Hi all,
Back in October I wanted to book flights from Chicago to Bozeman with NWA BUT because I am not a US citizen I could not do it directly with NWA online and prices were WAY more expensive booking with the NWA agent in the UK via the telephone sooooo ... I found the same flights with the same connection times in MSP on Orbitz and after checking with NWA that the connection times were OK and legal we booked with Orbitz.

Our flights are ORD - MSP - BZN with an ORIGINAL connection time in MSP of 45 minutes..... the NWA agent told me that the minimum connection time in MSP is 40 minutes so that was OK.

Now I know we were cutting it tight and for a number of reasons we decided to book BUT I have just checked my reservation on Orbitz and now the connection time between flights is showing at only 32 minutes!!!! It's the same flight number and departs from ORD at the same time but is ariving 13 minutes later than when originally booked. I have tried contacting Orbitz by e-mail but the website isn't letting me send the quiery and I can't get through at all on the INternational phone number. In desperation I sent the quiery to the only 'section' I gould get it to send to but I know it isn't the correct one.

Anyways .... my question is, what to do??? Are Orbitz obliged to give me a flight with a legal connection time or do I have to fly knowing I will miss my flight?? OR can I insist that they change my flights so that I have a legal connection?? AND, if the latter is correct, can I make them change the frisr leg Ord - MSP too .... my reasoning being this ..... as it stands we are ariving into MSP at 8.28am (new time on website) and if we miss the 'connecting' flight at 9am, the next flight out on NWA is at 11.33am. NWA are showing a 9am flight out of ORD arriving in MSP at 10.36 which would make a good (??) connection with the 11.33am flight.

Apologies for being so convoluted and hope I have explained mu prob clearly.

ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.

Imelda

PS, we fly December 27th

You don't really have a problem with Orbitz. They gave you a flight with a legal connection time. You have a problem with NWA, who have changed the flight parameters. They know from experience that the flight will take longer two days after Christmas, and that assumes the weather is okay.

You have a ticket on NWA. Call them up and tell them your concerns. If they offer to rebook you out at 11:33 AM, go gor it. If they don't offer, ask.

Minimum connection times are fine in spring and fall, but in winter and summer, when the possibility of bad weather anywhere in the country can knock flights out of schedules like dominoes, it pays to be safe.

Hi Ackislander,
Thanks for the reply!
I basically got the same reply from Orbitz just a while ago. I'll give NWA a call and see what they can do for me - might try to get them to change the earlier flight too so we don't have such a long wait - is that a good idea or would that still be cutting it too fine??

Thanks again,
Imelda

Live with the wait.

Any wait is better than missing your connection.

Imelda, what are you going to Bozeman for? Are you and Deks doing the grizzly bear trip? Stop by Hawaii on your way home and I'll buy ya dinner!

I had a similar issue with Orbitz/NWA/MSP while trying to book a trip to St. Croix for my mother's 80th birthday trip.

They had her running through the airports like OJ Simpson and the first leg MSP-ORD was later changed so the connect left before her arrival there.

Because subsequent legs were not on NWA, the airline was in no mood to help. Hours and hours later NWA actually relented and rearranged but I had to try with about four different folks. Even the fact that my mom had over 100K in FF miles and had flown NWA almost exclusively for decades wouldn't sway them.

Orbitz was absolutely no help and tried to charge me $15 just to tell me that.