Flight passengers debate time needed to catch connecting planes
With so many airline passengers traveling from coast to coast, direct flights may not be an option.
Whether layovers wind up being a short stop or a few hours, they're often part of the journey.
A user on Reddit posted a question in the "r/americanairlines" forum, wondering if his or her grandmother would have "enough time to connect."
Along with sharing a screenshot of the flight, the user said that his or her grandma would be traveling from Cedar Rapids, Michigan, to Savannah, Georgia.
"Both flights are mainline, which should help, but 55 minutes [between flights] still makes me a bit nervous," the person wrote.
Fellow flyers took to the comments section to help provide tips, share experiences and discuss how much time was needed for a connection.
"It'll be tight, but you should be OK," said one person.
The commenter went on, "She should be OK. Pick a seat close to the front if possible — that will give her a little extra time."
The use shared more context about the Savannah airport, adding, "Terminal 3 is very large, so hopefully your gates aren't too far apart."
Another individual commented, "There’s also a chance that you won’t even have to change planes, as both flights are an A319 and the connection time is a normal turnaround time."
"Probably," said one.
The poster responded, "The flight is early in the morning, so hopefully there won't be any delays on the 1st flight."
Added the user about the grandmother, "Practically speaking, once she is off the 1st plane, she will only have about 20-25 minutes to walk from one gate to the other."
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Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital that minimum connection times vary by airport.
"Whether you're connecting from one airline to another, whether you're changing terminals, have to go through security, or coming off an international flight and have to clear immigration and customs," added Leff — all of these situations matter, he indicated.
"Some flights on the same airline and within the same terminal will involve shorter allowable connections," he added.
Leff advised that flights involving immigration and a change in terminal would require at least two hours.
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"You may not miss your flight, but overhead bin space may be gone. And that stop for food or a bathroom break along the way? May not be possible," said Leff.
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) told Fox News Digital that Logan International Airport doesn’t put a timeframe on connections.
"Each airline has a connection time minimum, and it can be different for each due to bags needing to connect, check-in minimums and security minimums," said the spokesperson.
The individual added, "It can range, but the average is typically 60 minutes depending on domestic or international."
Greg Chin, Miami-Dade Aviation Department communications director, shared that the connection does depend on the airlines and if the flight is international or domestic.
"At least two hours is a good recommendation," said Chin.