cnmb

i have a flight with American Airlines with connection at DFW (Dallas) less than 1.5 hours, 1 hour 28 minutes to be exact. both legs are with American Airlines. I don't have luggage just a carry-on bag with me. will this be too risky for international connection?

if I miss the 2nd leg due to the delay of the 1st flight, what should i and/or will American Airline do? if i have to stay overnight, who will pay for the hotel? anything else extra I have to pay?

I would not worry so much if i'm with Emirates or Singapore or ANA airlines, but given the bad new stories of all USA airlines during past few months, I tend to be a little more cautious. please don't blame me for being over-reacting.

newtome

If you bought your ticket it's kind of a moot point. If it is one ticket, they have to put you on the next flight, but as you seem to imply the next flight would not be till the next day. Unless it is a mechanical problem the airline is under no obligation to pay for your hotel or any other expenses.

I have also found DFW to be a pretty confusing airport so I wouldn't try a 90 minute connection.

RoamsAround

Are you connecting from a domestic flight to an international flight or from an international flight to a domestic flight? It can make a big difference in the answer.

If connecting from a domestic flight then 1 1/2 hour connection time would normally be more than adequate assuming your inbound flight arrives on or near schedule. AA operates out of 4 different terminals but there is a SkyTrain inside the secure area that connects all the terminals. Contrary to what newtome says DFW is fairly easy to navigate since you can get between any 2 terminals in under 15 minutes. You simply deplane, check the overhead TV monitors to confirm your connecting gate and proceed to your new gate either walking (if in the same terminal) or using the SkyTrain.

If connecting from an international flight to a domestic flight you have the added steps of clearing Immigration Customs which could be time consuming if you are not a US citizen or you don't have Global Entry and you'll have to also clear TSA before proceeding to your connecting gate. How long all that will take depends on how many other international flights arrive around the same time as your's and how long the TSA lines are. While 90 minutes is doable (and is a "legal" connection) in some instances I'd be more comfortable with 2 hours just to be on the safe side..

As for what happens if your inbound flight is delayed enough so you miss your connection and you flights were booked on one ticket (not as separate tickets) AA has the obligation to get you to your destination but it may not be in the time frame YOU desire.

NewbE

You're going to get a range of opinions...

I find DFW dead easy, not confusing at all, plus there's a tram that goes between terminals. If you're a fast walker, you can beat the tram, but it's worth taking if you're not.

90 minutes should be enough, but no one can say for sure.

jamie99

I missed a flight there once, flying in from Costa Rica on American and there was no free gate, we sat on the tarmac for almost 30 minutes. American was able to rebook us on a later flight that evening at no charge but we had to pay for our own food and drink.

Odin

> No, they will put them on the next available flight.

BigRuss

This whole question needs additional information. If you booked this flight series on one ticket then AA will have certain obligations to you because it cannot allow a single ticket with an invalid connection.

The likely situation is you're flying from a US airport to DFW and then out of the US, if that's true the 90 minutes is fine. Your international flight will leave from Terminal D and you just need to hustle over there after you land.

The less-likely situation is you're flying into the US at DFW and transferring to a domestic flight 90 minutes later. This is a bit short.

All that said, your concern that "I would not worry so much if i'm with Emirates or Singapore or ANA airlines, but given the bad new stories of all USA airlines during past few months, I tend to be a little more cautious" is somewhat misplaced. Neither Emirates, Singapore nor ANA has real leverage at DFW - American is the primary lessee of the airport's numerous gates and is responsible for the vast majority of the traffic. That means if anything screws up, American would be in the best position to assist you.

cnmb

thank you all very much for the detailed information. sorry, I should have been clearer in my questions.

No. I have NOT bought the ticket. but so far this is the cheapest i have seen in last 10 days.

both legs are with American Airline and both are international flights, i.e. fly into and fly out of USA.

from my experience and you guys response, i guess the best option is to keep looking for alternative tickets, even that means i have to pay 100+ or even 200 bucks more.

NewbE

<both are international flights, i.e. fly into and fly out of USA. >
Are you a US citizen?

HappyTrvlr

I had no trouble connecting to my flight to Hong Kong with only 1hr 30 minutes. Checked luggage made it to HK too.

HappyTrvlr

Both flights were on American.

suze

I would not hesitate to take a 90 mins. connection on the same ticket with the same airline when leaving the country.

It's upon return where you have to clear customs, that I would want longer.

Dukey1

Your "experience" was obviously NOT at DFW so what does that have to do with anything?

BigRuss

>

suze is wrong here, completely so. Do NOT follow her advice.

Functionally, an international to international transfer in the US is the same as an international to domestic transfer - in the US if you are arriving from outside the country you MUST clear customs AND immigration even if you're just transiting between international flights and not staying in the US for anything other than your layover. You either have to have a transit visa or equivalent or be from a country that has a visa waiver.

That means that NO MATTER WHAT, if you arrive at a US airport from outside the United States, you will "have to clear customs" and your 90 minute gap is an enormous risk. Cough up the additional money.

musicfan

I faced the same dilemma--a 90 minute layover at DFW, domestic to international and then the return, I decided against cutting it that short. When I asked a travel agent to look over my itinerary before I booked it, he agreed--just too stressful if anything causes a delay.

suze

<suze is wrong here, completely so. Do NOT follow her advice.>


#1 - I did not give anyone any "advice". I only said what I would be comfortable with.


#2 - I thought this person WAS from the US and Dallas was a domestic transfer before going on to an international flight.

janisj

>>#2 - I thought this person WAS from the US and Dallas was a domestic transfer before going on to an international flight.>both legs are with American Airline and both are international flights, i.e. fly into and fly out of USA.

suze

Then do what BigRuss said and Do NOT follow my advice

doug_stallings

Generally, I agree that 90 minutes is sufficient to transit from domestic to international in DFW, but I'm a big worry-wort on international arrivals and allow myself plenty of time. In all likelihood, you have enough time ... and it might not even be close. All of the AA international flights depart from the same terminal at gates that are near to each other. And security at DFW tends to go very quickly (you do have to clear security again after any international arrival since there's no way to really "transit" in the U.S. without a visa, as there is in virtually every other country on earth ... you have to enter the country and leave it again, even if you have a so-called "C" transit visa.. That's our law, as silly as it seems.

DFW is pretty efficient at clearing people through immigration and customs, and this is very likely what everyone is calling a "legal" connection. What concerns me most is that you don't say if you are or are not a US citizen. If not, then I'd certainly hesitate to book this connection, even if it saved me $100. It's just not worth the risk. And if you aren't a US citizen or from a visa-waiver country and don't already hold a multiple-entry visa, you'd have to get one, and that cost alone might offset any savings. A visa costs $160 and requires an in-person interview.

American would be liable for getting you on the next available flight to your destination, but whether or not they'd pay for a hotel in a pinch depends entirely on the reason for you missing your onward connection. If it had to do with immigration and/or customs (say a visa issue), then they absolutely wouldn't pay for anything at all. If your arriving flight were delayed by mechanical difficulties, then they would. If by weather, they wouldn't. Don't you love the US and our inconsistent system?