pegsmithvt

Warning: Never flown internationally.

I am traveling from Philadelphia to Denpasar, Bali by way of San Francisco and Taipei. I booked the trip through Orbitz.
I am scheduled to arrive at the SF airport at 11:50PM. My flight to Taipei leaves at 2:05AM. I was talking to a friend today and when I told her this she said, "NO WAY".

I was looking up this flight (China Airlines 3) and according to the China Airlines website (corroborated by Orbitz and expedia) in fact it looks like the flight actually leaves at 12:05AM! But on my itinerary, it says 1:05AM.

I plan on calling Orbitz tomorrow, but before I call I want to know what is reasonable. Why would Orbitz sell this itinerary? Is it possible to make these flights?

pegsmithvt

SORRY - that should say the flight out of San Fran leaves at 1:05AM not 2:05AM.

Cranachin

You must be flying after March 9. The flight time changes from 12:05 AM to 1:05 AM because of Daylight Saving TIme.

You're right—that still doesn't seem like enough time for the connection.

doug_stallings

I don't know off-hand the minimum connection time at SFO, but if Oribitz sold you the flight on a single ticket, then it must be a legal connection. Going from a domestic flight (assuming USAirways into Terminal 1) to China Airlines (International Terminal, the closest to Terminal 1), seems doable in a bit more than an hour if your flight is on time. If not, you'll be in trouble because it is a tight connection.

You will have to go through security again, but you should be able to check your bag all the way through. Even though USAirways and China Airlines are not in the same alliance, but you should be able to check your bags through. (If that is not possible, then you really have to do carry-on only because you won't have time to pick up and recheck your bags.) If you can get onto the Airtrain before 12:15 am, then trains run every 5 minutes (that may be a push). After, they run only ever 15 minutes.

Kathie

Your first mistake was booking with Orbitz. Always book with the airlines directly.

This may be a "legal" connection, but it isn't a smart connection.

Good luck with getting Orbitz to remedy this situation.

suze

I can't comment specifically, but I would never take that short of a connection anywhere. Would give me an anxiety attack just thinking about the transfer. I also buy from the airlines themselves only, not thru the middlemen like Orbitz, etc.