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Short Layover FLL

Macstainless
Explorer C
Looking at changing a flight for a faster trip and the best one has a short layover in FLL,  only 35 minutes. Is this enough time to make a connection? Are all SW gates in the same terminal? If I miss a connection it looks like I may be stuck there pretty much the whole day. 
 
5 REPLIES 5

Re: Short Layover FLL

dfwskier
Aviator A
Solution

Hello.

 

No airline permits  passengers to book connections unless the airline thinks that passengers will make the connecting flight most of the time. Thus in your case, Southwest thinks you'll make your connecting flight.with 35 minutes between scheduled arrival time and scheduled departure time. That's called a "legal" connection.

 

That being said, remember that Southwest does not have assigned seating. Boarding begins 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure time. So by the time you exit the arriving plane and get to your connecting flight it is likely that boarding will have already started. Depending on how long the exit and walk takes, you may be relegated to a less desirable seat - even if you have an A boarding position (that would happen if you get to the gate after all As have boarded.

 

If you decide o do this itinerary, you probably should take a seat as near the front of your initial aircraft as possible.

 

So unless your first flight is late, you'll make the connection. The question is what kind of seat will you have.

Re: Short Layover FLL

Macstainless
Explorer C

Thanks for the info. I figured I would likely want to get front seating on the plane that arrives in FLL. Honestly, I've flown before where I was in group B and still got a seat in the 'zone' I prefer, so I'll be hopeful that I could do the same with this.

 

I'd rather have a shorter connection (my original flight is a 2-hour layover) and not necessarily get my 'desired' seat than the alternative. Plus the price is a nice chunk of money cheaper, so that factors into it to. I just don't want to get to the connecting gate and the door is closed.

Re: Short Layover FLL

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Macstainless wrote:

 

I'd rather have a shorter connection (my original flight is a 2-hour layover) and not necessarily get my 'desired' seat than the alternative. Plus the price is a nice chunk of money cheaper, so that factors into it to. I just don't want to get to the connecting gate and the door is closed.


No guarantees, but the system is setup for you to make it before the door is closed. Try to use the restroom before landing on the inbound flight. 

 

Southwest is in the A and B gates:

http://www.broward.org/Airport/passengers/Flights/Pages/WhereIsMyAirline.aspx

 

I was in FLL last year a couple of times, there are some gates together on one part of the terminal - I guess these were the B gates, and then there is another adjacent concourse with the international gates (A1-5). I'd check the two flights a few days ahead of time to see which gates they are typically using and how far they might be apart. The older B concourse was quite compact - you'd have time to grab a snack at the retail counter on the way across.

 

The restrooms are a little down the corridor. If you keep going, you can walk to the new concourse which might be 10 minutes distance.

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Short Layover FLL

bec102896
Aviator A

Just wanted to add Southwest flies out of Terminal A and B at FLL airport. It could be a 5-7min walk if you land in A and depart from B. I have had 35min connections there before and been fine and made it before the next flight began boarding just sit towards the front (even if that means middle seat) so you can get to the next flight on time. 

 

Hope this helps!

Blake 

Re: Short Layover FLL

jpf2058
Explorer C

Hello, Iam interested in this too.  Did you take the short layover flight.  Did it go smoothly?  Did you check luggage?

 

I have a very short layover at FLL coming up soon.

 

Thanks