Is 55min At Memphis Too Tight

[va boy]

We are flying to MBJ from ORF on Northwest through memphis on feb 13th 2009 . is a 55 min layover too tight at Memphis ? I'm also looking at the weather and having snowfall to worry about .

[lka1012]

It's hard to say if 55 min is enough. If it lands on time, you should have just enough time to make it from one end of the terminal to the other. We have a poster who actually works at MEM and she should be able to give you a better answer.

 

As for snow and ice, that only happens once a year and then with only a light dusting, winter weather shouldn't be a factor. However we did have a major ice storm in feb several years ago. You biggest concern with weather in Memphis will be sever thunderstorms and/or tornados. We had a bad tornado hit the area around that time in feb last year.

 

Genrally I try to stear away from less than 90 min between flights though.

[FlyerTalker]

55 minutes is plenty of time at MEM for a standard connection (without heavy irrops). You're only issue will be a shorter amount of time to hustle over to Interstate BBQ and pick up some 'cue to go. (Seriously -- it's some of the best "airport food" to go in the country - just get plenty of napkins for the sauce.)

 

IIRC, the minimum connecting time at MEM is 25 minutes. You have cushion over that. MEM is a compact little hub with mainline NW operating out of the "Y" and Airlink out of the other concourses. Have connected many times through MEM, and always found it easy to handle.

[ab0si]

As FlyerTalker says.... The only question is whether you land on-time or close to it.

 

In the most recent 2-months, your plane landed on-time 85% (which for Pinnacle Air which operates this flight is amazingly good).

 

I assume you are flying a day or three early, right?

[va boy]

this trip is not a cruise :( . we will staying at Sandals for 9 nights . will try out the BBQ on the return leg we will have more time to eat . so far northwest has the best fare for the trip . 25 mins is a very short layover min , why so short ??

[FlyerTalker]

25 mins is a very short layover min , why so short ??

Because it is one of the smallest hub airports out there. Very compact. The other one that comes to mind for compact connection is SLC. It is NOTHING like connecting at ATL or ORD or DFW.

 

I have walked from the far end of the "Y" to the WorldClub (near security) in under 6 minutes. I'm not sure you would need more than 10 minutes to walk the farthest possible NW connection. Of course, this isn't a dawdling "scenic" walk, but still is easier than a same concourse connect at ATL. Plus, the ground ops at MEM are on a scale that allows for faster baggage transfers (the other part of the connection equation).

 

Think of it....airlines don't want mis-connected passengers or luggage. It's nothing but a problem and hassle. So, IMO, they don't deliberately make minimum connects under what they can reasonably achieve under normal conditions.

 

Of course, irregular operations (irrops) such as weather and mechanicals throw everything out the window. For example, one time I had an over 4 hour connect in ATL to an international flight. My inbound was severely delayed and I ended up doing a flat out RUN through the terminal to get to the next gate. I was lucky that they opened the door, as it would be 24 hours before the next flight. Yes, I had plenty of cushion built into my connect. And yes, irrops came along and it hit the fan. There are NO guarantees, other than death and taxes. You just try to minimize the downsides.

[alcpa1]

Please be aware that the Delta and Northwest merger will more than likely affect air travel through Memphis. Be alert to the changes that should start in November.

55 minutes in Memphis is doable if everything runs smoothly. We have done it more than once.

The "new" Delta will work with you if there is a change in your itinerary and it could be to your advantage. A flight from SEA through ATL with over an hour layover will provide everything but the bar-b-que.

[airlink diva]

Good morning!! I'm the poster Ika1012 was talking about. I work on the regional jets on a daily basis. The ORF to MEM is on a 50 seater CRJ then on to a 320 airbus. The CRJ normally arrive on A, middle section of B or back end of C. The MBJ most likey will leave from the back end of B concourse.

55 minutes is a reasonable time to land and get to the gate. We do have some gates that double up so if your flight is going into a gate with a double up, there can be a slight wait. But our operations don't like to keep a bird waiting too long (trust me, they push us to get that first out as early as possible with all pax and bags).

I don't know too much about the winter weather in ORF so I can't speak on it from that end. But in Memphis, it's mainly just cold that time of year. We do get the snow from time to time. Last year we only got snow on March 7th.

Do make a pit stop for some BBQ :D !! Make sure that you are at the gate and checked in.

One great advantage is we are a small hub for Northwest and it's very easy to get around.

As for the Delta-NWA meger, if the flight was one with light loads, I can see them reducing the number of flights per day. However, ORF is normally a full aircraft coming and going.

Just keep us updated!

Happy sailing!!

[FlyerTalker]

Thanks for the ops info on the ORF and MBJ flights. Don't have access to that info as you do. Will look for your name-badge the next time I go through MEM.

 

Personally, I'd think some Interstate 'cue would be a good warmup for the the jerk pork the OP will get to have in Jamaica. Just be sure to always have a Red Stripe ready at hand before you plunge into the REAL jerk food.