Is a 40 minute layover too short?

[Ru4Real]

Look for my future book entitled "where to sleep the most comfortably in Asian and American airports".

 

You have competition http://www.sleepinginairports.net/ 

[Highlander]

I tried a 40 minute layover once, but to me it is too risky as it depends on too many variables that are outwith your control.

With my case I got lucky as my 2nd flight in KL was cancelled and I only had hand luggage, so at no charge to me, but in reality I would not have been able to meet it anyway.

 

All it needs is a long queue and you are screwed, especially if you have to wait at the carousel for luggage unless you are able to book the luggage straight through but if you are delayed at immigration then potentially you luggage will arrive, but not you.

Sorry mate, too much risk for me. 

[jennings]

Flying out of SFO on the late flight with EVA my flights(6)  usually have a 2.5-3.5hr. layover at TPE.  And the return flight on the late afternoon departure has about a 90 minute layover at TPE.

 

I've noticed that Eva always has personnel waiting to assist when departing the plane at TPE.  

 

I've only experienced one time where there was a long line queue at the transfer point. Usually it only takes about 10-20 min. between the arrival gate and departures.

[fatjack1]

I tried a 40 minute layover once, but to me it is too risky as it depends on too many variables that are outwith your control.

 

With my case I got lucky as my 2nd flight in KL was cancelled and I only had hand luggage, so at no charge to me, but in reality I would not have been able to meet it anyway.

 

All it needs is a long queue and you are screwed, especially if you have to wait at the carousel for luggage unless you are able to book the luggage straight through but if you are delayed at immigration then potentially you luggage will arrive, but not you.

 

Sorry mate, too much risk for me. 

 

I agree in general.  But if flying EVA and the transfer is in TPE they control all the variables including getting you through lines etc if need arises.  I would be comfortable making that connection.  Having said that, I am also capable of walking fast and I know how to get to the connecting gate.  Yes it does go through a security check but very few people are ever in line there.  Never took me more than 3 minutes and total walk between arrival gate and departure through security is less than 20 minutes.  

 

I would never take that risk connecting on a flight in  USA airport or changing airlines.  

[Highlander]

I agree in general.  But if flying EVA and the transfer is in TPE they control all the variables including getting you through lines etc if need arises.  I would be comfortable making that connection.  Having said that, I am also capable of walking fast and I know how to get to the connecting gate.  Yes it does go through a security check but very few people are ever in line there.  Never took me more than 3 minutes and total walk between arrival gate and departure through security is less than 20 minutes.  

 

I would never take that risk connecting on a flight in  USA airport or changing airlines.  

It sounds like you know this particular airport and airline well, maybe I am being overly paranoid but personally I would think twice for other airports.

 

I hope it works out for you though..

 

 

[fatjack1]

It sounds like you know this particular airport and airline well, maybe I am being overly paranoid but personally I would think twice for other airports.

 

I hope it works out for you though..

 

 

 

 

Yes.  Like I said in general 40 minutes isn't enough time.  I'd want 90 minutes are a general rule.  In LAX where I connect going home to Arizona I make it at least 120 minutes to accommodate for immigration and terminal transfer.  Sometimes I get it done in a lot less but since the two airlines I fly don't work together and don't even know I am flying with the other one I want a big buffer.  I am pretty sure if I miss the connection Southwest will charge me to take a later flight.  

[boxershrimp]

I do 40 min stopovers (I wouldn't say the time is long enough to "lay" anywhere ) regularly through some medium-sized european airports. Like, say, Zürich, Vienna, Copenhagen, Helsinki and so on. Places with good punctuality, fast security and no 30 min death march to get from one gate to the next. Wouldn't want to do it through Frankfurt, though, and most definitely not through Heathrow.

 

I'm thinking the situation is a little the same for the OP. Through Taipei, I would feel fairly confident with 40 min. Through, say, Shanghai, I would be very worried if I had less than 2 hours.

[Highlander]

Yes.  Like I said in general 40 minutes isn't enough time.  I'd want 90 minutes are a general rule.  In LAX where I connect going home to Arizona I make it at least 120 minutes to accommodate for immigration and terminal transfer.  Sometimes I get it done in a lot less but since the two airlines I fly don't work together and don't even know I am flying with the other one I want a big buffer.  I am pretty sure if I miss the connection Southwest will charge me to take a later flight.  

 

I feel for you with regards to 120 minutes at LAX, FFS you are a citizen.

 

Aussie customs are very strict, but don't delay you unless you are doing something wrong.

 

My question is, does this length of time actually catch more bad guys, or just piss off the normal traveler?

[fatjack1]

I feel for you with regards to 120 minutes at LAX, FFS you are a citizen.

 

Aussie customs are very strict, but don't delay you unless you are doing something wrong.

 

My question is, does this length of time actually catch more bad guys, or just piss off the normal traveler?

 

 

It doesn't always take that long.  IN fact once I touched down with 45 minutes to make my connection and I made it.  Ya never know.  But queues can be long and immigration can be slow and it is a good 15 minutes walking plus re-entering security.  So to accommodate a possible late arrival I make it  2 hours.

[Luv2Phuket]

It doesn't always take that long.  IN fact once I touched down with 45 minutes to make my connection and I made it.  Ya never know.  But queues can be long and immigration can be slow and it is a good 15 minutes walking plus re-entering security.  So to accommodate a possible late arrival I make it  2 hours.

 

Do you have Global Entry?  That should speed it up a little, but I'd still want 2 hours MINIMUM if it involves re-checking bags

[dnaliaht]

It sounds like you know this particular airport and airline well, maybe I am being overly paranoid but personally I would think twice for other airports.

 

I hope it works out for you though..

 

 

 

Is it normal for airlines to offer connecting flights with unreasonably short layover times? It seems doing that would create more headaches than its worth over time.

[boxershrimp]

Is it normal for airlines to offer connecting flights with unreasonably short layover times? It seems doing that would create more headaches than its worth over time.

There's something called the MCT, or Minimum Connection Time. This varies over different airports, and no airline will sell you a connecting ticket that goes below this minimum.

(And in many airports, the MCT really is just the bare minimum, there's little safety margin built in.)

[fatjack1]

Do you have Global Entry?  That should speed it up a little, but I'd still want 2 hours MINIMUM if it involves re-checking bags

 

 

No.  Lately it has been so efficient I never get around to doing it.  I leave the 2 hour gap mostly because my incoming flight to LAX and outbound flight to PHX are unrelated from the airlines perspective.  So much cheaper to buy them separately.  Which means if I arrive in LAX too late to catch the onward I am likely to get little sympathy regarding price or seating on the next flight.  And so far I've gotten away with that too but I leave a 2 hour gap.

 

This last trip I think there was a flight at 1.5 hours or 3 hours and I elected for the 3 hours just in case.  And I'll go to the counter and smile and see if they will reseat me.  And no, I don't take luggage.

[Luv2Phuket]

No.  Lately it has been so efficient I never get around to doing it.  I leave the 2 hour gap mostly because my incoming flight to LAX and outbound flight to PHX are unrelated from the airlines perspective.  So much cheaper to buy them separately.  Which means if I arrive in LAX too late to catch the onward I am likely to get little sympathy regarding price or seating on the next flight.  And so far I've gotten away with that too but I leave a 2 hour gap.

 

This last trip I think there was a flight at 1.5 hours or 3 hours and I elected for the 3 hours just in case.  And I'll go to the counter and smile and see if they will reseat me.  And no, I don't take luggage.

 

Yeah - carry on is the key.

 

If I was checking a bag that I had to retrieve at baggage claim at LAX and then re-check at another terminal, I would do at least 3 hours!  555

[Roadglide]

Anything less than 60 minutes is a risk, and some Airlines will not Allow you to book it that way.

[wez121]

I had a layover of 55 minutes in Abu Dhabi I was also worried about having enough time to make the connecting flight as it took almost 25 minutes to exit the plane. Leaving me with 30 minutes to connect. I made it, but my luggage didn't. Had to wait another day for my luggage to be delivered to my hotel in Pattaya.

[iluvasians/latins]

Don't do it. Take the latest flight back leaving BKK. Sometimes planes are held at outer marker approaching Taipei. Happened to me. Plane was late landing. Had to run to catch plane with ground attendant help. Last one on plane. Door shut behind me. It was the BKK to IAH route. 1.5 hour scheduled layover.

[marshallman69]

I've had two short connections, the first was an Etihad connection LHR-BKK via Abu Dhabi.   I think it was an hour but I breezed it, literally off one plane, into the departures area and up to the next gate.

 

I also had a 45 minute layover this year coming back to the UK from Australia at Singapore.    The closer the day got the more I stressed about missing the connection as the next flight would have totally fucked up my return to work bringing me in 12 hours later and the next morning.     As I checked in the first thing the girl said to me was "sorry, we're delayed by 30 minutes leaving" so my window shrank to 15 minutes and I consigned myself to the worst.  The plane made up a little time in the air and one of the flight attendants confirmed that I was at least connecting within the same terminal - that wasn't usually the case on that flight.    Well, Changi Airport is huge, from gate to gate the signs suggested up to 20 minutes walking which makes it nigh on a mile and I ran the whole way with hand baggage to find I then had to re-do the whole x-ray bit although it was less stringent than at Perth Airport.   I made it and my connecting flight was then delayed anyway for 30 minutes so I sat sweating at the gate recovering.    I personally wouldn't do it again.

 

All of that said you will almost certainly make it, it's not good for airlines to have passengers missing connections for many reasons.

[smokeshow]

I need at least a 2 hour lay over especially when it is a new airport where you might have to go through customs AGAIN or get transferred by shuttle. 

 

I had 1 hour 40 minute layover from America to Korea to Phuket. I barely made it because I had to go through customs AGAIN after landing in Korea for a flight transfer. There were so many people. I sprinted to make the flight because the Korean Airport is SO BIG. It is the biggest airport I've ever been in. 

 

It happened again when I had a 1 hour layover in Hong Kong. I had to get off the plane, wait for a SHUTTLE to transfer to the ongoing flights. It was like a 10-15 minute wait for the shuttle, another 10 mins for the ride, then again through customs.  Plus, to make matters worse, I had to take a shit so I ran to the bathroom and blew it up.  That was the shortest hour of my life. I made it with literally 1 minute to spare. 
 

Too risky if you don't know the airport. 

[Firepole]

I just did the 55 minute layover (BKK->TPE-[55min layover]-TPE-JFK) on EVA. No problem and had plenty of time to spare. My BKK-TPE was on time.

 

If your BKK-TPE flight is on time and you don't dick around in the airport you should be fine as you won't be the only one making the connection and, naturally, EVA knows it.

 

Just get off BKK-TPE plane as quickly as you can, hustle to the "Transit Security Checkpoint", have jacket, shoes, belt, coins, phones, etc... ready to be put in the plastic bin so you can breeze through the x-ray/metal detector, check the monitor near the Checkpoint for departure gate while standing in line, get upstairs(escalator), and get to your gate. Also, watch for EVA employees holding up signs with your connecting flight number on it. They will be looking for connecting passengers IF they're worried about time. They'll hustle you through IF need be.

 

 If it gets tight, and you're deep in coach class, you can always, sweetly, ask the stewardess(30+ mins before landing) if you can move/sit towards the front of the plane before you land because you're worried about the connection(don't forget your carry-on stuff or you're fucked lol). Granted, it would depend on space availability and bitchiness but I saw it done on my last flight. I don't know where the guy was going but it seemed to not be a problem.

[bullseye]

40 minutes is cutting it fine in my book, slightest delay and you could be up the creek.