To book a flight with a 45 minute connection?

[coffeeforone]

Looking at long haul flight options from London and one of them has a 45 minute connection in Warsaw. What do you think are the chances we will make this connection? Would the airline wait for us?

We are travelling with a toddler and a baby, so not sure if it's worth the risk of being stranded overnight. The next overnight flight is 24 hours later. The flight is much cheaper than some of the other options but not sure if it's worth the stress?

I think it depends on how stressed you'll be about the prospect of it going wrong. If you're pretty laid back, it's probably fine. If you'll stress about it a lot beforehand, it's not worth it!

Don't do it!

Don't do it! We recently did this and accepted a connection of 55 minutes as Virgin promised us that it would be fine. It wasn't- we were delayed in Atlanta for 24 hours. Whilst the airline paid for a hotel and will pay for the food we bought whilst there, it was a freaking nightmare with a 2 yo. We couldnt retrieve our luggage either so I felt gross.

Thanks all! It is the same airline on a single ticket.

Generally airlines won't book the connection unless it's feasible so they obviously think it will work. It's still a risk though. We recently had a one hour connecting flight in Singapore and it was plenty of time for us but we had no children in tow.

I should add, our first plane was delayed which was why we missed our connection.

I had a bit of a moment a few years back where I allowed myself just an hour's connection at Heathrow... didn't stop for a second about switching terminals. HUGE queues... missed my flight. Absolute ANGEL at BA check-in desk put me on a later flight for free - and she said tbh it was because I didn't kick off and just accepted my fate. I was travelling on my own - must've had a brain fug when I booked the tickets.

Changed at Warsaw twice earlier this year, it's small and easy to navigate. I think we had about 1 hour for our connections, and on both occasions had plenty of time to get snacks, find the gate, go to the toilet etc. 45 minutes should be doable.

If the flight is presented as part of a package then you should be ok - IE, you've booked one journey with several flights within it run by one third party. They will actually take note of your next flight and may be able to fast track you through, or at least if you miss it they will be responsible for getting you another flight.

If you're booking individual flights yourself off your own back then no, definitely don't do it. You will need to go immediately from one flight to another, because the flight will board everyone 30 mins before take off. So if your flight is delayed by even 5 or 10 minutes then you'll probably miss it and the airport staff won't give a shit. You'll just have to go back to the front desk and pay for new flights, which could be a few days away given it will be so last minute.

I would just because if you're delayed leaving you will probably be worried for the whole flight. We had an hour wait between flights at Beijing airport earlier this year, didn't think much of it until our flight times were moved and the airline gave us the option to change flights as only 55 mins rather than 60 & advised that there wasn't time. We did change and had 6 hours in Beijing airport at 2am!

However, our flight leaving London was delayed by 45 mins and half of the flight missed their connections while we were completely stress free. The staff moved as many people as they could to the front before landing but ran out of room there. They ushered people through security etc. They did the best they could but there was just not enough time.

oops I meant I wouldnt**

But as pp have said they do advise if they think there inst enough time etc. I also have anxiety and worry a lot!

It’s nerve wracking, I had a 1 hour connection at Charles de Gaulle to Houston last year with my daughter, never been to that airport before. Required to take a train and a bus to get to the gate. I was terrified about missing it, although it was a through ticket. We made it easily....but our luggage didn’t. It was however delivered to the door the next day, thankfully had both packed a change of clothing in our hand luggage just in case.

I think you need 2 hours. Planes are often late and even if they arrive on time they can be in a holding pattern or you wait on the tarmac for a place to disembark.

I wouldn't. I can't see the luggage making it even if you do. Having experienced lost luggage I wouldn't want to again.

if you leave on time you will probably catch it. but even a 15-20 minute delay in take off will probably cause you to miss the flight. IME, airlines don't usually wait in this situation. and even if, chances are that your suitcase won't make the connection and you might wait for a couple of days for the bag delivered to your final destination.

I occasionally book flights with short connection but I can be usually booked onto a connection the same day.

Never changed in Warsaw but usually change in Germany or Schiphol and my success are in catching the connection is about 50% but I am happy to take the risk.

If you don't want to risk missing the connection and bag not arriving with you, I'd would look at alternative routes/connections.

With little ones a direct flight is so much better, there's no guarantees ever with travel but it eliminates some potential problems. Certainly worth an extra £100 each in my opinion,

Absolute ANGEL at BA check-in desk put me on a later flight for free - and she said tbh it was because I didn't kick off and just accepted my fate.

She was an angel! My husband was flying long haul into Heathrow with BA and had a connecting flight home which he missed because there was a mixup on BA's behalf regarding his luggage. He very politely asked if he could get on the next flight and they said yes if he would pay 300 quid! He phoned me, I checked flights online and the flight in question wasn't even half full. I booked him a flight with Virgin which was peanuts compared to BA. And so much for security as his luggage went on the original flight he missed, it was waiting for him at the airport when he arrived home.

Which airport?

Heathrow terminal 5 has conformance in place. If you miss then you are off loaded. So even if you get to the gat eon time if you didnt scan through connections in time then you are off. 35 minutes is the default for a domestic rival (no additional scanning) but it is dynamic. So you have to scan through connections at least 35 minutes before the scheduled departure of the next flight.

Sorry- just seen the short connection is in Warsaw not London.

You need someone who knows about Warsaw to respond.

There's loads of indirect options for Delhi. I've connected through Zurich before and Frankfurt. I wouldn't risk a 45 min connection even if I was on my own. We had an hour in Frankfurt and only just made it.

I don't know about Warsaw airport but we did a transfer through Paris CDG the other week - 1hr and it was tight, even though the gates were close, we were on a French internal flight and same airline, we made it but only half our luggage did. Luckily we were homeward bound so it wasn't too much of a pain when they delivered it 36hours later.
We also knew that if we missed it there was a later flight that afternoon.

I've done it before through Oslo airport with two tiny kids. If the connecting flight is with the same airline, they'll wait or sort you out. Often they'll even use the plane you're on to be the connecting flight plane!

But it IS very stressful, I won't lie! I get very anxious about things I can't control, like flight delays :)

Which airport is it? There are two airports at warsaw.

If you're travelling solo then maybe - but it's still tight. With kids - no.

I've had 2-hour connections (with same airline/ticket) which has been tight - whilst my flights were on time, another delayed flight landed at the same time and clogging up security. Had to queue jump and run to make it.

Warsaw Chopin was the airport.

@coffeeforone thats the bigger of the 2 airports, 40% of polands air travel goes through it. Modlin is much smaller.