Connecting Flight in Charlotte (CLT) Enough Time?

[tms295]

Has anyone ever had a connecting flight in Charlotte (CLT)?
Is the airport big? How much time is needed to make a connecting flight? & Retrieving gate checked stroller??

We will be flying Thanksgiving day to Disney World with 5 Adults and 2 Children (3 yrs & 7 months). We will check the majority of the luggage but will be gate checking a stroller. How long does it take to get the stroller back at the gate?

We have a 40 minute layover. And will be flying into (clt) on US Airways Express (terminal E) and out on US Airways(terminal B, C, or D... Haven't listed which yet). US Airways grouped the flights.

 

[ducklite]

Unless you are in the first few rows, the stroller will likely be on the jetway before you are. CLT is a well laid out airport, and chances are you'll only have to walk a few gates away to catch your conenction. 40 minutes should be more than enough time for you.

Anne

 

[loveFL]

We've had to go from one end of the mainline terminal to the end of the other mainline terminal before, with under an hour connection, and had no problems (B->C, I think).

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We have a 40 minute layover. And will be flying into (clt) on US Airways Express and out on US Airways. US Airways grouped the flights.

The 40 minutes layover will be enough time, but only if your inbound flight is on time or not substantially delayed.

I recently flew to Florida through Atlanta. Both ends of the roundtrip had scheduled connections of approximately 55 minutes in Atlanta. The first leg of our inbound trip was delayed about 20 minutes. The first leg of our return trip was delayed about 30 minutes. In both cases, we made it to our connecting flights without a problem. (On the inbound trip the second leg was delayed almost an hour. On the return trip, the second leg was right on time.)

The problem with a 40-minute connection is that there is almost no time cushion if the first leg is delayed. Consider what would happen if you arrive 30 minutes late in Charlotte. By the time you get off the aircraft and to the next gate, the aircraft door may be sealed or the aircraft may have departed. If there are many people making the same connection or if there are many inbound delays, the airline may hold your outbound flight. If the only connecting passengers are the members of your family, it's likely that the airline will choose to release the aircraft on time if they can do so; they'll then accommodate you on a later flight (possibly a much later flight or even a flight the next day).

 

[ducklite]

Sorry, but you simply can't compare ATL to CLT. ATL is a much larger, more spread out airport, and subject to more delays in general. It's common to have to take the underground train three terminals away to make the connection.

In CLT, it's more compact, and usually connections are within a few gates--even if you have to walk to another terimnal, it's generally under 10 minutes from one gate to another.

Under normal circumstances, 40 mimnutes is more than enough in CLT.

Anne

 

[canwegosoon]

CLT nice smaller airport...they have a big section of those moving walk ways, so even with kids you are moving along. Unless your 1st flight is 10+ minutes late, you should be totally fine. I think my last flight was 20 minutes late, but I was still able to make my connection (with my 7yo son) no problem...just not a lot of time for a pit stop.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Sorry, but you simply can't compare ATL to CLT. ATL is a much larger, more spread out airport, and subject to more delays in general. It's common to have to take the underground train three terminals away to make the connection.

I wasn't try to say that ATL and CLT are the same.

My point is that a tight connection at any airport can be a problem if the first leg of a connecting flight is delayed. Too many people only think about the scheduled flight times, not about the reality that delays are common on all airlines and all airports (although some airlines and airports are worse than others).

If the first leg flight arrives after the door has been sealed for second leg flight, it doesn't matter if the gates are next to each other or 15 minutes apart. (I agree that, on average, a passenger needs more time to get from one gate to another at ATL than at CLT.) The longer the connection time, the more cushion there is if the first leg is delayed, at any airport.

My home airport is Chicago-O'Hare. I can't tell you how often I've arrived late at O'Hare. Fortunately, I don't have to connect to another flight in Chicago because Chicago is my destination. But many of the other passengers on my flights are not so lucky.

The last time I flew into CLT, I arrived around 45 minutes late, if I recall correctly. It wasn't a problem because Charlotte was my destination. It's likely it would have been a problem if I had had a tight connection in CLT.

 

[ducklite]

40 minutes isn't a tight connection, and you can have a delayed flight anywhere. I've had flights delayed by four hours--no connection would have prevented a missed flight in that case.

Bottom line, under normal circumstances 40 minutes in CLT is more than enough. 40 minutes in ATL is pushing the envelope even when you arrive on time.

Anne

 

[tms295]

Thank you for the insight on CLT! Our home airport is small (ABE) and hopefully we won't encounter a delayed departure. **crossing my fingers in hope** I was worried that CLT would be large & timely to changes terminals/gates. If it were just myself I would not worry (I've sprinted thru ATL many of times to make a flight) but this time we will have small children with us.

I try to avoid ATL at all costs... it never fails that they loose my luggage or I end up spending a day waiting on delayed flights!

 

[DebbieB]

See this map of the Charlotte airport:

http://www.usairways.com/travel/maps/terminal/clt.htm

If you are coming in on USAirways Express, it will probably be over on E and you will connect on B or C. With 7 people, if you are running late, I would have someone run ahead and alert the gate agent that the rest are on their way.

 

[CarolA]

Most of my delays are so bad that unless you booked several hours for the connection you were stuck. LOL! So I guess the way to assure you don't miss the connnection is to plan for 4 hours in the airport. Otherwise I just take what they give me and rarely actually miss the plane.

Now if you are running late, do not stop to buy snacks etc. I was sitting in Nashville one time when a family showed up and had missed thier connection. They were furious that SW hadn't held the plane for them since thier first flight was late. Yes, but both the gate agent and I could see that they had time to stop at TWO of the fast food places...and they only missed the plane by about two minutes.... So I don't think it was SW's fault! The connection time is to get from plane to plane not to tour the Nashville Airport (and to get to one of those places they toured! The cookie company is OUTSIDE security LOL!)

 

[canwegosoon]

Also something to keep tucked in the back of your head, if your flight takes off late(or if the pilot announces we will be arriving a few minutes late), if any of your 5 adults have any difficulty walking-ask one of the stewards to have a vehicle waiting for you at the gate to take you over to the other Concourse....it will speed things up a little.

 

[tms295]

bump...

 

[safetymom]

If you are flying in at the Express gates and then leaving from B that is a lot of walking. Considering they start boarding 1/2 hour before departure you aren't allowing yourself a lot of time.

The express gates require you to go up an escalator down a short hallway, take a moving walk way to the center court of the airport. The B gates are across the terminal from where you come out.

I have done it but you will feel like you got your exercise when you do it.

 

[Phrank40]

FWIW you might want to check the ontime percentage or whatever the official name is of how often your flight arrives ontime at the Charlotte airport. Interestingly I flew a flight from Orlando to Charlotte last weekend and the ontime percentage was listed as 90-100% (or at least 80-90%), it was the smoothest flight I've ever been on time wise and arrived 15 minutes early.

Phrank