pookymimi

We are flying Denver to Boston to Spain, on Southwest we would arrive 3:35 pm at Con. A and have to go to Con. E where Iberia departs at 5:40pm. I'm afraid of not having enough time to get suitcases from carrousel and checked them in Iberia on time. I assume we have to go into security again?

Will SW 3:35pm arriving to 5:40 pm departing have enough time in between to get from A to E?
Our other option would be flying UA to Boston arriving 2:05pm to Iberia E 5:40 pm.

Flights are getting more expensive as times go by and Soutwhest is cheaper at this point with free luggage.

gail

I would take the earlier flight. To get from A to E you need to take an airport shuttle bus. They run all the time - so that will not be a delay.

I am assuming that SWA is not going to transfer luggage to Iberia. For some reason, luggage is often quite slow to appear after flights into Logan - and while I am only talking an additional 10 minutes or so, if you are checking your watch to make a connection, not good.

Also, one is supposed to check in 2 hours prior to international flight - and even without luggage and flight being on-time, you do not have that. I am assuming you are flying on 2 tickets - so will have to re-check in.

The terminals are in 2 separate buildings - so yes, you have to clear security again.

If it were me, even the 3 hours UA flight would give you is cutting it close - but wondering if UA would allow you to check luggage through to Spain (unless you are flying on 2 tickets)

pookymimi

Thanks Gail!
Yes, I'm flying with two tickets UA or SW to Boston and Iberia to Catania, so I assume I have to recheck luggage in Boston to Iberia, same coming back from Barcelona in Iberia.

Bummer UA is $300 more than SW for the 3 of us.

scdreamer

If it were my situation, I would take an even earlier flight to Logan. Since you are flying on two tickets, any delay in your first flight could mean you miss the second - and then rebooking could cost a fortune, not to mention a lost day.

Are there any flights earlier in the day? You didn't mention what time of year you will be taking this trip - but thunderstorms, snow, or any severe weather event could impact your flight from Denver. Also - mechanical problems or other issues.

Maybe I'm overly cautious, but I've experienced too many delayed departures to be comfortable in your situation as it stands.

If there aren't any earlier flights, maybe take the SW flight in the day before and use the $300 savings for a hotel room?

janisj

>>If it were my situation, I would take an even earlier flight to Logan<<

Me too!!! That is too close for an international connection on un-linked bookings. Any little hitch and you are SOL. The Southwest flight is definitely a no go -- they don't interline bags.

The UA flight <i>should</i> be OK, but if there are delays . . . again you are SOL.

I would try to arrive no later than noon - and even then there are no guarantees . . .

pookymimi

We fly out of Boston on June 20th.
The only flights I find from Denver is on UA at 8:10 am and SW at 9:45 am

janisj

>>Bummer UA is $300 more than SW for the 3 of us.<<

Consider how much more it will cost if you miss your flight? $300 will be chump change. You'll be out of pocket thousands if you have to buy walk up tickets - and that is only IF there are seats available

Fly even earlier . . .

(Next time book the flights together)

janisj

we were posting at the same time - You may have to consider flying into Logan the evening before.

pookymimi

Yeah, I'm looking into red eyes from Denver now.
I'm flying out of Boston because I got the BOS-CAT with AA miles.

pookymimi

This is the only red eye I found and I don't know what we would do in Boston until 3 pm

$179 JetBlue 11:11p DEN 5:00a BOS 3h 49m nonstop

janisj

Get a day room at a hotel and rest up.

pookymimi

"Get a day room at a hotel and rest up."

How much are those?

rkkwan

Iberia's cut off time is 60 minutes. Given the scarcity of choice, I would take the UA. UA arrives 2:05p, and IB's cut off is 4:40p. With 2 hours and 35 minutes, I would feel fairly comfortable.

gail

I like the idea of flying in the day prior. Better way to spend the $300. When I just checked for a random day in June, AA has a one-way fare DEN-BOS for about $150 with one-stop; SWA is $190 on that day non-stop. If you are flying the day before, you can afford to spend a little more time on a 1-stop flight.

So if you are really looking to both save money and not miss the flight - take a one-stop flight the day before. Put the $120 or so you save towards a hotel room.

I would not take the red-eye unless you are going to get a day room at a hotel. Spending 2 1/2 days to get to Spain without a hotel room will leave you exhausted upon arrival, and at a time when you can't get into a hotel room for many hours.

DonTopaz

Agree completely with rkkwan -- the UA flight arriving at 2:05p gives you plenty of time, even if there's a delay of 90 minutes.

Unless you have significant mobility issues or some huge amount of luggage, the best way to get from Terminal A to Terminal E is by walking through the Central Garage. The route is well marked, and it will take 10-20 minutes. There are some moving walkways along the route.

You should also be VERY wary of the flights you choose for the return trip if you're returning through BOS, because it will likely take you a LONG time to clear immigration in Boston. Only exception is if you have Global Entry. I came through Boston last week, and it was taking 60-90 minutes at 7:00pm. (I have Global Entry -- thank goodness -- so can't give exact times.)

gail

Don - last time I was in Central Garage they had a large part of the inside roped off due to construction (pieces of something falling from the ceiling) - not sure if it was open to pedestrians, though.

OP - I guess it all depends on how nervous you get about making a connection. If everything is on time, taking the earlier UA flight, sure - you will be fine. The key is 'everything being on time". Security and check-in at Terminal E (primarily international flights) is so variable. While Logan has greatly increased their international flights in last decade, it seems to have a great ebb and flow based on how many flights are arriving/departing in a given half hour time frame.

Good advice about return. I have stood for a maddeningly long amount of time to clear immigration and customs at Logan - and also flown thru in 10 minutes.

scdreamer

I'd still opt to fly in the night before.

Sure, the earlier UA flight should allow for plenty of time to get to the next gate, but if anything untoward comes up, all bets are off. It's not as if there have never been two or three hour delays (or even longer) due to weather or mechanical issues.

I flew out of Phoenix to San Jose last fall, and we were all boarded on the aircraft when there was a problem with the doors not closing properly. Everyone had to get off the plane and wait another hour and a half for another aircraft to be prepared. In total, the flight was about two and a half hours late getting out - many were distressed that they were missing their connecting flights in San Jose.

You just never know. That's why I would hesitate to fly any expensive itinerary on two separate tickets without a day in between.

The cost of a hotel room is peanuts compared to three international walk-up fares.