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I try to book a ticket from IAH to JAC on 9/13/2015. It has 1 stop at Salt Lake City with 34 min, switch from Delta 4453 to Delta 2001. My questions are:

  1. Do I need to get out the 1st flight and get on a different one?
  2. Do I have enough time to catch the flight from SLC to JAC?

Thanks!

Ning

Sun, Sep 13 Departure to Jackson Hole
Delta 8:15am IAHto 12:04pm JAC 4h 49m, 1 stop SLC

From Houston (IAH) to Salt Lake City (SLC) Delta 4453 Operated by /SKYWEST DBA DELTA CONNECTION | Refreshment for purchase | 90 % on time Economy/Coach (T) Total distance 1,204 mi 0h 34m stop in Salt Lake City (SLC)

Him
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Ning
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    SLC is a very compact airport; the longest possible walk between gates is about 15 minutes, and yours will likely be much shorter. – Michael Hampton Jul 31 '15 at 14:49
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    Do not forget to tell the flight staff that you have a connecting flight when you arrive in Salt Lake City; if the timing if tight, they might let you leave the plane first to catch your next flight. – Max Jul 31 '15 at 20:03

3 Answers3

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You will not have much leeway time, as your arriving flight and departing flight will be out of two different concourses.

Flights on SkyWest fly through the E concourse and Delta's bigger jets fly via either D or C (Delta uses some gates in B as well).

34 minutes is enough time to get from one to the other, but you won't have much time to loiter around, shop, get snacks and such.

Try to get a seat in the front of your cabin flying to SLC just to be safe.

** I edited my answer as I had the SkyWest/Delta segments reversed and Delta still has some mid-sized jets going to Jackson. **

  • As a local of the SLC area I can confirm that this is the best answer. I can also confirm that @Michael Hampton is correct in his comment. SLC is pretty compact (though that's changing in the next few years). Also the 2 outer concourses have moving sidewalks to help you get down them faster so while 34min is tight you should be able to make it if you deplane quickly and walk fast. It's definitely not as bad as Flimzy makes it out to be, at least for the SLC airport. – Ryan Jul 31 '15 at 22:04
  • @ryan For a connecting flight, though, it's a bigger problem. Delta's normal domestic boarding time is 40 minutes before departure. Even if everything is 100% on time, OP's connection will already be boarding by the time they get off the first flight. They usually shut the door 10-15 minutes before departure. While OP will probably have enough time to make their connection, a 34 minute connection isn't really a safe bet anywhere. – reirab Jul 31 '15 at 22:53
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  1. You will have to change planes.

  2. If you're lucky, the two planes will be in the same airport terminal, and you can just hop off one, and run to the other, and catch their final boarding.

    34 minutes isn't much time at all. Typically, boarding ends 20 minutes before take-off, so if the second flight is running on time, you'll have roughly 14 minutes to make your connection. It's common to sit on the aircraft before deplaning for at least 14 minutes--especially if you're seated at the back of the aircraft, and are one of the last people to deplane.

    If you made the reservation on the same ticket, Delta will be responsible for getting you to your final destination, so if you miss the connecting flight, they'll re-book you to another flight without any additional charge. That may or may not be much comfort, depending on how quickly you need to arrive.

    If you have already purchased the tickets, you could contact Delta and explain the concern, and they may change your schedule for you, possibly with an additional fee. If you haven't booked yet, you might just consider another option with a longer layover.

TLDR: 34 minutes might be long enough, if there are no delays, and all the stars are aligned.

Flimzy
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  • "They will likely change your schedule for you, to put you on a different connecting flight." Do you really think so? My guess would be that they would treat this like any other itinerary change, and (assuming you have the cheap non-refundable tickets which most people buy) make you pay a change fee and fare difference. – Nate Eldredge Jul 31 '15 at 15:22
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    If you've bought a single ticket, and it's Delta's fault that you couldn't make the connection, I can't see they'd have a leg to stand on making you pay a change. They failed to get you to your destination, not you failing to show up. – CMaster Jul 31 '15 at 15:30
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    As the ticket was issued, then Delta considers it a "legal" connection, so changing the itinerary in advance (as suggested by Flimzy) would involve a fee, as it is a "voluntary" change. But if the flights mis-connected then Delta would put the traveler on the next available flight without fee, as that is an "involuntary" change. –  Jul 31 '15 at 16:01
  • @Tom: The airline's idea of "acceptable risk" is not always the same as the passenger's. It's true, a fee may be charged to change the itinerary, but it may be worth it to the passenger. It's also unclear if the tickets have been booked yet, in which case no change fee would be charged, since no change is being made. – Flimzy Jul 31 '15 at 16:43
  • @Flimzy I wasn't commenting negatively on your suggestion, rather I was adding clarification to Nate's & CMaster's comment conversation.... And, yes, I fully realize the cost value determination is entirely in the hands of the traveler. –  Jul 31 '15 at 17:25
  • @Tom: Fair enough. I've clarified my answer a bit anyway. :) – Flimzy Jul 31 '15 at 17:28
  • Ah yes, I see I misunderstood what Nate was saying. Oops. – CMaster Jul 31 '15 at 19:03
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    @NateEldredge Actually, I think they probably would make the change without fee in this case if you ask nicely. The website would probably charge you and fee if you change it online, but if you actually call Delta, they've been pretty accommodating in my experience (though hold times can be long.) After all, they don't like having to rebook you for a missed flight any more than you like it (especially since it effectively means they've had two seats that they were unable to sell to someone else even though you've only paid for one of them.) – reirab Jul 31 '15 at 23:01
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I came through SLC recentley. Yes, that's enough time if everything is on time. My Delta flight out was actually held for 10 minutes or so for late transfers - but this was the last flight of the day, so may not be normal policy.

I'd advise that as you leave the first flight, you find a Delta representative and explain to them your situation. They may just tell you where to walk, or they may help you get there on time if things are tight.

CMaster
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