Another short layover question
 

Thank you for answering my question about a short layover in Toronto. That flight has been changed. Now for a different trip- In May, 2019, we fly to Vancouver, B.C., to begin a cruise. Our flight has a 58 minute layover in Houston's IAH (Bush) airport. I've read it's doable, but short layovers make me nervous. My fault for not looking more carefully at the itinerary details. Any input or info appreciated. Thank you.

The schedule will change several times between now and your trip in 10 months. Besides, you already know the answer to your question: if short connection times make you nervous, then you should seek longer connection times.

The same answers you got on your other thread will apply at IAH.

Any 1 hour or less connection at most airports will have some inherent risk.

Murphy's Law of Air travel will apply - it states the shorter your connecting time means one or more of the following will occur:
a) Your inbound flight will be delayed taking off.
b) Your arrival Gate will be block so you won't be able to deplane right after landing.
c) You'll be seated in the back of the plane and one of the last to deplane.
d) The gate for your connecting flight will be at the complete opposite end of the terminal.

By contrast, if you opt for a longer connecting time you will assure one or more of the following will occur:
a) Your inbound flight will arrive early.
b) You'll be seated in the front of the aircraft and be one of the first passengers to deplane.
c) The gate for your connecting flight will be right next to your arrival gate.
d) Your outbound flight will be delayed.

Remember, you can be 2 hours early for your connecting flight and the worst thing that happens is you have some extra time seating in the waiting area. By contrast, if you arrive at your connecting gate 1 minute after the plane's doors close you've missed your flight.

It would be good for you to know the risk of missing your connecting flight.

Specifically, the answers to questions such as:
- When do you have to be at the cruise ship lest it leave port without you?
- What are the next flights from IAH to Vancouver on your airline. If your flight is the last of the day it's a different risk than if there are numerous flights you could get on.

A quick google search shows only one non-stop flight a day, 9:35am on United. Additional options with added connections in Denver or SFO.

Specifically because this is to get on a cruise (no wiggle room there) I would never take such a short transfer time.

Thank you everyone for the good info. I changed the flights. Instead of a 58 mn. layover in Houston, we now have a comfortable 3 hr. layover in Salt Lake City. 🙂

Someone else mentioned not wanting tight connections for a cruise. I don't know your cruise itinerary or your cruise experience, and you did not ask, but sometimes we may not think about questions we might ask. If you already considered it, great. If not, it might be relevant.

Just as most people recommend being in the city of departure the night before a flight from Europe to US, most people I know make it a point to be in or very near the departure port city the night before a cruise. On our second cruise, I never thought about it and booked flights that seemed to have hours of leeway for the day of the cruise. After weather delays and a redirected flight, with an unscheduled lay over, I was a nervous wreck. It was the start of a 12 day TA cruise. We had no insurance with thousands of dollars at stake. We did make the cruise, with less than 1/2 an hour to embarkation. Needless to say, we have never, ever done that again.

You forgot got another possibility: You barely make the connecting flight after a frantic sprint, but your checked luggage doesn’t.