Return flight FCO through ALT 40 minutes!?#

[vivian02]

I am an experienced air traveler with a slight problem in Atlanta on the 26th of August. When we orginally booked this flight I had a 3 hour buffer at Atlanta coming and going (From Rome). Our out going flight has no problems. Our return flight has now changed three times. We went from a 3 hour lay over to 1 and 1/2 hours... now its 40 minutes. We arrive at 5:55 PM and depart at 6:35 PM. I know for a fact that I have to collect our luggage and place it on another luggage conveyor, clear customs and immigrations then transfer terminals to get over to our connecting flight. That connecting flight is the last flight of the evening back to our home town. Am I doing the correct thing. I am bidding on priceline for a 3 or 4 star hotel just in case we miss the flight. I have a very good feeling we can not make this flight. Any other suggestions would be appriciated. Tim

[paul929207]

I don't know who you booked thru, but 40 minutes is unlikely to get you off the plane, thru immigration, baggage claim, customs, baggage drop off, thru security, on the train & finally to your gate. call and get it changed.

[JJPNYC]

Please list the specifics of your itinerary and we'll be able to offer suggestions. I.e. which airline(s), flight numbers, destination airport, etc.

[alcpa1]

Vivian, get back on the phone with your airline. I am presuming it's Delta. Unless your Rome flight is VERY early you will not make it. That is prime time for overseas flights and we have endured 45 minutes milling around just waiting for our luggage to start the customs process more than once. We also have taken the ATL-ABQ flight a number of times and it generally leaves on time.

Let your airline rebook you. They know it's next to impossible. And, don't let them charge you either. Speaking with a supervisor in rebooking should be painless.

Good luck.

[FlyerTalker]

40 minutes is not a legal connection on DL international to domestic. Find a different set of flights by researching their schedules and get on the phone with DL and request a legal connect (after you have found what works for you).

[vivian02]

I have had some time to think this one over and it looks like to me this is the start of those flight consolidations that are coming our way. I have a list of the flight schedule from FCO and the last schedule shown below shows the schedule change:

 

Delta 77

Rome-Leonardo, Italy (FCO) DEPARTURE

Gate: N/A

12:45pm

26 Aug 2008 Atlanta, GA (ATL)

Gate: N/A

5:55pm ARRIVAL

26 Aug 2008 Coach (N) Confirmed

Delta 1603

Atlanta, GA (ATL) DEPARTURE

Gate: N/A

6:35pm

26 Aug 2008 Albuquerque, NM (ABQ)

Gate: N/A

7:54pm

26 Aug 2008 Coach (N) Confirmed ARRIVAL

 

This is the orginal schedlule:

Delta 750

Atlanta, GA (ATL) DEPARTURE

Gate: N/A

9:40pm

26 Aug 2008 Albuquerque, NM (ABQ) ARRIVAL

Gate: N/A

11:20pm

26 Aug 2008 Coach (N) Schedule Changed

 

My wife's atitude is to just wait and see if they change it again. I know about the lay over rules and this is no where near correct. I have checked for the next flights out of Atlanta and there aren't any after flight 1603. My guess would to be to check with air partners. By the way, my bid on priceline was rejected. So far thanks for the feed back. Tim

[micruiser2002]

I would call now and try to change. If they changed the flights on you they will not charge you to change to a better connection. Also you are now within the 90 day window and I do not see the schedule changing that much but then??? I would still change now or risk losing available seats. If they change it again and it is bad again then you call and make them change it again.

[wrp96]

If you wait and there are no more schedule changes then you will be in big trouble as your alternatives fill up.

[FlyerTalker]

You can get an extra 20 minutes at ATL if they put you on CO via IAH. The other alternative is to get a different flight out of FCO, possibly on CO or AZ, or on a different DL flight into JFK and work you west from there.

[vivian02]

Flyertalker,

Thanks for the brain storming it really helped. I talked to Delta this morning and they completely agree I will miss with the present schedule. The lady though she had the perfect flight until I pointed out to her thats the flight I'm scheduled for. She checked with CO only to find there wasn't anything available since I booked using Skymiles. Besides that I was taking a risk getting stuck in Houston for the night instead of Atlanta. They offered to change my flight out of FCO but that flight was 9:45 AM and there was no way I could make it from the cruise port to FCO in time for that flight. I had though of AF but my wife has pleaded with me never to take her through CDG again. Delta went ahead and booked me for the following morning so we will have confirmed seats on the first flight out. We'll just make it a nice night in Atlanta and get some rest before heading back to Albuquerque. There are some good points here:

1. Those nightly consolidations are taking place....watch your flights.

2. You could take a chance on a tight schedule but under an hour on a

International flight is almost impossible.

3. On a missed flight you are at the mercy of the airlines without a

confirmed seat.

4. I think I would like knowing in advance where I am spending the night

than trying to take a chance at an Airport I'm not fimilar with.

 

I'm still making bids on priceline.... no luck yet. Tim

[FlyerTalker]

Try Bidding For Travel and Better Bidding for Priceline data points.

 

Sorry that the other alternatives weren't working out. Didn't know that this was an award ticket - that makes it tougher for partner flights, since DL can't create inventory on those flights, but has to deal with what is made available to them.

 

Forced overnights are going to be more common in the future, I suspect. Those "last flights out" may well be cut back, especially if they are not bringing in high-yield tickets.

 

You have a great attitude....I know that you will make the best of this.

[vivian02]

Flyertalker,

Looks like Continental and United are now doing the consolidation thing. There will be some very upset people once they discovered their flights have been changed. Just so you know my bidding on Priceline is going well. I am up to $46 bid for a three star with no luck but I got a extra bid on a four star if I increased my bid by $17 on my $59 bid. I didn't accept the offer. I'll bid half the amount tomarrow night and see if it takes. Tim

[FlyerTalker]

Flyertalker,

Looks like Continental and United are now doing the consolidation thing. There will be some very upset people once they discovered their flights have been changed. Just so you know my bidding on Priceline is going well. I am up to $46 bid for a three star with no luck but I got a extra bid on a four star if I increased my bid by $17 on my $59 bid. I didn't accept the offer. I'll bid half the amount tomarrow night and see if it takes. Tim

 

If you have a free rebid available, you can just reject the counter-offer, add the free zone, and up your bid about $8. The BFT FAQ explains free rebids quite well.

[vivian02]

Flyertalker,

Just to let you know that I got a winning bid on Priceline for our over night in Atlanta in August. I finally locked in that four star with a $71 bid and got the Airport Marriott. Like I told the wife, last year we stayed at the Rome Airport Hilton Garden for three times the cost of the hotel in Atlanta. What a bargin. This should wrap up our tavel plans for now. I think there are going to be alot of suprised travelers this summer with all the airline consolidations. Thanks for your advice. Tim

[cruiser6]

Sorry folks for the intrusion. I am not on this cruise but on another and saw a post from vivian 02 regarding taking the train from Termini to Civavecchia.

I would like to do this but so many posts say how difficult it is. Your post on Jan 2, 2008 doesn't talk about it. Is this the train that you need to take all the stairs up and down? I understand it is difficult to understand all the stops along the way and Civitavecchia comes up really fast and you only have a couple of minutes to unload. Am I correct in saying that there are two trains? If so what is the name of the train that you took that END at the port?

Thanks for your time and again, I am sorry for butting in on this thread, but your post was the easiest to understand regarding the trains.

you can email me at s.vose@earthlink.net

Susan