Teen flying coast to coast first time alone - best connecting cities

Although there isn't snow, there are thunderstorms to consider. I suggest regardless of the airline you choose, try to fly out on the first flights of the day. These flights have a better chance of going ontime since the aircraft have been at the origin city overnight. Also, if there are delays, there are usually better re-booking options if you leave early in the day. To calm your nerves, you can consider paying for an "unaccompanied minor" service where someone will meet the flight at the connecting city an escort your teen to the connection flight.

I don't know if you have considered Southwest airlines, but I show that they have a few direct flight (not nonstop though) options from the bay area to both Hartford and Albany. So, if the flight has a delay, at least your child won't miss the connection (since they don't have to connect!) Be sure to choose the option with a single flight (with 1 stop preferred over 2 stops) and not the options with connecting cities listed.

Pick flight that is the earliest in the day - certainly not the latest. And pick a connection city that has several later flights that day to the end destination. Make sure connection time is adequate - even lengthy.

And get her a credit card in her name - either one you cosign for her or, faster and easier, one tied to your credit card but that gives you a card with her name. While it will not stop your worry, you will know that in the event of any major disruption along the way she could pay for a hotel, meals, new plane ticket, bungee jumping lessons - any necessity.

Perhaps I misunderstood your question but regardless of the website (the airline website or the booking sites like Expedia, Etc.) you use the scheduled departure/arrival times and flight durations for any particular flight are clearly shown when you search for available flights. When you visit the websits enter your planned dates of travel, your departue city and your ultimate destination city. The system will then list the various flights available to you along with the the total scheduled travel time for those particular flights. Also if you have a connecting flight (which you do) simply compare the scheduled arrival time of the first flight with the scheduled departure time of the connecting flight to figure out how much time you have between flights. Since your daughter is travelling domestically you should probably allow at least 60 minutes between flights. Anything less, while doable, might cause YOU needless worry.

You might find it easier to compare flight times/schedules/connecting times using one of the booking sites like Expedia as they will list schedules, etc. for all airlines while the airline websites tend to list only their flights. Once you decide on which schedule works best for your daughter you can go to that airline's website to book the flight.

You don't say how old your daughter is but if she's flown with you alot she's an experienced flyer and should have no difficulties. If she's a minor, the airline will have someone escort her on/off the airplanes between the connectings flights and turn her over to the adult meeting her upon arrival at her destination. If she's not a minor then she's an adult and it is time to let her travl by herself. I know it may be difficult for you at first but you have to let your children leave the nest at some point in their lives. We've all gone through this so your not alone.

Albany is one of those can't easily get to from here towns, especially from the west coast.

You can connect a lot of places, but coming from the west coast you don't have a lot of same day back up options.

I think United is the only airline with same-day back up options. There are 2 routes you can do this SFO-IAD-ALB and SFO-ORD-ALB.

The very early flight from SFO to ORD lets you catch the 1pm to ALB. There are also a 4pm and 7pm departure.

I send a lot of people into Albany and the airlines most used are UAL from the bay area (through IAD or ORD), USAir from the South (through ATL or Charlotte, not PHL). AA doesn't have good ALB service, and CO through Newark I'd only recommend if coming from overseas.

A red-eye from the west coast to east coast (or eastern Mid-west) will mean lots of "same-day" back-up connections possible; and the early morning arrival on the east coast also avoids the worst delays.

For example, CO SFO-CLE arrives 6:32a, and then CLE-ALB departs 8:10a. That's as fool- or child-proof as possible.

Thank you for your great replies! I wish we could consider Southwest as we are great fans of theirs but we do have time restraints. She is working at a summer camp and needs to arrive in BDL or ALB no later than 3pm and on the return they will be getting to the airport by 3:30pm so I am looking at 5pm-ish returns. Outbound will need to be overnight. Continental from SFO via CLE does work both ways but only one hour change in each direction and I am assuming not a lot of backup aircraft if there are delays or cancellations.

What do y'all think of Washington Dulles IAD as a connecting city using United. Outbound she would have an almost 3 hour layer in IAD and return is only 54 min but times work great on both ends.

If I was flying on United I would probably connect at ORD for ALB in order to take an Airbus jet operated by United. For IAD-ALB it would be a regional jet operated by United Express. The SFO-IAD flight would probably arrive at concourses C or D (which are connected to each other) but IAD-ALB might use concourse A which would require a shuttle ride (unless there is an underground walkway). Looks like the UA/UX flights for IAD-BDL use concourse C and D.

Going out is not an issue. She will be taking a red-eye the night before anyways, and will have no problem getting to ALB or BDL by 3pm next day. So, just concentrate on the return flight.

No airline have lots of spares parked as backup. And leaving ALB or BDL after 3:30p means for most connections, there's no more later flight same day. To avoid a missed connection and getting stranded overnight somewhere, you can look at itineraries that:

- has the longest connection (apparent reason)

- uses mainline aircraft (when there's weather issues, or other air traffic problems, airlines usually cancel regional flights first)

- avoid the NYC-area airport and PHL (worst delays in the afternoon)

Anyways, I don't know what's the exact date of return, but using a weekday in early August, I find these connections:

CO with 1:21 connection at CLE (regional jet for 1st seg).
NW with 1:12 connection at DTW (regional jet for 1st seg).
NW with 1:30 connection at MSP (regional jet for 1st seg).
UA with 1:17 connection at IAD (regional jet for 1st seg).
UA with 1:40 connection at ORD.
DL with 1:25 connection at ATL (large regional jet for 1st seg).
DL with 1:15 connection at JFK (regional jet for 1st seg).

Of these flights from ALB, the best choice would be UA via ORD, based on the criteria I listed. 2nd choice would be NW via MSP. And worst choice will be DL via JFK.

From BDL, I see:

AA with :50 connection at ORD.
AA with :47 connection at DFW.
CO with 1:11 connection at CLE.
CO with 1:59 connection at EWR (regional jet for 1st seg).
UA with :54 connection at IAD (large regional jet for 1st seg).
UA with a later 1:05 connection at IAD.
UA with 1:00 connection at ORD.
NW with 1:12 connection at DTW.
NW with 1:43 connection at MSP.
DL with :59 connection at ATL.
US with 1:43 connection at PIT (regional jet for 1st seg).
US with :58 connection at PHL (large regional jet for 1st seg).
US/UA with 1:18 connection at PHL (same first flight as above).
... and some other ones with longer connection.

There are more than one flights available from PHL or IAD back to SFO if one departs BDL soon after 3:30p. So, if one misses a connection, there's still a chance of getting back to SFO that day.

But still, why not just take NW via MSP, if fare is similar?

I will say that we flew through Cleveland from Richmond to Paris last summer and Cleveland is a very nice small airport. It isn't so big that she will have trouble getting from one side of the airport to the other quickly. That would be my first choice for my daughter. The smaller airports are so much easier to navigate.

Thank you! I am just overwhelmed by your replies and helpfulness.
Tomorrow I hope to sit back down with the Internet and look at it all again with the new perspective from you all! Thank you so much!

How old is she lovetotravel. I do think that girlonthego has a point, a smaller airport to get through would be helpful -even older travelers get overwhelmed at times in large airports. One thing to consider is although she has flown a lot - I assume all the details have been taken care of and she might have hardly paid attention to a thing... (normal teen

She is 18, a college freshman. She is going to a college driving distance from here but many of her friends went to colleges on the east coast so this is now old hat for them! I am leaning toward Continental and the Cleveland connection both directions. I really appreciate rkkwan giving all of the connection times and pointers. I am curious about Northwest and MSP that he recommends. I haven't flown NW in ages. Is MSP an easy connecting airport? Thanks everyone. Hubby says "just book something" I think I am getting into the over analyzing mode!
But I really appreciate everyone's help!

She's 18. She can figure it out. None of these airports are difficult to change planes in, as long as the connection time isn't too tight. MSP is definitely fine.

Anyways, what I tried to do in my previous post is to show what connections MAY be possible, and how I determine which may be best in this scenario.

For the exact date she's flying, the connections may be different. But you can list out all the possible ones, and then decide which has the safest connection.

Yes, thank you. You have been very helpful!