gate since we lost our original one. I was lucky and the new gate was just 3 gates away from where we disembarked. By the time I got off the plane and found a restroom and walked to the gate they were ready to start boarding the plane for my second leg. If I had been at the back of the plane and we had drawn a different gate assignment, I might have missed my flight. I'm pretty sure the people who booked a 1-hr connection for a flight to London were not so lucky - they had about 5 minutes to get from Gate 44 to Gate 6.

If you have a legal connection, they are responsible for getting you on another flight to your destination - but it doesn't have to be the same itinerary that you originally booked. On the return flight from JFK to Charlotte, there were bad thunderstorms and AA cancelled a bunch of flights - fortunately not mine although it was delayed for 2 hours. I was talking to a woman whose flight to Pittsburg had been cancelled. American rebooked her - via Charlotte. :oops: So instead of being home by mid-afternoon she would be lucky to be home by midnight. But at least she had a confirmed seat - there were at least a dozen people wait-listed for the flight.
cherijoh
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by cherijoh »

Beth* wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:17 pm 35 minutes is very tight. The Denver United terminal is large and even if your first flight is on time you may be a long walk/run from the gate for the second flight. United generally doesn't hold planes even if they have a plane full of connecting passengers come in late. I once got in late to Denver on a United flight and they shut the door of the connecting flight in my face even though it turned out that there were about 15 of us trying to make the connection and the flight wasn't scheduled to leave for another 10 minutes. If you do miss a connection, United will prioritize frequent flyers when rebooking people on alternative flights. I have status with United so I got out on the next flight when I missed that connection but some of the other people had to wait until the next day. I don't know whether or not United put them up at a hotel. If you are traveling at holiday time there may not be many empty seats on other flights to rebook you if you miss the connection. Even at non-holiday time planes tend to be full these days.

I fly a lot and I avoid connections whenever possible even if that means using an airport somewhat further from my final destination. If I do have to connect, I wouldn't book a connection with less than 45 or 50 minutes and I'd prefer to have at least an hour.
The other issue when traveling with your family is that there may not be sufficient seats for your entire group to be rebooked on the same fight.
LawyersGunsAndMoney
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by LawyersGunsAndMoney »

35 minutes is not enough, and definitely not enough during holiday season.

Your plan to fly direct into ORD and drive for 2 hours vs. connecting and driving for an hour sounds like the right decision.
open_circuit
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by open_circuit »

No. I consider anything under 1 hour too short, as a general rule. For busy times or huge airports (like Denver), I would add in extra margin.
knowledge
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by knowledge »

I'd consider it if it was by far the cheapest option, and if your initial flight out was early and not dependent on an arriving flight getting to the gate on time. I've done these connections and made it before, because the airlines (or is this the airports?) pad arrival times (which is why on time arrivals %'s are up).
ralph124cf
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by ralph124cf »

Please be aware that a "direct" flight is not the same as a "non-stop" flight. It just means that the flight number does not change.
The airplane may change, and even the airline that is flying the flight may change. A single airplane could easily have ten or more flight numbers (although this normally happens mostly internationally, it does happen domestically as well).

You COULD have just as much trouble with making a connection on a direct flight as on an "officially" connecting flight.

Ralph
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by GAAP »

35 minutes comes down to two things -- how long to get off the plane and how much time to get from gate to gate.

Flying first class, you'll get off the plane quickly. Stuck in the back, with a plane full of holiday travelers -- 15 minutes, maybe more. Family members will likely slow you down.

United in Denver could be adjacent gates, or opposite sides of an extremely long terminal crammed full of holiday travelers.

The only real thing in your favor is that if you're flying both legs on United, and booked as United flights (not code-shared), then the airline may hold the flight for a little bit.

I wouldn't do it for normal business travel in the shoulder season...
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TheAccountant
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by TheAccountant »

I like an hour between flights to give time to use the bathroom, grab a bite to eat, etc.
mak1277
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by mak1277 »

fascinating responses here...I think 35 minutes is tight but absolutely doable. I am pretty much the opposite of everyone else that posted here in that I would never voluntarily book a flight with a connection longer than an hour or 1:15. In my mind, the ideal layover is one where you walk from one gate and arrive at the other just as boarding starts.
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TheAccountant
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by TheAccountant »

Definitely do-able. I've been sitting here for 45 minutes on my 1-hour layover.
GAAP
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by GAAP »

mak1277 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 10:00 am fascinating responses here...I think 35 minutes is tight but absolutely doable. I am pretty much the opposite of everyone else that posted here in that I would never voluntarily book a flight with a connection longer than an hour or 1:15. In my mind, the ideal layover is one where you walk from one gate and arrive at the other just as boarding starts.
Mine too -- but in Denver, that's much easier to achieve on Southwest than United. It's also easier to achieve when traveling alone. Holidays add a lot of inexperienced travelers that are really good at slowing everyone down. Holiday travel with a family is going to be slower also. Add all of that together, and you're really taking chances.
CFR
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Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?

Post by CFR »

squirm wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:22 pm I'm booking our Christmas flights. Is a 35 minute connection in Denver long enough? Seems like a close call, but all the other flight schedules are terrible and costly. It's United.

Second, I've got a bunch of Chase rewards, should I got through the Ultimate rewards website or transfer to United?

Sorry, I should be more specific, I'm buying the flight as from the airline as one ticket.
I have been traveling internationally, for business and pleasure for 20 years. For business, maybe. For pleasure don't do it. Christmas time is a bad time to travel in the first place, and the likelihood of a delay is quite high. One hour minimum or a bit more is better. Good luck!

CFR
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