45 connection time ENOUGH?
 

I am ready to book a flight from Boston to Japan. HOwever, I'm worried the connecting time is not enough. We transfer in Chicago and there is only 45 minutes between the flights!

This makes me worry. What if there is a delay, what if we miss the connecting flight?

Do you think 45 minutes is enough time?

We arrive Chicago at 12PM and departing flight leaves for Japan at 12:45PM

What are the airline's policies in regards to missed flights?

I assume this connection is on the same itinerary? If so, they will put you onto the next flight to Tokyo. Of course, that probably mean the next day. Maybe they will put you on a different carrier's flight on the same day, if such flight and open seat is available.

And if the first flight is delayed due to weather or air traffic control, and you need to stay overnight in Chicago, you'll probably need to pay for your own hotel room. But if the first flight was delayed due to mechanical problem, then they'll need to pay for your room and give you meal vouchers.

Personally, I think 45 minutes is cutting it very close. Some storms anywhere on the east coast can easily delay all flights out of BOS significantly.

The international terminal is terminal 5. I am assuming that you will have to transfer from another domestic terminal to terminal 5.I think that 45 minutes is cutting it too close.

At O'Hare not all the airlines require a terminal change to for a departing international flight. American Airlines, for example, would use the same terminal and gates in O'Hare for a flight departing to Japan as for one departing for Detroit (arrival from foreign countries at O'Hare is different, as customs and immigration are only in the international terminal which all arriving airlines would have to use). The American Airlines terminal, however, is a large terminal however, and even if you are right on time, if you are at the back of the arriving plane and your gates were not close together it would be cutting it very close. Also be careful of code shares which might be operated by a foreign airline but look like a domestic airline. Doesn't your airline have an earlier flight from Boston to Chicago to give you more room for error or delay?

Which airline are you taking exactly? UA and AA's flights should leave from their own terminal, while JAL (AA codeshare) leaves from Terminal 5.

THis is American Airline. It looks like it arrives and departs at Terminal 3

Flight: American Airlines flight

Arrive: Chicago-Ohare, IL (ORD) - TERMINAL 3 12:00noon

Depart: Chicago-Ohare, IL (ORD) - TERMINAL 3 12:45pm

You will probably be OK. I fly out of Chicago all the time, and have had to make plane changes that required some really fast run/walking. You won't have to do that!

I am also traveling Boston to Japan on American Airlines. There is a 8:40 am American Airlines flight from Boston that arrives in Chicago at 10:23 am. (There is also an even earlier flight, leaving at about 6 am or 6:30 am.)

I made my reservation using the American Airlines Web site, and the Web site let me select from all these other times.

When are you travelling and what flight number? Because AA usually leaves ORD at 11am, and the JL codeshare leaves at around noon. Somehow I don't see a flight leaving at 12:45pm.

But anyways, JoyceL is right. Take an earlier BOS-ORD departure.

My flight for this flight was a STEAL and only had this flight from Bos to Chic.

I booked it and just called AA to see if I can get an earlier flight, they said there is only one available at 9:40-something, but they would charge me $100 per ticket.

Not sure if I am willing to pay a few hundred. I always arrive 2-3 hours early for flights, so I'm wondering if I can go standby on an earlier flight

I suppose it all depends on your comfort zone. Personally, I wouldn't even consider it. Remember boarding starts a good 20 minutes before departure. But that's just me.

I fly on Northwest Airlines frequently from Detroit to Shanghai with a quick stop at Narita in Tokyo to change planes. Many times I have less than an hour between times of landing and taking off. Because the gates next to each other it is fairly easy to make the flight. But, one does have to go through security again and that line can be a long one. One just never knows.
I can say, my luggage and I have always made the Tokyo flight to Shanghai in as little as a half hour. Amazing but true. Also Northwest will hold a flight for a plane that is arriving late too. They have done this many times.
Myszka in Shanghai


Message: I am ready to book a flight from Boston to Japan. HOwever, I'm worried the connecting time is not enough. We transfer in Chicago and there is only 45 minutes between the flights!

OP must be going to Nagoya. AA 27 departs 12:45PM from ORD nonstop to NGO. Both AA and UA had (still have) promotional fares for their new flights to Nagoya. I got a roundtrip IAD-SFO-NGO for $539 air fare plus 90.51 in taxes on United.

Myszka - The connections of NW and UA at NRT are different from this situation in ORD. NRT is a major transferring hub for both NW and UA's Asian operation. If a flight comes into NRT late, they will usually hold all the departing flights to a certain degree as not to strand dozens of passengers at Tokyo. NW used to have a similar hub at SEL, and one time my flight from MSP-SEL arrived 2 hours late, and an hour past the departure time of my connection to HKG. But NW held all the connectiing flights to TPE, MNL, HKG, etc to wait for us to arrive from MSP.

AA is not going to do the same for their flight to Japan if a flight from BOS is late arriving - unless there is a huge group from that flight connecting, or if there's a systematic delay at ORD for all flights.

mrwunrfl - Thanks for the explanation. I kept thinking about NRT, but you're right, the OP is going to NGO.

Now, here's the problem. AA is the only non-stop to NGO from ORD. And most ORD-Japan flights have left at that time. If you miss the connection, then you can only hope that there's room on the 2pm JAL to NRT, and AA will put you there, and connect from NRT to NGO, which is possible. Since JAL is AA's partner, that's possible.

Or NW has a ~3pm flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo. But you need to leave ORD at around 1pm to fly to MSP. If you miss your AA flight to NGO, chances are you can't get them reticket you and put you on a different flight in that short period of time anyways, so little chance with that.

Will AA allow standby on an earlier flight?

Anyone know?

They want to charge me $200 to change the flight time

I would definitely change the flight. First of all, stand by is a problem when you want to check luggage and I assume you will be checking your luggage all the way to Narita. Noon is peak time at Ohare and the do not have a great on time history. I know my comfort zone would say that 45 minutes is way too little time.

If it was me I'd spend the money for the peace of mind.

aa.com doesn't show ontime performance of AA1547, as it may be a new flight for BOS-ORD. But other BOS-ORD flights during late morning/mid-day all show ontime performance of 40-60%. That means, you have a 40-60% chance that the plane will arrive 15 or more minutes late.

BTW, don't forget to register for the bonus miles offer on aa.com. 7,500 for certain economy fares, and 15,000 for business or first, roundtrip between 4/3 and 6/20.

Most airlines will allow you to standby for an earlier flight.

If the airline booked you for that flight, it must be a legal connection. I'd say you could make the 45 minute connection as you'll be in the same terminal as long as your incoming flight isn't more than 20 minutes late. Does the website give the on-time stats for that flight? That can give you more info.