I ran across this article and it got me thinking about how I book my flights:
Smart Travel – Making connecting flights
Most of their recommendations are common sense. For my 2 cents – I always pad my connection time if I can. I know that it makes my trip longer, especially if my first leg on a NY to California flight is to Charlotte, but I hate running for flights, so I will spend the extra time, grab a meal (since there are none on the plane) and a beer.
What tips do you guys have?
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There are a lot of good tips in the article about streamlining your connections.
While I mostly enjoy flying, travel days are busy and tiring enough that I hate to be rushed. I try to get to the airport early (often I’ve been grateful that I gave myself that extra time), and I don’t take flights that have connections I consider too tight. I like at least 1.5-2 hours between my connections. I’ve been delayed on arrival often enough that having less time than that is no fun. As planes travel at near full capacity these days it’s often difficult and inconvenient to reschedule your connecting flight.
That’s especially true when I have to travel in winter. Storms and deicing of planes cause frequent delays. Some of these you can’t avoid, but if your connection has a buffer you’ll likely be okay.
I agree with Jonathan. I’d rather have time to relax at the connecting airport, get some food or a drink and browse the internet (most airports now have decent free wifi) before leisurely strolling to my connecting departure gate.
Another thing I’ve noticed is I’m sometimes forced to go through Customs while transiting, even when the airlines tell me that won’t be the case. On my last trip, I transited China twice and both times had to go through customs. I almost missed a connection because of that.
Thanks!
There’s a lot of good advice in there, including the factor that often isn’t thought of in the standard connecting times: walking. So many terminals have gates so far apart that it can take 15-20 minutes just to walk the distance, which can eat up the time between flights quickly.
And, as one of our NewsLinks pointed out last week, airports are developing more local restaurants with regional cuisine to tempt you while you wait.