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Original poster

Connecting flight anxiety

52 replies

StressedEric · 22/10/2024 20:05

I am flying on my own with my kids for half term to cyprus via vienna as it was the most convenient flight times. The flights are london to vienna, then an hour or so wait, then flight to Cyprus. On the return flight there is only half an hour between the two flights.
I am anxious about this as have never done a stop/ presume plane change in another city en route, I have always flown direct before. My kids love flying so I am not worried about anything apart from the logistics of connecting flights.
Can anyone tell me how it works ?
Do I have to collect bags at Vienna and go through passport/check in again.

What happens if one bit of the flight is delayed which means I miss the next one ?
How is a 30 minute gap between flights going to work ? Surely it will take me that long to get us all off one flight, let alone board another one at presumably a different gate/part of airport.
Will our bags actually make it with us ? We all have cabin bags so will pack those to the gunnels I think and only put stuff in the hold suitcase that we could manage without just about.

Thanks !

OP posts:
ExtraVotes · 22/10/2024 20:34

Blimey, that seems like a bad idea. Did you book the flights? Are they with the same airline and made under one booking? 30 minutes is too short for an international flight. Can you change them?
Are you checking in luggage.

I don't think Vienna is a big airport but it's got a few terminals? Are you arriving and leaving from the same terminal?

ExtraVotes · 22/10/2024 20:35

Which airline?

Completelyjo · 22/10/2024 20:37

Why have you booked with only 30 mins? I’m surprised they’ve even allowed that booking, there is every chance you will not be ready to board the second flight. If you did I would be surprised if your luggage made it.

rubyslippers · 22/10/2024 20:37

Sorry but I would be worried as well
30 minutes is not enough time to transfer even assuming everything goes smoothly and on time
disembarking etc can often take that
did you book through an agent?

TickingAlongNicely · 22/10/2024 20:37

If its an organised connecting flight... your bags will be transferred. You may have to do passport control in Vienna on the outbound flight as you are going into the EU.

If these flights are not officially connected... I honestly don't see how it will work!

peepsypops · 22/10/2024 20:41

Who have you booked the flight with?

Outbound is fine - workable

Your way home with a 30min connection is too tight - if you have booked this all on one ticket with one PNR then your luggage will be checked through but the chances of you/your luggage making it are slim. If it is a through ticket then you'll be replanned on a later flight if you miss it and the airline is responsible for you until then but as a PP said, I'm surprised an airline allowed you to book that which is why I'm thinking this is not a through ticket.

peepsypops · 22/10/2024 20:43

Also in Vienna you will need to go through immigration on your way to the boarding gate for UK so that's an extra task on your way home

DecafDodger · 22/10/2024 20:43

Vienna airport is very efficient and they advertise a 25 min connection time. Might be doable, if there are no delays. But you'll need to be quite efficient.

Jellyslothbridge · 22/10/2024 20:46

We have done similar, we made the flight but our luggage did not so you are sensible to put needed/treasured stuff in cabin bags.

notimagain · 22/10/2024 20:54

DecafDodger · 22/10/2024 20:43

Vienna airport is very efficient and they advertise a 25 min connection time. Might be doable, if there are no delays. But you'll need to be quite efficient.

They do indeed, from the Vienna airport website:

"Transfers via Vienna are faster, easier and more convenient than in many other airports. The short connection time of 25 minutes within Star Alliance connections is one of the fastest in Europe."

I've highlighted the important bit...and I suspect there's little to no chance if the inbound is more than a minute or two late...wonder what their success rate is?

Onlyonekenobe · 22/10/2024 21:01

Oh my. Are both flights with the same airline (I suspect not)? Have you asked the first airline if you can check your luggage through (something I never do, personally)? If you've any ability to push the second leg out, I would. Sorry, this is sounding a bit 😬

Unescorted · 22/10/2024 21:02

We were delayed on a connecting flight through Vienna. They could not have been more helpful. We were pulled off the flight first met at the gate and guided through to the connection. Our luggage arrived at the same time as us. It was Lufthansa and their sister company Vue with through tickets.

DecafDodger · 22/10/2024 21:13

yes I was assuming flights on same ticket, luggage booked through to final destination. surely nobody would book 2 separate flights where you also need to collect and re-check luggage with just 1h between them, never mind 30 min? Baggage drop would be closed by the time you get off the first flight.

DoublePeonies · 22/10/2024 21:17

Where are you flying out of?
Pafos airport is trying to operate on the edges of its ability. The chance of your flight leaving on time is slim, imo.

When you check in, look at the tags. If they say london/cyprus airports your bags will go through to the end.
If they say Vienna, you need to collect and recheck in (I can't believe they would allow a 30 min connection if this was the case).

If all booked on one ticket, and you miss a connection, they will sort you out.

Follow the signs for transfers when you land.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 22/10/2024 21:33

I would be surprised if you made either flight outbound and inbound, particularly inbound. This is because it could well take most of that half hour for the passengers on your Cyprus flight to arrive at the gate and depart the aircraft. If you are U.K. citizens you will need to go through immigration at Vienna airport.

Which UK airport are you flying from?. To my mind your flight tickets should not have been sold. One delay is going to have a domino effect.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 22/10/2024 21:36

And as for sorting you out you may well find there are no more departing flights into Cyprus that day. You will need to keep all receipts and claim from the airline. Did you book these flights yourself or did you use an agent?

Original poster
StressedEric · 23/10/2024 07:44

Gosh ok thanks . As I suspected it looks like I won’t make the connection so will prepare for a night in Vienna airport ready for an early morning flight the next day . I will book an extra day AL when I get to work .

Tickets were bought directly from Austrian Airlines , same combo of flights is still available to book this morning on their website - I wonder why they sell tickets knowing it’s not going to work ? Surely it’s more hassle for them having customers miss connections ?

OP posts:
Clearinguptheclutter · 23/10/2024 07:48

If it’s all through Austrian then they will sort you out if you miss it, but it could be an overnight stop

you won’t need to collect luggage no but the chances of the luggage NOT making the flight, even if you do, is considerable

saraclara · 23/10/2024 07:55

If you're able to select seats, book ones as near the front of the plane as possible, so that you can exit as quickly as possible.

notimagain · 23/10/2024 07:58

@StressedEric

For info I’ve had a quick look over at the flyertalk forum late last night for comments on something like “Vienna, connections” and whilst many of the posts are now quite dated it does look like it is or was very well organized (as others upthread have said) and they have a good/reasonable success rate.

The 25 min Minimum Connection Time (MCT) has been in place for quite a long time now so if it wasn’t working I’m sure the MCT would have been increased by now.

Good luck.

pestothepenguin · 23/10/2024 08:07

On way home
Book forward seats
Be organised with hand luggage and don't take too much
Go for a wee on the plane
Plan you route to next gate
As soon as you land flip on mobile data and find the next gate on your airline or airport app.
Pray your flight from Cyprus has a tailwind (although I don't think it does) I'm in Cyprus at the moment and the sun is lovely
Put and air tag in your case to track it
Take photos of the packed cases and we put stickers on ours in case they go astray easier to identify.

Good luck!

notimagain · 23/10/2024 08:16

@pestothepenguin

Pray your flight from Cyprus has a tailwind (although I don't think it does)

Bit of a toss of a coin on that route.

For info the forecast Cyprus >Vienna high level wind for this AM is mostly a tailwind.

KnottedTwine · 23/10/2024 08:18

If Austrian are selling the flights they must know it will work. Worst case scenario - you are slightly delayed getting into Vienna and you make the connection and your luggage doesn't. Not the end of the world when you're on your way home.

People love to be doom and gloom on this, we booked a BA holiday last year to New York with flights going out via Dublin with a 60 minute connection, was told repeatedly on here that we'd never make it, far too tight, US immigration would take double that etc etc etc. Breezed through and had loads of time to spare.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 23/10/2024 08:24

I am flying on my own with my kids for half term to cyprus via vienna as it was the most convenient flight times.

I’m just impressed that there are ANY flight departure times in a twenty-four hour period that would be LESS convenient than changing planes on a four and a half hour flight time. I’d have gone at 3am on a direct flight rather than give myself the hassle of making a thirty minute connection when I was taking hold luggage.

VioletCrawleyForever · 23/10/2024 08:29

If you've booked them as connecting flights then don't worry.

The airline thinks you can make the connection then you will or they will sort it out.

I recently had a connecting flight with 35'minutes between flights and they first flight was slightly delayed and they held the second plane.

If that hadn't been possible they would have put me on the next flight and covered any costs.