These standards vary by airport, and can also vary depending on the flight.. It's ridiculous. For example, American connections in Dallas are a joke -- short connection times that are always missed (at least by me, and I sit in the front of planes). International flights arrive and depart from nearly every terminal, so chances are you wont have to go far to reach your connection. I don't even think that is allowed for Int. After all, if you book a really short connection, youre increasing your odds of misconnecting. Many do this (Ive done this twice) to get better fares or award seats out of JFK. Plus there is no trip though security on a connection. My arrival gate was :01 minute walk - the next gate over (score one in the WIN column). Thanks for the article, very informative. Hi Scott, youre amazing for creating this website, thank you!! And, it's no fun when that happens. SANspotter.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. American Airlines is the absolute worst, run by brain dead fools. Save. I have to admit, if I can connect in MUC then I never use FRA. We landed on time but with them closing boarding before the 25 minutes connection I was a mess. American Airlines | AAdvantage - Minimum Connection Time LGA-JFK - I bought a flight a month ago with a LGA to JFK connection. . Both flights are part of the same ticket. I try to avoid Austin for any traveling. Also, if I'm going to have to have a layover I look to see what Also, if I'm going to have to have a layover I look to see what the connection time would be based on arrival/departure. be okay in most cases ? The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. Good luck! Landing from Milan at JFK at 6:55pm; I want to book a flight from JFK to Miami (final destination) thats at 8:30pm.is that cutting it way too close?? Whats your experience? If the tickets were purchased separately, then yes you will need to retrieve and re-check your luggage. Assuming your entire itinerary is part of the same ticket, you wont need to retrieve and re-check your luggage. He doesn't say a word just starts typing away then he hands me a ticket for a flight leaving within the hour. Are these times only for travellers with USA passports? But I don't think I will ever try that again even though I said I will never do less than a one hour connection. This is one of those internal operations things that AA wouldn't actually answer because some Lean Six Sigma'd it, customers be damned, and that's just the way things are. This is so u reasonable especially if your a senior citizen. WHY they do that is just stupid!! Minimum connecting times at JFK - New York City Forum This includes whether youre alone or have others in tow. My home airport is Phoenix, 25 MCT is crazy if you are trying to get from the High number A gates to any of the B gates or vise versa, even if your 1st class it would still be a dash. I'd rather not be sitting there with blood pressure rising waiting for doors to open on the inbound flight which often takes more than 15 minutes to deplane. Will that get them through security quicker? American Airlines (AA) have given me 90mins to connect at JFK. I was stunned when I realized I had booked Palm Springs to Boston through Phoenix with the 25 minutes MCT. Youll make no friends. A 25 MINute connection is definitely a miNUTE connection! But then when things go even a little bit wrong, you see a half-mile long line at the customer service desks at Americans major hubs. Walking isnt always possible unless youre feeling especially courageous and willing to walk through dark parking lots and sketchy garages. Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ). For layovers of under an hours the plan A is to miss the flight and the plan B is not to miss the flight. Despite its reputation for being one of the busiest and most congested airports in the world, JFK minimum connection times might be surprising to novice travelers. You can make it, but youre going to have to hustle! One of those flaws is the time it takes to move between terminals. As a pretty frequent American flyer, I find that most hubs have a minimum connection time of 40 minutes, and of course thats already pushing it. So that leaves you (*gets out calculator*) zero minutes to make your connection. 2 hours is going to be tight, and I will admit that Id be nervous about doing an international to international connection (with a terminal change) in that amount of time. Thank you! Down to :30 minutes to make the connection - or :20, to boarding ending. If you do have luggage to check (and it wont be transferred to your next flight automatically), an hour and 34 minutes wont be enough time. At the airport Travel information American Airlines Based on my own experience, heres how long it usually takes me to move from one terminal to the next at JFK using the AirTrain (the Airline Terminals Train): Before I started flying on a somewhat regular basis, I always overestimated how much time I would need for a connection at JFK. You should have enough time to meet your friend IMHO. check back later." The agent I recently booked a ticket with Qatar Airways from the U.S. to Asia on the same flights that I have flown on a few times before and normally had a connection of 3 hours. Hi what about the baggage? Youre very welcome Carolyn! Delta Air Lines operates a major international hub out of Terminals 2 and 4, while American Airlines has a hub in Terminal 8. Minimum connection times at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York can be as low as 30 minutes for domestic flights (if you're flying the same airline). Do you know if I have to get my bags re checked and if I have to go through security again in JFK? Just wondering time being limited if we told someone at the terminal that we had a time issue would we have a chance of being ushered to the front? It's either listed on your boarding pass or it's not. And you dont need to worry ahead of time about where to go and how to get there they will funnel you directly to customs and immigration right from the plane. I get that planes only make money when theyre flying, and that airlines have heavily banked hubs, and that customers want itineraries that look like they have the shortest possible travel time. There was only one catch the connection time in Austin was just 25 minutes. The airline may or may not provide a hotel. I have it, and theres only been one instance in my last few years of travel where the regular security line was faster. Scott, The airline knows youre arriving where and when before you do. Of course, just as I suspected, my luggage hadn't arrived at GRU. Even if you did, and hour and 15 minutes would still be doable. 25-minute layovers arent well suited for your checked luggage. Basically making this connection requires (your inbound being on-time or early AND you're in row 1-3 AND your connecting flight is an adjacent gate) OR your outbound flight is delayed. Live and Let Fly would have done on this. I live in a non hub city and the best priced and timed itineraries from PSP involve a minute connection in PHX. I debated and thought well delta around 70% of the time will get to Atlanta around 30 minutes early which would bring my connection time up to 60 minutes instead of 30 minutes. Hi Scott, I have a rescheduled flight and now I arrive from Milan (Italy) to JFK with American Airlines and I need to take the next flight to LAX, still American Airlines, with 1h 25m of layover. As Dirty Harry said, "do you feel lucky punk." Just walk from one plane to the next no security checks will be required. I made it with a 3 minutes to spare before them closing boarding but was soaked in sweat and felt like I had fast walked a 5k. I want to book a flight from MIA to Prague and there is only 46 minutes connection time in JFK. Minimum Connection Times (MCTs) | Flight Connections | OAG I would NEVER book that. The fastest and most efficient way to move between most terminals at the JFK Airport is to use the AirTrain (there are stations located at each terminal). Youll want to get off that flight from Milan as fast as you can though, because theres no telling how long itll take you to get through customs and immigration. The Airline Terminals Train runs counterclockwise. gives me attitude even though it's AA that screwed up and insists there's nothing available until evening. I think it would be a relatively stress free experience with a 3 hour layover. Albeit I never was in Austin, I'm pretty sure FRA is quite bigger than Austin. Most helpful, Scott! Often, after booking, AA will change my outbound flights forcing a tight connection and I have to phone to change it My personal policy outbound on international itineraries is 2 hours +/- 15 minutes MCT given that my international flight, if a misconnect occurs, forces a 24 hour delay. If We had almost the same problem with American Airlines coming from the Bahamas to Miami ! Is an hour and 38 minutes enough time? for all kind of connections. None of my flights on American Airlines were problem free! I am thinking of doing ICN-JFK-BDA with KE and DL. There was always some sort of issue. The John F Kennedy Airport is in a constant state of evolution, and a lot has changed over the years (including the elimination and combination of some terminal buildings). If youre a family traveling together in this scenario, they may delay gate departure for 5-10 minutes so you have time to make your flight. A good rule of thumb when booking a connecting flight: The percentage of Delta flights that have gotten to my first hip on time is easily over 90%. I figured I was OK because I was traveling first class, and I have global pass. I'd rather not have to 2 stop a domestic trip. I would say you could do a 25 minute connection if your flight was on time. Not having checked luggage will make it a lot easier for sure. Also if I did miss the connecting flight would AA get me on the next available one as they are who the tickets are booked under via the travel agent? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Customs and immigration lines can get long, so I would want a minimum of 2 and half hours. Well, don't know how that works in the US but back in time I was Flying BRU-LIS-GRU with a theoretical stop over in LIS of about 2hrs (which in practice was/is always much more). I need to transfer to Jet Blue to Jacksonville Fl with plenty of time allowed. But the flight numbers are still the same, so I guess I must have not noticed the connection time, or QR may have changed the 2nd flights' timings after booking without informing me (which would make sense, since then I would have had a 1:45 minute connection time, which I believe is the MCT at DOH). Ive always thought that the airlines can have short MCTs if they want but then they should warn you if you try to book a really short connection and offer you a longer connection option (if you want to be more sure your travel wont be disrupted). There are reasons why I have avoided flying with them for a while now, it's too close for comfort. Even if you cant get all the way to the front by asking, chances are good that youll be able to move ahead far enough to make a difference. with their bullshit. Note that there are 3 separate AirTrain lines: the Airline Terminals Train, the Jamaica Station Train, and the Howard Beach Train. The Fun Fact about MCT is the time is from the arrival to the actual departure time. The bus is likely to take longer, so adding as much time as you can for the connection is a smart move. all on one ticket American Airlines operated by British Airways. Yes it can be purchased as a single ticket and it is operated by Delta. I want 90 minutes with a domestic.connectio. The airline doesnt want to pay you a family full of vouchers and potential hotel stays if they can avoid it. If anything goes wrong, then AA could just send me through Dallas. Flight minimum connection times: What flyers need to know - USA Today What a lovely planet you must live in. A couple thoughts after reading this piece. Right across the hallway at T-20 and I was first off the plane. The main reason why short layovers are usually ok at JFK is due to the fact that there is no designated international terminal. Once I was seated in the plane it took one more hour for departure. You could probably pull it off, but I can guarantee that itll be a stressful experience. CLT RJ to RJ (flights 3000-6399) If you book it, be prepared to run. Even though we boarded the first flight on time the captain said charlotte had closed two runways and our connections will also be delayed. Thank you. Where is customs and baggage claim and will we need to retrieve bags and recheck them and then go thru security again? Tight Airport Connection? Here Is What You Should Do - Simple Flying Which happens to end good for me and 5 other people who I invited as my "friends" to board the flight. We arrive in JFK terminal 4 from Brussels (Belgium) at 1:30 pm with Delta. Typically first or first few rows of economy. Any idea how much time is needed and where to collect the odd size baggage? Would you adjust any of your time estimates to take into consideration the construction? Please review the special minimum required times below so you can plan accordingly and make sure you check in within the required number of minutes before your departure time. We made it by a hair. Amazing resource and responsiveness. So if your connecting flight is scheduled to depart at 1:00, the airline will have that door open for you up until 1:58, as you have your ticket scanned, saunter down the runway and through the airplane door at 12:59, and while youre doing the passenger shuffle to take your seat, the forward cabin crew will be saying their thanks a bunch see ya soons to the ground crew as they shut and secure the planes door. Hi Im coming from Barcelona British Air and then Delta back to PR how long would it take. There is no designated international terminal at the John F. Kennedy Airport. And it was one of their tiny ass planes where any roller suitcase gets valet sticker at gate. Not entirely anyway. My American flights out of Knoxville usually connect in Charlotte, Dallas, or Chicago. Keep up the excellent writing! If the connection had to have 30 min in Austin instead of 25, you might not get that low fare you wanted. The only thing youll need to do is switch terminals (if necessary) and then check into for flight to Korea if you dont already have your boarding pass. I would say you could do a 25 minute connection if your flight was on time. Hi Scott, I will arrive at JFK at terminal 4 and have 3 hours before departure the international flight at Terminal 1. To the destination the layovers are rather conservative; but from the destination the layovers are rather liberal. For journeys between terminals, it's free. Was very glad my check-in bag did make it to the final destination. I could never book a layover less than 1.5 hours. Usually aa arrives early into aus and most likely the sane plane goes to the connecting destination. I have also seen 30 An advantage of this would be access to cheaper fare inventory when the system creates a connecting itinerary. Have a great trip! Thanks. I wont book a flight with less than a 60 minute connection time. The difference is that when things go wrong in Dallas, there are a lot more flights you can be rebooked on to get to your final destination. How about when the first leg is 2 hr late? In the event that your first flight arrives too late to connect, the airline will be obligated to put you on the next available flight without charging any fees. First of all just check your bag instead of being one of those annoying people trying to cram a huge bag into the overhead. Airlines all publish minimum connection times (MCT). Probably 5-6 minutes at a fast pace. As long as I didnt have to switch terminals, my personal minimum connection time for a domestic to international flight at JFK would be 1 hour and 10 minutes. AA has been offering itins with ridiculously short "please misconnect me" itins to me for months now, including 25-minute connection times in PHX and 35 to 55 minute connection times elsewhere. Theyll just put you on the next one (automatically) and you wont have to wait long. MINIMUMCONNECTION TIMES. The fly was 1 hour late so when we arrived I had 45 minutes to pick up my luggage, go through customs and check it in again for my second fly. It has taken us a very long time on AA recently when you have your own device (we have a mobility scooter). I just put in my origin and my destination and then have to pick from the options offered by AA, why are you offering such short connections if it is not adequate time to connect!! The 14 days begins from the date you left the country you connected in. Blame the airline or the passenger but the staff pay the price. Eventually they have to deplane us and we wait in the terminal since it's time to board the next flight. Then still out of breath from running with heavy backpack with underlying asthma I sat in one of the MULTIPLE empty handicap seats nearby because I was too exhausted to go any further hoping to finally rest and catch my breath but of course the bitch decided AA hasn't ruined my day enough and comes over and tells me to vacate the seat as it's for handicap, I move to another seat and course never ever does come occupy those seats. It's not like you'd get off an AA flight and have to take the tram to another concourse for your connection. AA'd likely give some BS non-answer about customer feedback and ensuring passengers get to their destination "quickly and safely" yet completely ignoring that if customers miss flights because of short MCTs, they're getting NOWHERE quickly and safely. From there, you will need to go to the Delta check in area to re-check your luggage. Good luck! MAD-JFK-CLT. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. At San Francisco's SFO, some airlines still schedule minimum connection times as short as 30 minutes. Switching terminals when making a connection from one domestic flight to another at the John F. Kennedy Airport is easy, but itll take a little bit longer. This problem invariably occurs because of airline instigated changes as I book months in advance. Thank you. I see some other websites suggest this is the case, but your detailed description sounds like we can just walk from gate on upper level to gate on lower level. Youre welcome Jenny! For instance CM at PTY does 40 min connections, including to some US destinations (e.g. Domestic to international all within terminal 8 in 1.5 hours? Wow, not so familiar with US Airports but i.e. I was going from LGA to ORD with 30min connection in PHL. Including being in London and American Airlines had no plane to fly us home in. I figured I was OK because I was traveling first class, and I have global pass.
