minimum transit times USA
This connection can be done, we have done it a good number of times, but we have also missed it a few times.
Two adults and a grown up daughter - we can put up with the hassle that comes with problems arising. (Plat. status also gives some comfort...)
A party of seven? Mmmmm....not sure I would take the risk.
Is there not a later DTW-MCO flight you could select as part of the itinerary for a similar cost?
Good luck whatever you elect to do...
Jim
Two adults and a grown up daughter - we can put up with the hassle that comes with problems arising. (Plat. status also gives some comfort...)
A party of seven? Mmmmm....not sure I would take the risk.
Is there not a later DTW-MCO flight you could select as part of the itinerary for a similar cost?
Good luck whatever you elect to do...
Jim
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Just to clear up some previous misunderstanding. My original post was not intended to recommend ATL as a point of connection over DTW. My mention of ATL was just to observe that in addition to 6 nonstops/day between DTW and MCO, there are also Delta flights that would reach MCO from DTW by connecting through ATL.
I cannot opine as to whether clearing U.S. customs through DTW is more efficient than ATL. In the end, it will depend on the vagaries of flight arrival times and staffing that particular day. So as other posters have agreed, the best way to achieve this itinerary in an economical and nonstressful fashion is to allow ample connecting time at either transfer airport. Thus, if your connection time through ATL is, say, 2:30 hrs versus 1:25 through Detroit, that is probably your best choice.
I cannot opine as to whether clearing U.S. customs through DTW is more efficient than ATL. In the end, it will depend on the vagaries of flight arrival times and staffing that particular day. So as other posters have agreed, the best way to achieve this itinerary in an economical and nonstressful fashion is to allow ample connecting time at either transfer airport. Thus, if your connection time through ATL is, say, 2:30 hrs versus 1:25 through Detroit, that is probably your best choice.
Last edited by SeenItAll; 18th Oct 2010 at 16:04.
some good advice for the OP above. have done the DTW connection many times, it is one of the easiest, but you need at least 2 hours to be safe. have done the last two trips via DFW to TPA. better connection times and far shorter lines for the car rental desks than MCO. depending on which side of orlando you are staying, the drive from tampa can be little different to that from MCO.
have been looking at the prices of these flights for a few weeks, and the suggestion of only £200 extra each seems way off, more like double, and could only get WT+ seats on way back - economy full. like you we normally travel in a group (6) and the indirect US airline prices are often half BA and VS for UK school holidays. if only money was no object!
have just booked LA for school easter holidays, just under £500 for direct flight. orlando is very busy at easter - expect to queue for restaurant seats.
have been looking at the prices of these flights for a few weeks, and the suggestion of only £200 extra each seems way off, more like double, and could only get WT+ seats on way back - economy full. like you we normally travel in a group (6) and the indirect US airline prices are often half BA and VS for UK school holidays. if only money was no object!
have just booked LA for school easter holidays, just under £500 for direct flight. orlando is very busy at easter - expect to queue for restaurant seats.
! Ms Smoketrails and I are doing DUS-ATL-TPA with DL in a couple of weeks, connection time will be 2 hours...
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Yeah, lot of doom and gloom being spread around here.
In the fairly unlikely possibility of your TATL flight being so late as to miss your connection, the airline will re-accommodate you. This is providing you are on a single itinerary (ticket) with one airline; it's nothing more than an inconvenience/minor annoyance.
If the connection isn't 'legal' - meets the stated minimum time - the airline can't sell you that itinerary in the first place.
Now if there's some kind of force majeur factor (volcanic ash, French strike etc.) then all bets are off, but that can happen anytime, anywhere - the US is no more prone than any other country.
In the fairly unlikely possibility of your TATL flight being so late as to miss your connection, the airline will re-accommodate you. This is providing you are on a single itinerary (ticket) with one airline; it's nothing more than an inconvenience/minor annoyance.
If the connection isn't 'legal' - meets the stated minimum time - the airline can't sell you that itinerary in the first place.
Now if there's some kind of force majeur factor (volcanic ash, French strike etc.) then all bets are off, but that can happen anytime, anywhere - the US is no more prone than any other country.
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Well folks thank you for all of the advice, the final decision is that we will transit through Detroit but allow extra time and take a later flight to Orlando. I note that the flight from Heathrow had a 40 minute delay today so that would put paid to a 1h 25m transit time!!
Many thanks...
Many thanks...
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1DC: definitely the right choice. Note that you will be collecting your baggage to clear customs and immigration in Detroit. Therefore, if your flight arrives into Detroit early, when you reach the Delta counter to recheck your bags on to Orlando, you will have the opportunity to inquire as whether there is space available on the earlier connecting flight, and if so, possibly get rebooked on to this connection.
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SeenitAll..
Many thanks, i was wondering if I would have an opportunity to request the earlier flight when we rechecked. I wasn't sure whether it would be a desk or just a baggage drop..
regards..
Many thanks, i was wondering if I would have an opportunity to request the earlier flight when we rechecked. I wasn't sure whether it would be a desk or just a baggage drop..
regards..
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Many thanks, i was wondering if I would have an opportunity to request the earlier flight when we rechecked. I wasn't sure whether it would be a desk or just a baggage drop..
Once you've collected your bags from the carousel and cleared customs you proceed straight to one of 3 conveyor belts where your checked baggage is placed.
I've flown through DTW many times, it's a great airport, and I've never missed a connection there. Even some as tight as 40 mins. I've tried to get on to earlier connecting flights in the past, but have been denied as I had checked luggage. But it's not to worry, there is a lot to do and see in DTW, so you won't be bored waiting for your flight.
Last edited by jackieofalltrades; 24th Oct 2010 at 12:16. Reason: spelling
Too mean to buy a long personal title
Globaliser, I think I didn't make myself clear. I agree that if you're connecting to a point in the USA you have to go through check-in, security etc again the critical point about Atlanta (and one or two other airports in the USA) is that it doesn't matter whether you are connecting or simply going to landside you have to go through security.
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Just to finish this post off and for the benefit of those who were kind enough to advise.
We took our journey the week before Easter and arrived at Detroit about 40 minutes late, i assumed with that delay the people trying to connect with the early flight to Orlando would miss it but i was wrong.
Delta people were waiting at the door on leaving the aircraft and asking Orlando passengers to proceed quickly to security and immigration, at immigration Orlando passengers were being fast tracked through the crew aisle and then after baggage rushed to their flight. I was surprised about the fast tracking but immigration wasn't very busy at the time.Because we were on the later flight we took our time and i doubt if we would have got through customs and immigration in time to make the earlier flight without the offered help.
Quite a few people were trying to make the connection and with all flights being oversold it would have been hard for anyone missing the flight to be accommodated.
We took our journey the week before Easter and arrived at Detroit about 40 minutes late, i assumed with that delay the people trying to connect with the early flight to Orlando would miss it but i was wrong.
Delta people were waiting at the door on leaving the aircraft and asking Orlando passengers to proceed quickly to security and immigration, at immigration Orlando passengers were being fast tracked through the crew aisle and then after baggage rushed to their flight. I was surprised about the fast tracking but immigration wasn't very busy at the time.Because we were on the later flight we took our time and i doubt if we would have got through customs and immigration in time to make the earlier flight without the offered help.
Quite a few people were trying to make the connection and with all flights being oversold it would have been hard for anyone missing the flight to be accommodated.
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O'Hare transit times.
First time post, any advice appreciated.
We are going to Orlando in Sept. 2011. We checked various flight options, direct flights with BA or Virgin was very expensive, they also charge a lot to select seats. Having used American Airlines several times and found them to be better than BA we have decided to fly LHR-ORD-MCO using AA, this gives us 5 hours in ORD but we can do immigration and customs during this time, have a meal and then at MCO simply collect bags and leave as this will be a domestic flight. The flight leaves LHR at 7.45am and this is earlier than direct Orlando flights from LGW and so will arrive at MCO only an hour or so later than a direct flight would. We allocated seats for all legs of the flight without charge, I know they charge for alcohol on AA flights but for us this won't apply at 7.45am!. The total cost saving for 2 people is about £400. Or return is MIA-LHR direct, flight timings similar to BA. Any comments or advice on transit at ORD would be appreciated.
Thanks.
We are going to Orlando in Sept. 2011. We checked various flight options, direct flights with BA or Virgin was very expensive, they also charge a lot to select seats. Having used American Airlines several times and found them to be better than BA we have decided to fly LHR-ORD-MCO using AA, this gives us 5 hours in ORD but we can do immigration and customs during this time, have a meal and then at MCO simply collect bags and leave as this will be a domestic flight. The flight leaves LHR at 7.45am and this is earlier than direct Orlando flights from LGW and so will arrive at MCO only an hour or so later than a direct flight would. We allocated seats for all legs of the flight without charge, I know they charge for alcohol on AA flights but for us this won't apply at 7.45am!. The total cost saving for 2 people is about £400. Or return is MIA-LHR direct, flight timings similar to BA. Any comments or advice on transit at ORD would be appreciated.
Thanks.
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You are correct, they do charge for drinks in main cabin, AA now do not take any actual cash, they only accept debit or crdit cards, please be aware of this. Have seen people unable to buy sandwiches etc on domestic flights as they have no cards. On the domestic routes in main cabin you even have to pay for the headsets with a credit card, think it is $2, but they are then yours to keep.
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Fries:
Have made 2 international arrivals at ORD in the past year. You'll likely arrive at the International Terminal, which is some distance from the other domestic terminals.
After exiting Customs, there is a spot to recheck your baggage for ongoing flights. Then straight out, you look for the sign/escalator for the inter-terminal train, and take that to your next terminal. There you have to re-clear security and get your cavity search. Food/drink opportunity at International Terminal, and before security at the others is limited.
Transfer times are extremely variable. One trip it was 45 minutes after gate arrival, the other was 2:30. Lots of places for the delays to add up: taxiing forever, no open gate, aisle cloggers at deplaning, long lines at Immigration (if you arrive with 6-7 other flights), and the train platform was so jammed it required 3 arrivals to board.
You should be fine, but you will likely use a lot of your transfer time.
Have made 2 international arrivals at ORD in the past year. You'll likely arrive at the International Terminal, which is some distance from the other domestic terminals.
After exiting Customs, there is a spot to recheck your baggage for ongoing flights. Then straight out, you look for the sign/escalator for the inter-terminal train, and take that to your next terminal. There you have to re-clear security and get your cavity search. Food/drink opportunity at International Terminal, and before security at the others is limited.
Transfer times are extremely variable. One trip it was 45 minutes after gate arrival, the other was 2:30. Lots of places for the delays to add up: taxiing forever, no open gate, aisle cloggers at deplaning, long lines at Immigration (if you arrive with 6-7 other flights), and the train platform was so jammed it required 3 arrivals to board.
You should be fine, but you will likely use a lot of your transfer time.
have done this trip several times with United. ORD is in my opinion crowded and shabby, but if you don`t mind this, and you are saving plenty on your fare, it`s an OK option. If you have not yet booked, US via PHL is pretty good, as is Delta via DTW.
direct is always preferable, but if like me you have had to travel to MCO in school holidays, with 4 kids, it is the only affordable option.
direct is always preferable, but if like me you have had to travel to MCO in school holidays, with 4 kids, it is the only affordable option.
Transiting through Miami International
I'd be grateful for some advice. My daughter will be transiting through Miami International in a few weeks on her return to UK. She will be flying in from Honduras, and has two hours at Miami between scheduled arrival and departure times. She is flying on AA on both flights. Is two hours long enough to make the connection? - bearing in mind such things as baggage claim, clearing US Customs, etc. Any tips on making her passage through Miami as smooth as possible would be appreciated. She is currently doing scientific research somewhere in Honduras and is regularly away from internet connections at the moment - I'm due to contact her next week so I would be grateful for some early replies. Many thanks.