Layover time

AA does it again. This is my second time change in as many weeks. I'm flying PIT to PHL with 1:11 layover before our flight to SXM. Is that doable? AA has screwed us too many times with a layover in CLT that we thought we would try going through PHL. Opinions? One of the layovers in CLT is only :59. TY

Yep, did it to us too. First AA flight post Irma just booked 5 days ago and flights have been changed to the ones I DID NOT WANT. Really hate AA

My AA from Philly got changed too, an hour earlier then previously so I'm not mad but what's up with them doing that? What in their system says moving a flight on July 1st an hour earlier will help with X (Idk, solve for X). That being said, that should be enough layover time to make it. I travel out of Philly a lot for work and they are USUALLY good about having enough security lines open and such! What date is your flight?

We fly out Tuesday, July 9. I agree with your thought....What will it help this far out?

Renee ... I think that's doable, but it's going to be a little tight. An hour and eleven minutes isn't a great deal of time, and you'll have to transfer to another concourse for the SXM flight. I'd suggest the following. I wouldn't gate check any bags in Pittsburgh because you may have to wait for them when you depart in Philly. Make sure your carry-on stays with you. Assume that any checked bags you have won't make the connecting flight. So, in your carry-on bring the essentials you'll need for one full day on the island (such as a change of clothes). I'm not saying this will happen, but if I had to wager money on what airport would mess this up the smart money would be on Philly. One time they lost my suitcase there for entire week. If you can, tell me what concourse gate you'll be landing at, and which one you will be departing from. I may be able to share some advice here such as whether it's smart to take the shuttle bus or just walk. Also, not worth switching to Charlotte now for just a 59 minute layover.

Overall, I think you'll be fine. As for AA, my opinion is just my opinion but I honestly believe they could care less about who they inconvenience. Next to the true budget airlines like Frontier or Spirit, they will always be the last airline I choose if and when all other options have been exhausted.

All great advice SammyM. We'll be sure to keep our carry ons with us. Didn't think of that. I'm not able to tell what gate we will be landing at. The only thing I see now, that wasn't there before, was that now there is a terminal change. That doesn't sound too good......All we can do is hope for the best. When were are REALLY crunched for time, one of us takes both of the carry ons and the other one of us takes off as fast as we can for the next gate to let them know we are on our way. I'll message you for advice if I find out which gate. Thanks for your tips. We just have to hope for the best.

Guess this is why....

Glad to help. Maybe my best AA story (actual experience) was several years ago when they simply cancelled our initial flight to Philadelphia just three weeks before visiting SXM. No explanation ... just an e-mail that the first flight (from ERI to PHL) was cancelled and a phone number to call for customer service. So, I called. The next flight latter that day was far too late to make the flight to St. Maarten, so they booked us on another flight a full day earlier. When I explained that this meant taking another day off from work for both my wife and I as well as having to get a room for the night in Philly the representative said that was the best she could do and offered us a full refund. I asked if they could get us a hotel voucher for the night in Philadelphia, but they refused. So, I asked to speak to a manager. I suggested revising the cost of the flights by applying two $100 AA vouchers and from the combined $200 savings we would use that for the cost of the hotel and food the night before. They wouldn't budge and basically told us that this was our problem. So, I cancelled all flights and re-booked with another airline out of Buffalo that was fairly close in price (though it meant driving to Buffalo and parking that car long-term for eight days). We were very fortunate to find such flights that late in the game. So, when I seem a little 'snarly' about AA it was experiences like this one that helped shape my opinion of them. Thanks for listening.

Sammy--I got that email also. I also figure that is the reason for the changes. We had some changes with our Delta flights in June also, for which I got ZERO notification, by the way.. Grounding of those planes was the right thing to do, but it has caused some flight disruptions.

To no one in particular: my original return flight from SXM to Portland involved a sufficient layover in CTL and then direct to Portland from CTL. About a week ago, I received an email that they had changed times, and the result was 59 minutes in CTL which didn't even show on their website as a legitimate flight and likely wasn't enough time to retrieve and recheck luggage, etc. etc. So I called and now have the familiar SXM - MIA - DFW - PDX routing with an overnight in DFW. I knew when I booked it that it wasn't likely to remain that way, but it was a great price. I am not really irritated as it's pretty uncommon to be able to get from SXM to PDX in one day.

Ours too. We opted for the overnight in MIA to dfw then to SEA arriving noon on Sunday. Flight from MIA to dfw is on a 777 like we did last year. Great first class flight.

Yes, I have a flight from DFW to MIA outbound on a 777. Unfortunately, it's the shortest leg of the three!

I presume your going first class. Hope so. Nice cabin.

Living where we live, we have flown out of PHL hundreds of times on our airline travel including SXM annual vacations for over more than 30 years. While I could fill this space with horror stories about USAir, AA and others, I must admit that this past 4 months that included 6 round trip flights to Sint Maarten on AA, things went fairly smoothly.

I think most of us are in agreement that air travel is no fun anymore. The pressure to do more with less in the corporate world is rarely demonstrated more clearly than in the airline industry. It's hard to put on a "happy" face in the current environment. Airline employees have to deal with passengers who refuse to follow restrictions regarding luggage and boarding procedures as well as airline and airport management that demand unreasonable concessions on their part. That makes for a long workday.

I may get blasted for this one since, trust me I have not forgotten the many times we got screwed, but looking back objectively it was often the result of circumstances rather than personnel that were the root cause of our misery.

Maybe I'm just getting old and a bit more mellow.............................or maybe it's late in the day and the Buffalo Trace Bourbon is speaking.

Must have used AA at least 20 times from Miami alone and cant recall ever being late or any problems. There used to be a nice early flight around 10 am which was great but they moved that up a few hours..apart from that perhaps just lucky.............

Our problem has always been customer service. Oh, and those tiny seats.

I don't mean to pound away on American Airlines -- well, yes I do -- but let me clarify that my portfolio of events with them have always happened in connection with Philadelphia International Airport. It's as if that combination brings out the worst of both. I have flown AA with connections in Charlotte and never experienced a problem there.

I will agree that Philadelphia folks have a tough reputation.
Many still remember them booing Santa Claus.

Our problems in the past with AA and USAir have involved PHL so now we drive to BOS JB to SXM direct no hassles. I can't help thinking that if AA continues on this course and if people use another airline AA will soon be defunct. How much abuse can a person take before they smarten up?

Speaking of 777s . . . .

Luxury 777

Sweet