Newark airport connection, Odds of making it?
 

I want to use FF miles for my husband and me to travel to/from Italy in business/first class in May of this year.

I had Austin/Newark/Frankfurt/Venice and Hamburg/Newark/Austin booked (planned on taking Air Berlin from Rome to Hamburg the day before departure to USA). But today I noticed a direct from Rome available, which I could hardly believe, since I have been checking daily with no luck for weeks.

I called Continental and asked to reserve those flights and was told gone already, but they could put us on the Rome to Newark flight and keep our Newark/Austin flight as is. I said great, it was done, and I was happy. Until a few moments ago when I got our confirmation and realized wehave a 40 minute connection in Newark. What are the odds of us making it?

Close to zero.

I assume they're putting you on CO41 that arrives EWR 1:40, and then connect to CO450 that leaves at 2:20. Unless you have no checked luggage and are prepared to run, you have no chance of making that connection.

Now, next non-stop to AUS doesn't leave until 8:30, but there are EWR-IAH-AUS connection that they can put you on. Problem is that FC on those flights are usually all booked, so chances are you'll be sitting in coach going home via Houston.

But that's probably still better than paying to fly to Hamburg.

very slim, i think. but they will put you on next available flight..

you have passport control, then luggage retrieval, then re-check luggage onto the transit bag belt.. then run to gate.

doesn´t look good unless you arrive early, or that austin flight leaves late, which does happen sometmes.

Assume you're not going to make it. (Tail winds go from west to east - so flights to europe sometimes land early , but flights from europe are VERY rarely early.) I would assume you will still be in passport control when your flight takes off.

Thank you for your replies. I thought it was going to be a problem, but never having connected through Newark before just wanted to get some expert advice.

Will assume we will probably miss the flight and prepare accordingly.

Actually, you may want to call CO again and make sure they even internally allow that connection. Otherwise, you may have more problems.

And I'd also try to get them rebook you NOW on a later EWR-IAH-AUS, even if FC is only standby. At least you have a chance that way.