Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Is a 35 minute layover enough time in Atlanta for a domestic flight

Is a 35 minute layover enough time in Atlanta for a domestic flight ?
Flight from Norfolk, VA to Columbus, OH with a layover of 35 minutes in Atlanta. Is it enough or is it not enough time to catch my flight ? Thanks
Air Travel - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
IMO, that is not enough time. Especially, when you consider, that time is from when the plane parks at the gate. Now you have to estimate it taking 10-15 minutes to actually get off the plane. That really leaves you only about 20 minutes. You need at least a 50 minutes in Atlanta. Marc: Just because this flight is listed in a search doesn't mean the airline feels its doable. All the search does is find all combinations from point A to Point B. And the reason it shows a price is that each leg of a flight has its own price. With a layover that short, the airlines warn you about it and that's enough for them not to hold any flight for you or get you on another flight for free.
2 :
It's definitely cutting it very close. Assuming the gates are very close to each other, and assuming that the incoming flight has a somewhat small plane that can be de-boarded quickly, it can be done. If you have a ticket or were offered a ticket with such a connection, the airline obviously thinks that it is doable. You can use http://www.flightstats.com to check the on-time performance of domestic flights to see how often this connection would actually work. Keep in mind that if the airline offered you a ticket with this layover, they are required to put you on another flight to your final destination at their cost, if you miss the connection without fault on your part. Of course, it's still your time that's lost in that case.
3 :
I'm assuming you're flying Delta if it's from ORF-ATL-CMH. Technically, it is a legal connection (ie, allowable connection time by the airline) at ATL. It is certainly do-able. However, it is tight. If there are any delays, you do run a risk of missing your connection. The other thing about ATL is that Delta operates out of practically every terminal there - A, B, C, D, E, and T. That means you could arrive in terminal A and fly out of terminal E, which is a several minute train ride. It's not ideal and I'd personally prefer a longer connection time, but it's do-able. I recently did a 30 min connection at MSP, from one end of the terminal to the other. We made it about 5 minutes before boarding began. You just need to check ahead to find out where you're landing and where you're connection departs so you can plan appropriately. As you board your first flight, you might ask the flight attendant if they can get connecting gate information. ATL though does have a lot of screens all over the place, so you can always check those if the FA can't get that info for you. Good luck!
4 :
That's tight for ATL. It could be "doable" if the gates are on the same concourse, but if they're not, I'm not sure you'd make it. If it were me, I'd: 1) Check the ontime stats of the Norfolk-ATL fight (the DOT keeps all these.) http://www.bts.gov/xml/ontimesummarystatistics/src/index.xml 2) Check the "normal" arrival and departure gates and check them against an ATL map http://www.atlanta-airport.com/Passenger/Terminal/ 3) Wear good running shoes :^) Seriously - if #1 or #2 above give you reason to worry, call the airline and rebook.
5 :
It is not enough time. You should allow yourself a minimum of 60 minutes. If you flight is 5 or 10 minutes late in (remember you could be kept on the ground waiting for a gate to open) you will miss the flight.
6 :
eeek! That would be cutting it very very close. If i remember right atlanta has diffrent terminals. Which your connecting flight may be in a diffrent one. Why are you flying into atlanta from norfolk? (random question) Thats kinda weird.

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