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A 32 minute layover in EWR is crazy, right?


hapster85
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We're planning a cruise out of San Juan for October 2019. So I've been looking at flights for that time frame this year, to have an idea of cost. One of the cheapest options that keeps coming up, has a 32 minute layover in Newark. Who would ever attempt such a thing?

 

We did a 35 minute layover in Charlotte a couple of years ago, and it was more than a little stressful. I can't imagine ever attempting this in Newark.

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Your checked bags might stand a chance of making the connection if the flight landed on time ... a few minutes behind schedule, taxiway or tarmac hold, delays at the gate with the sky bridge ... and even if you are excellent in doing a 400 yard dash thru the same terminal, odds are that they would've been done doing the final boarding round & released your seat to standby passenger(s) waiting.

 

Crazy or not, I won't even think about considering such layover connection - especially outbound to San Juan for cruise embarkation on that day ?? as that in itself is already a challenge. Not for EWR, IAD or ORD ... United hubs are among the worst.

 

Check the flight's recent on-time performance & aircraft type ... regional and commuter jets are among the worst.

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Each airport has a published minimum connecting time. And you will not be booked with less than that amount of time.

 

That said, I would never book a connection with that short of a connection.

 

I have had 1 hour connections. And I have missed flights.

 

One flight I had about a 1 hour connection. We left on time. Then parked for a ground hold (going to JFK). First for 20 minutes, then for 40, then for an hour. Took off about 10 minutes less than an hour. The connecting gate was only about 4 gates away, but about 8 of us got there just in time to see the jetway being pulled back.

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The only reason we took that 35 minute connection though Charlotte a couple of years ago was because it was on our flight home. So if we missed it, we missed it. No big deal.

 

Our experience in EWR just a couple of weeks ago really highlights for me how absurd 32 minutes is. Our flight home, printed boarding passes on the ship, gate C114. By the time we reached the airport, it had been changed to A24. After waiting in Terminal A for 4 hours, it changed back to Terminal C, less than 40 minutes before scheduled boarding. It took us 30 minutes, and that was only because we were going to C88. The bus dropoff is near C71. If we'd needed to go to one of the other 2 wings, I really don't think we'd have made it in the allotted time.

 

When I saw that 32 minute connection from the first post, I just had to laugh. No way I'd ever attempt it. Because you just know you're going to arrive at A24 and your connection is going to be C198. Lol

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The only way I would do it is if you didn't have to change planes . We have done it on Southwest . After the other passengers deplaned and the flight attendants checked the passenger list, we could change seats if we wanted to but we stayed on the plane .

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Even if that is the minimum connect time, ya gotta be kiddin....NOT in EWR.

 

Once, I had a 4 hour layover someplace. Well, the first plane was 60 minutes or so late leaving, then we had to wait for a gate since we landed late, and well, the 4 hour layover wound up being less than 90 minutes. Barely had time to hit the restroom and haul butt to the next gate.

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We're planning a cruise out of San Juan for October 2019. So I've been looking at flights for that time frame this year, to have an idea of cost. One of the cheapest options that keeps coming up, has a 32 minute layover in Newark. Who would ever attempt such a thing?

 

We did a 35 minute layover in Charlotte a couple of years ago, and it was more than a little stressful. I can't imagine ever attempting this in Newark.

 

I know that this sounds like a stupid question, but are you certain you have a plane change on this short connection?

 

The reason I mention this is that recently I decided not to book a 40 minute connection on SW as it is too short given how SW boards. A few days later I looked at it again and discovered that it really was not a connection, but rather a 1 stop, so I quickly booked (the website was not very clear IMO).

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I know that this sounds like a stupid question, but are you certain you have a plane change on this short connection?

 

The reason I mention this is that recently I decided not to book a 40 minute connection on SW as it is too short given how SW boards. A few days later I looked at it again and discovered that it really was not a connection, but rather a 1 stop, so I quickly booked (the website was not very clear IMO).

Yes, it's a plane change. From an E170 to a B767.
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Coming in on a regional/commuter jet - not all carry-on bags will find overhead storage bin space to store, resulting in gate-checking rollerboards - that alone can slow you downon easily by 5 to 10 minutes on the tarmac ... then, you have to run inside, thru the terminal and to the boarding gate.

 

There is a possibility of gate-check luggage being transferred directly to the connecting flight, onward to the final destination as ticketed.

 

Post-cruise isn't so bad as the airline will rebook you onto the, next flight, unless - that last flight of the day has left the gate and/or fully booked/soldout - or, they put on a long standby list, etc.

 

Last time United lost 1 of our 2 checked bag on an int'l flight, took them 7 or 8 hours to courier delivered the mis-routed bag to our hotel in the evening ... good thing, we're not leaving for a cruise that day.

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Assuming this is United, you may also face a change in terminals, some United Express (Regional) flights use Terminal A. While there is a post-security bus, it stops twice at Terminal B (international) before getting to C. Even United mainline can use Terminal A on occasion.

I would not risk such a short connection even if United says it is legal.

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I know that this sounds like a stupid question, but are you certain you have a plane change on this short connection?

 

The reason I mention this is that recently I decided not to book a 40 minute connection on SW as it is too short given how SW boards. A few days later I looked at it again and discovered that it really was not a connection, but rather a 1 stop, so I quickly booked (the website was not very clear IMO).

 

Be careful though. Just because it is the same flight number and looks like a stop without having to get off, it might NOT be.

 

I had a flight to Central America that had a tight connection in Miami, but was the same flight number in and out.

 

Turns out, same number, different aircraft, different pier and had to go through security again.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Is this being sold to you as one ticket or are you stitching it together yourself? If it's one ticket, they must abide by the airports published minimum connection time in order to sell it to you. However, some of those times are incredibly short and ill-advised. If you're doing it yourself, it's even more of a bad idea, as they will have no responsibility if your first flight gets delayed to rebook you.

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Also be aware you may have to go through another security line if you are changing buildings for your terminal. Had to do that a year or so ago and it created a nightmare for many passengers who did not know of this requirement. I require at . least a 1 1/2 hour time between flights anywhere just for piece of mind. Never again will I use Newark for any flight.

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Also be aware you may have to go through another security line if you are changing buildings for your terminal. Had to do that a year or so ago and it created a nightmare for many passengers who did not know of this requirement. I require at . least a 1 1/2 hour time between flights anywhere just for piece of mind. Never again will I use Newark for any flight.

 

Was there something unusual going on the day you were there? There's normally no need to leave the secured area to change terminals. There are buses that run between them for that very purpose. We only knew because we asked how to get to Terminal A, after our flight changed gates from Terminal C. Four hours later, it changed again, back to Terminal C.

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Some people do not notice the signs for getting from terminal to terminal without re-entering security.

 

And some connections in some airports do require leaving one secure zone for another one.

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We're planning a cruise out of San Juan for October 2019. So I've been looking at flights for that time frame this year, to have an idea of cost. One of the cheapest options that keeps coming up, has a 32 minute layover in Newark. Who would ever attempt such a thing?

 

We did a 35 minute layover in Charlotte a couple of years ago, and it was more than a little stressful. I can't imagine ever attempting this in Newark.

 

That 32 minute layover is really just 17 minutes. If you are not at the gate ready to board 15 minutes before flight time and it is a full flight you can expect to have your seats released to standby passengers.

 

90 minutes (SCHEDULED) is minimum I will consider. All it takes is for your plane to be a minute or so late and for you to not be in the front row by the door. How many times have you actually gotten off your plane the instant it has come to that “full and complete stop”?

 

Perhaps the reason that cheapest option is so cheap is because only a gambling man would consider it.

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