Only 45 mins b/w connecting flights!

[LearnMS]

I have an international trip coming up in couple weeks where I am starting from US to Asia. There's a connecting flight at NRT but I got only 45 mins between the flights. My final destination is KUL. As per current schedule, I will be off to other domestic flight after I reach my final destination.

Now UA says that it's a legal route. I used award miles for it and paid the taxes using mainly with Citi prestige and few cents using CSP (original AC flight got canceled and so was booked on UA). I anticipate that my bags will be delayed at KUL.

- What can I do now to be prepared? e.g. whom to call/alert prior to the trip?
- In case there is baggage delay, should I call Prestige or CSP?
- Anything else I need to be aware of?

TIA.

 

[DornierDo28]

Look up that airport's minimum transfer times between the relevant terminals. Airlines usually won't let you book a connection shorter than this.

 

[MickiSue]

If it were me, I'd fall on the mercy of the airline. I'd talk about how I'd never been to or through that airport before, how I was worried about the distance between terminals, and ask if they could find a different itinerary that would give me better peace of mind.

Of course, before making that call, I'd have found at least two itineraries that worked better for me. If the CSR was willing to to check, I'd point out that I'd found this one or that one; might they work?

Last fall, Husband was flying through JFK to FCO. He had only an hour and five minutes between flights, the domestic terminal there and the international one are VERY far apart, and the flight to FCO was the last flight to Italy from JFK that night. His flight from MSP to JFK got changed to one that left a 45 minute connection.

I called Delta, asked to have him changed. Pointed out the long distance between terminals. Talked about the possibility of a delay on the first leg leading to missing the second flight, and thence the third to VCE. Talked about a worried me, Daughter, SIL not knowing when he'd arrive.

She looked. She found a flight from MSP to AMS, and from AMS to VCE. One fewer leg. Better connections. And they don't seem to even be offering availability with miles through AMS these days.

SCORE! Be nice. Be sympathetic. And if they seem willing to help, be grateful upfront--thank them for checking even before they check.

 

[HariOm]

Be ready to run at NRT. My loving wife had a 1-hour connection there on a *A award and the airline rep met her at the incoming gate and literally ran with her to the connection.

 

[HariOm]

(If I'm reading the itin correctly) If KUL is your point of entry into the country and the bags are delayed on the incoming, and then you take a domestic flight to the next destination, they may not be able to send your bags along after you depart KUL because you will need to first clear them through customs.

 

[HariOm]

+1 on @MickiSue's suggestions. Worst case you might also be able to ask the flight crew to
request ground assistance for you on the descent into NRT. Haven't seen golf carts there but maybe they'd have one waiting.

 

[HariOm]

(If I'm reading the itin correctly) If KUL is your point of entry into the country and the bags are delayed on the incoming, and then you take a domestic flight to the next destination, they may not be able to send your bags along after you depart KUL because you will need to first clear them through customs.

Come to think of it, one time some members of our group arrived in India without their luggage and proceeded on their itinerary, and when the luggage reached MAA it was sent along after them, without their having cleared it through customs. Don't know what the rules are in Malaysia but just trying to look at all the angles.

 

[LearnMS]

Come to think of it, one time some members of our group arrived in India without their luggage and proceeded on their itinerary, and when the luggage reached MAA it was sent along after them, without their having cleared it through customs. Don't know what the rules are in Malaysia but just trying to look at all the angles.

Umm...yes, I have about 6 hrs after reaching KUL to catch other flight from the same airport.

It happened in the past that I was running with the airline rep and my luggage arrived after a day. I didn't mind it because it was my final destination.

 

[LearnMS]

I just called United about it. They said the baggage is not an issue. But if my first flight is delayed, I will miss the 2nd leg. I checked flightaware site and I see the 7-day average of arrival time of the 1st leg is +5 mins. There was one instance when the flight arrive 3 hrs later.

I should probably be prepared to stay at NRT if things don't work out.

 

[smittytabb]

I just called United about it. They said the baggage is not an issue. But if my first flight is delayed, I will miss the 2nd leg. I checked flightaware site and I see the 7-day average of arrival time of the 1st leg is +5 mins. There was one instance when the flight arrive 3 hrs later.

I should probably be prepared to stay at NRT if things don't work out.

NRT is actually a great place to connect and I have had that kind of quick connection more than once and had no issues. Flights tend to be on time and things are pretty darn efficient there. I worried the first time too but it was fine. Of course, anything can happen, but try not to stress out too much as it is likely to work out best case scenario.

 

[LearnMS]

NRT is actually a great place to connect and I have had that kind of quick connection more than once and had no issues. Flights tend to be on time and things are pretty darn efficient there. I worried the first time too but it was fine. Of course, anything can happen, but try not to stress out too much as it is likely to work out best case scenario.

Thanks.

I will leave it at that then. The only thing I was never prepared about is what should I do if I missed the flight or delayed baggage. As I said, I paid the award flights partly with Prestige and partly with CSP.

 

[Maverick17]

NRT is pretty good for connections, as mentioned. If you're going UA to ANA, then you might have a small walk from the one end of the terminal to the other, but it's only 10 minutes or so. If ANA to ANA, should be ok for sure. Most flights land around 4 and take off around 5, so they are prepped and geared up with all security lanes running and trying to push everyone through. If you're late, grab ground staff. But the point of this being the usual connection time applies to bags too, they are pretty used to the "rush hour" for baggage as well.

As usual, keep all important things like meds and whatnot with you just in case. But a low probability of problems, IMO.

If you do have problems, and I'm assuming you are on ANA since they're the only UA partner I know of going NRT-KUL, I'd ask for ANA help. They have very good customer service. IDK about the customs issue mentioned above, but they might even be willing to forward your bags.

 

[LearnMS]

That's great to know....thx. I will follow up.