Tight VA/DL connection times

[Notyourbag]

Hi all

I’m flying VA1 (arrives 6.05am) and then DL234 to JFK (departs 7.55am) in April. Has anyone had any experience with tight connection times? Any baggage issues if you’ve been bumped to a later flight?

Also has anyone been successful in adding in an additional DL leg to a VA booking?

 

[Denali]

Is it the one booking/PNR?

Its a cough shoot. Once I was curbside in 20mins but last time, we arrived 6.00am and JUST made our 9am departure (boarding 8.40am).

 

[Notyourbag]

Yep all on the same booking / PRN. Last time I was kerbside at 30 minutes and the other time 65 minutes

 

[serfty]

For me it is below "Sensible Connection Time", even though it may meet MCT.

I'd be looking for 3 hours at least.

In any case, DL should have quite a few flights to NYC should you miss.

 

[Lord_Lenny]

Yeh that's probably a wee bit tight for my liking, I'd want about 3hrs slack when dealing with LAX but you may prefer to live dangerously

VA haven't moved in with Delta yet have they, they're still arriving/departing from TBIT??

 

[Bagpuss]

I have a flight coming up in a few weeks on DL40 (Syd - LAX) and the Delta domestic flight is 2 hours later. I've been a bit concerned, but it's a Delta ticket so not overly concerned as it's deemed a legal ticket and also booking on the Delta website gives the same flights with connections.
On my return, I have 1.5 hours in Sydney to transfer from international to domestic flight which probably gives me greater concern.

 

[Bagpuss]

I’m flying VA1 (arrives 6.05am) and then DL234 to JFK (departs 7.55am) in April. Has anyone had any experience with tight connection times?

Out of interest I did a quick search on the VA website with SYD - JFK connections and the flights you are on are the first ones returned.

To be honest many people would book this without thinking twice as it's valid. As more of a frequent flyer you are aware of the potential issues. So remember, this is a common flight booking.

Put it this way aircraft can arrive ontime, early or late. You can make a tight connection if the aircraft arrives early and miss a long connection if the first flight is delayed.

Worst case, don't commit to anything such as paid for events for the day of your arrival.

 

[Notyourbag]

You'll be fine. DL40 lands in Terminal 2 so you can get your domestic DL flight from the same terminal (or a quick free bus trip to Terminal 3).
The Sky Club in T2 is much nicer and has a shower. The SkyCLub in T3 is the old Virgin America lounge.

I have a flight coming up in a few weeks on DL40 (Syd - LAX) and the Delta domestic flight is 2 hours later. I've been a bit concerned, but it's a Delta ticket so not overly concerned as it's deemed a legal ticket and also booking on the Delta website gives the same flights with connections.
On my return, I have 1.5 hours in Sydney to transfer from international to domestic flight which probably gives me greater concern.

 

[Bagpuss]

Any baggage issues if you’ve been bumped to a later flight?

Are you aware of the baggage tracker ? Online Baggage Tracking : Delta Air Lines

It may offer some piece of mind (or at least you get to the destination "happily" knowing your baggage is delayed).

 

[Bagpuss]

You'll be fine. DL40 lands in Terminal 2 so you can get your domestic DL flight from the same terminal (or a quick free bus trip to Terminal 3).
The Sky Club in T2 is much nicer and has a shower. The SkyCLub in T3 is the old Virgin America lounge.

DL40 actually also arrives into Tom Bradley. Slightly concerned I called Delta and they weren't too helpful saying that customers have made the connection and that if I miss the fight due to immigration wait lines then that's my issue. What doesn't help is that my seating is at the back of the plane as it the seat map reflects a pretty full plane.

I've looked at immigration wait times and it seems to be around 45 minutes ish. So I am hopeful I will just and just make it (plus an early arrival).

 

[shuuy]

This is more doable if:
- you’re in J
- you have status so get priority tagged bags
- you have NEXUS / Global Pre Check
- you are a good runner

The biggest wait will be to clear customs out of the Hall... but the connections belt will take bags right away

I’ve been 10 mins doors open to kerb (no bags, pre check). Worst is 45 when waiting for bags...

 

[BAM1748]

April is a good time of year for flights in the part of the world flights and connections work better because of weather and not peak travel. Although never used Virgin I can say I've never made a connection at LAX since 1995!

If you miss it, Delta will put you on the next one. Not a big deal looks like Delta have about 40 flights per LAX to JFK. (not all direct)

 

[CPMaverick]

In my experience the bags always take longer than customs, if you are checking baggage that is. That is the real wild card on arrival.

LAX morning security can be a real disaster too. It can take up to an hour to just get into T2/T3 (but normally 30 minutes or so) if you don't have PreCheck.

Probably OK but tighter than I'd like. I try for 2.5 hrs at a minimum. Hopefully your flight arrives early.

Although never used Virgin I can say I've never made a connection at LAX since 1995!

Sounds like horribly bad luck.

 

[Bagpuss]

Thought I would post my experience.
Arriving in LAX, the seat belt sign was turned off at 7:00am, I looked at the time when we were pulling our bags off baggage and it was 7:25am! (Yes, 25 minutes to get off plane, go through immigration and wait for bags).
Then it seemed to go a bit wayward.
Customs (which used to be quick) was about 20 minutes of waiting. (The lines for this is a shambles and I can only think that due to the immigration improvements they haven't addressed this area.)
We headed to terminal 3 and luckily a double check of the boarding gates prior to going through security we had to go to terminal 2 instead.
Security at terminal 2 took about 30 minutes.

All up it was about 1 hour, but the wheels and fall off quite quickly.

 

[CPMaverick]

25 minutes from your seat to holding your checked luggage is quite good.

 

[Notyourbag]

25 minutes from your seat to holding your checked luggage is quite good.

That's really quick - especially as TBIT opens at 6am so you'd be in the queue with all the AU, NZ and Asian flights landing.

Bagpuss - what time was your connecting DL flight? Was there any chance people in domestic TSA security screening would let people get in front of them so they wouldn't miss their flight?

 

[Bagpuss]

That's really quick - especially as TBIT opens at 6am so you'd be in the queue with all the AU, NZ and Asian flights landing.

Bagpuss - what time was your connecting DL flight? Was there any chance people in domestic TSA security screening would let people get in front of them so they wouldn't miss their flight?

My connecting flight was scheduled to depart at 9:25am. (Though the inbound flight was scheduled to arrive at 7:15am ... So a 2 hr 10 minute transit, though in the end was 2 hours 25 minutes.)

At TSA it was just the normal queue and they weren't even using the sky priority lane and there was no preference given to anyone who may miss their flight.

 

[grubbidok]

VA1 for tight connections is really up to the gods because it arrives bang on when all the Asian flights land at once. You can breeze through customs or have a more than half hour wait. I've made similarly tight connections at LAX. It's really going to depend on whether VA1 is on time or the other airlines are early or delayed. That being said, the super long waits LAX used to have are gone in my experience - still some waiting time, but nothing like it used to be. 2 hours is the connections recommendation for LAX but I have been under that and made it before (~90mins).

Baggage has never been a problem, no matter whether it is a tight connection or I have been bumped to a later flight, DL seem to have that worked out well. The good thing is that on the rare occasions I have missed a flight, DL have bent over backwards to get me to where I was ticketed to as soon as possible, even if it is on another airline if few DL options are available - once I missed an ATL-MGA by 20mins due to a late landing from LAX and tight connection and they put me straight on a DL ATL-MIA to connect with a MIA-MGA operated by AV that got me there a few hours later. LAX-JFK will be much easier for them to organise!! Even then my baggage made it!

 

[serfty]

Customs!

When there's long queues at TBIT go to the far right hand queue with your luggage, when it opens a bit and tbe queue forks head right again ... Then right again as you go further down.