If booking a flight with an hour stopover how likely are you to be delayed and miss second leg?

[Singadream]

We are booking a flight to Malta and the cheapest way is Lufthansa from Heathrow to Frankfurt then an hour later Frankfurt to Malta. I have only ever taken direct flights before - how likely would it be that the first flight is delayed and we would miss the second flight? There are not many flights to Malta each day so we would then be stuck in Frankfurt with three young kids. Also if we booked the flight given both legs are with the same non budget carrier, would it be up to them to sort it all out for us if a delay did mean we missed the second leg? Thanks - I haven't flown abroad for years so feel stupidly ill informed about this kind of thing.

I don't think an hour is long to change personally, is there an option for slightly longer?

Frankfurt Airport is easy to navigate. I often do layovers there. Only missed one connection and Lufthansa are brilliantly efficient at getting you where you need to be and making sure your needs are catered to in the interim

You would need to book it all in one go with the airline as a stop to stop route. If you book them as seperate tickets they are not obliged to get you to malta if the first leg of the journey is delayed. Maybe try and do it over the phone with them so they can advise you.

I think you could do it at a push, but only if you take hand luggage. You would miss the bag drop deadline if you had luggage in the hold and would never make it in time.

One tip - try and book seats either on the front row or as close as you can to the exit doors at the front of the plane. Then you will be able to dash out of the doors and start running for the gate straight away. If you're near the back you'll be waiting for everyone to get their bags etc, that's what usually takes up the most time getting off the plane.

Sorry - if you do it as a stop to stop route and the airline confirm it you can take hold luggage (as they'll just transfer it between planes themselves) but if you have to buy 2 seperate tickets then you'll never do it in time.

We missed a connection at Frankfurt because first flight was delayed. I think that was about an hour. Also, just because the airline are obliged to get you on another flight (if book as one ticket), it doesn't mean it's the next plane. Just next one with seats. And then it could be via another airport.

Considering what it may cost you to sort out if anything goes wrong, pay a more expensive direct flight.

OP, there's no need for speculation. All you have to do is check with your airline what the the minimum transfer time is.

What previous posters have said really, book it as one journey and you'll get your luggage transferred and it should be doable from gate to gate. Plus if inbound flight is delayed they are obliged to sort out your next flight. Still quite a hassle with 3 kids though, is it worth the saving on a direct flight?

Well the direct flights are about £2500 (return for all five of us) and the ones via frankfurt about £1300...

DS has done this a couple of times and said never again. Frankfurt is huge, you need to really run fast and be lucky enough not to get stuck in a slow-moving security queue.
The first time DS flew via Frankfurt he had 55mins between flights, made it by the skin of his teeth, but four other people who were doing an identical journey missed the plane because they joined a different security queue. DS’s luggage missed the flight too, and he had to return to his final destination airport the following evening to pick it up.
The second time he did the same trip he had 1hr15mins between flights, arrived with all his luggage but nonetheless very stressed because his first flight landed twenty minutes late, and he only managed to get his connecting flight because it was delayed.
He said it really wasn’t worth the stress.

That's interesting - thank you - will see if any other flight times that would give us a couple of hours between flights. There also seems to be one via Munich. Too tired to do tonight but we have options I think.

An hour isn’t long enough really.

The likelihood is that even if you make it your bags may not.

If you plan to change it make sure you budget for an unexpected hotel and have enough clothes and toiletries in your hand luggage for an overnight stay.

We had an hour in Schipol for a connecting flight to NY - we ran, and it was fine, as KLM had told me it would be, but pretty stressful. Call Lufthansa - they'll tell you if it's doable.

Wtaf.

I picked the most expensive month possible on the planner and chose dates for a week.

How are you getting £2500?

May half term flying sat to sat, two adults, five kids, from and London airport, avoiding flights before 9am which would need overnight in airport hotel and avoiding coming back past about 10pm. Cheapest direct fight is about £250 pp each way

Unless I am being totally thick. Which is very possible...

Frankfurt is huge, you need to really run fast and be lucky enough not to get stuck in a slow-moving security queue

OP, I believe there's a lane for people with very short connection times and if you're flight is already up on the board you can use the lane.

I also think there is a service you can pay for where you'll be met and escorted off one plane and onto the next.

Have a look at the airport website.

After reading the title but before reading the actual OP, my thoughts were “you’ll be fine if it’s a Lufthansa transfer in Frankfurt!”

And you will be fine. It’s a transfer I’ve made many, many times myself and they are exceedingly efficient there.

With 3 young DC go direct. I would not be avoiding flights before 9am and aiming for one leaving at around 7-8am. This way you avoid the heavy traffic.

Bloody hell what airline are you looking at?

Easy jet will fly you home at a decent time for under £200. Their outward fought times are shit though but search other airlines for a cheap outward flight.

This is all v helpful and appreciated thank you.

We couldn't get to the airport in time for an early flight - not without getting everyone up at 4am which is not how I like to start a holiday...

Ryanair and easyjet and jet2 actually v expensive the dates we need. BA too. And all have bad flight times.

Have found a flight though also through Frankfurt leaving Heathrow 9.30am which would could do by leaving home at 6am and would give us 1 hour and 45 mins in frankfurt for the change which might be better.

Also Alitalia do it via Rome with decent times but I am (stereotypes ahoy!) inclined to think that German efficiency might be better.

That is interesting re the being escorted between flights - will def look into that. Thank you

Oh and Luton no good for us at all. Southend would be fine but bad times.

What site are you using migraleve?

Sounds VERY tight to me. But I would be very anxious about connections personally, Especially with children in tow.