Really short connection time in Detroit - what if I miss the flight?
 

I just booked a flight from Orlando to Detroit to Lansing. The connection time in Detroit is 32 minutes. Is this even possible to make? What happens if I miss the flight?

I'm not familiar with the Detroit airport but 32 minutes is an awful short connecting time at any airport. I doubt 32 minutes is a "legal" connection.

The answer to your question as to what happens if you miss the connecting flight is: It depends on how your flights are ticketed. If you are booked on one ticket for both the in-bound and out-bound flight the airline issuing the ticket is responsible for getting you to your destination. Usually you will be put on the next available flight (assuming there are seats available). If you are travelling on 2 seperate tickets it is your responsibility to to make the connection. In this case if you miss the flight you will have to make your own arrangements by purchasing a new ticket on an available flight or taking alternate transportation.

Thanks for the info. What do you mean by a "legal " connection? Both legs of the flight were booked through Northwest from their website. I requested a flight from Orlando to Lansing and this was one of the options offered. Don't I need to be at the gate some minimum number of minutes before to be allowed to board? Or doesn't that apply to connecting flights?

Yes - you do need to be there a certain # of minutes before. Did you book this as a single trip - Orlando to Lansing? Or as two separate flights on two tickets - Orlando to Detroit and Detroit to Lansing? If the former you should be fine. If you did the latter - and they were booked at separate times the responsability is yours.

Perhaps this is a legal connection - assuming the flights are on the same finger. Or perhaps thre are so many flights Detroit to Lansing that the airline doesn;t worry about it.

Yes, it was booked as a single trip actually as part of a round trip, Lansing to Orlando and back.

When you view your reservation, does it say "change planes". If not, then you're fine as your original plane would just continue on to Lansing. I doubt this though. Detroit to Lansing is under 100 miles, so I'm sure it's a smaller plane that does that portion of the trip.

The McNamara Terminal (Northwest's terminal at DTW) is 1 mile long, and odds are your smaller plane will leave from the B or C concourse, but your first flight will land at an A gate. If you're at the end of the A concourse on arrival, you could have a 1/2 mile to get through (there is a tram), then walk underground to the other concourses. So, it could take a while.

Check to see if NWA has later flights DTW-Lansing on the day you're traveling. If they do, they could just put you on one if your flight arrives to late to make the connection. If they don't, you could be stuck at the airport overnight, or just rent a car there and drive the 90 minutes or so to Lansing.

Yes, it is a plane change. I had a similar situation last year and I did have to go from Concourse A to B. I had 49 minutes that time and I made it but I nearly ran. I suspect this may be the last flight of the day. I can rebook the earlier flight I was on last year with the 49 minute connection for an extra $36 and I think I may just do that. At least if I miss that one I know that they can put me on the later flight.

If you booked it with Northwest Airlines, you should be OK. If you miss the flight, they will put you on the next one--hopefully that won't be the next morning. If it is, perhaps this website will be helpful: www.sleepinginairports.com

Pat, being that your connection time is probably not legal and an oversight by the airlines, call them and they should change it for free.

I've had this happen to me a couple of times.

I had a similar connection time last week in Atlanta. (Savannah-Atlanta-Boston) and got very nervous when my first flight was late leaving Savannah - and Atlanta airport is huge.

However, as sometimes happens, problem causing lateness was in Atlanta - so outbound flights were delayed as well. So don't panic if your first flight is late - sounds like it was booked as one itinerary, so other than your inconvenience and annoyance, you become the airline's problem if you miss connection.

When I choose to book close connections, I try not to do it for last flight of the day so that I have an option if I miss connection.

I should be able to change it without penalty since I just booked it a few hours ago and as I understand from their web site I can cancel these tickets up until midnight tomorrow. It is the last flight of the day, so I will rebook for the earlier flight. Thank to everyone for their help!

They will put you on the next flight.

Pat, CALL the airlines. If it isn't a legal conection time, they will change it for FREE.

I've done this before.

Since you should already have your boarding pass for the second leg of the flight and will have undergone security screening, it shouldn't matter if you get there even a few minutes before the flight time. But yes, 32 minutes is very tight. I left TWO HOURS between my connecting flights this summer, and the airline (same one for both) still managed to get me there late and miss it. I can't imagine what 32 minutes must be like!

I'm not aware of any laws that mandate specific minimum times in between connecting flights. I'd be interested in that reference though.

Northwest's minimum ("legal") connection times:

http://www.nwa.com/plan/guide08.html

Domestic to domestic in Detroit: 45 minutes.

The term "legal" has nothing to do with laws and regulations. Just internal rules within the airline what connections they allow to be booked and what not.

It's just that the term has been used commonly.

Anyways, if NW's minimum connection time at DTW is 45 minutes, then this booking should not have been allowed to go through in the first place.

BUT if she makes it she'll be home sooner and all to the good. If she doesn't she'll take the next plane anyway.

Gretchen - If you read the whole post, you'll realize this is the last flight of the day. Most of us would not accept having to stay overnight in exchange for the slim chance of getting home a bit earlier (or in this case, leaving FL earlier to get the earlier flight).

It did take her a while to say "last flight of the day".

Last flight of the day or not.....Fridays and Sundays, heavy travel days, the "next flight" might not have seats, and they can't give you a seat if there isn't one open. Just another factor to consider.