Can I make a domestic connecting flight at SFO in less than an hour?

May 6, 2008 1:21 PM

Is it possible to make a domestic connecting flight in less than an hour at San Francisco International Airport?

I'm planning on taking a side trip to Seattle during my trip to San Francisco this week. But my proposed return flight to SFO from SEA arrives (5/17/08) at 8:11am (Terminal 3, Boarding Area F, United) and my return flight to Honolulu leaves at 8:50am (Terminal 1, Boarding Area C, Hawaiian).

Crazy? Impossible?

posted by etoyasu to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I only have carry-on luggage.
posted by etoyasu at 1:27 PM on May 6

Are you on the same airline and/or will you have to change terminals or otherwise leave the "sterile" area?
posted by Pollomacho at 1:37 PM on May 6

That's cutting it tight. Your arrival time is when wheels hit tarmac, not when door from plane opens to let you out (and this is assuming it arrives on time). I pick my girlfriend up often at SFO; she texts me when she lands; when the plane arrives at the gate; and when she's out in the arrivals area (then I leave the cell phone lot to collect her). The elapsed time from touchdown to out front is typically 20 minutes (this is with carry-on only). SFO is a small airport, but 20 minutes to get from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 and through security to your gate is cutting it so close that if I were you, I wouldn't do it.
posted by rtha at 1:40 PM on May 6

It sounds like these are two separate itineraries. Do you have to pick up baggage from one airline and check it with another? If so, forget it.
posted by Dec One at 1:44 PM on May 6

Whoops, you only have carry-on bags. Still, is it two separate itineraries? If so, and you miss your flight home, do you know what Hawaiian's policy is? Some airlines make you buy a new ticket.
posted by Dec One at 1:46 PM on May 6

I'd advise against this, primarily because Hawaiian only flies once a day out of SFO. If you miss the flight, you're waiting 24 hours and even if the United flight is delayed (which it probably will be) and causes you to miss your connection, you will not be able to get United to reimburse you for anything. Once, my connecting flight moved up its departure time on the day of travel, making my layover 55 minutes instead of the original 85 minutes. Of course the first flight was delayed, and I missed the connecting flight by 5 minutes. I complained about the first flight being delayed and asked whether we could be reimbursed for hotel expenses (next flight out was the following morning) but was told that since the layover time was less than an hour, it was their policy not to reimburse. Even though the original layover time when I booked the trip was over an hour. Pissed me right off.

Always always assume that United flights will be delayed by at least 15 minutes.
posted by krippledkonscious at 1:53 PM on May 6

Technically, 45 minutes between flights is called a "legal connection." So lots of flights are booked that way. I've done it many times - though without growing a few gray hairs in the process.

CAVEAT: Note that legal connections are okay (minimum 45 mins) if BOTH flights are on the same airline. Often, a departing flight knows that there are people who have arrived late on the same airline and are running to catch that flight. I just flew to Chile, and in Dallas, our American Airlines flight waited 45 minutes because 20 people were coming in late from other American Airlines connections.

However, if you arrived into SFO from SEA on Airline A and Airline B is taking you to Honolulu, there obviously be no communication between both airlines, so if you miss the flight, you're screwed.

It's a good thing you only have carry-on. Run like the wind!
posted by HeyAllie at 1:56 PM on May 6

I think that it is possible but not probable. If you can get an earlier flight in that would be better.if it was from one United flight to another it might be doable, but getting to another terminal will take a little time, and the odds are good that United will be late in. Still, if everything's on time and there are no delays I do think it's physically possible.
posted by gingerbeer at 2:00 PM on May 6

Less than 40 minutes and you're going from Terminal 1 to 3? That's one side of the airport to the other. Just running the distance around would take a good 20 minutes. I think that's too tight.
posted by junesix at 2:03 PM on May 6

I wouldn't risk it. You can do it only if the plane lands on time; you're the first off the plane; and you can run quickly between terminals without interruption. Too many ifs.

If this were up to you, it would be worth it, but your fate is up to the airlines. Yikes.
posted by diastematic at 2:25 PM on May 6

possible but unlikely. airtrain is the fastest way between terminals, but it means going through security again, and security in terminal one is often very very slow.
posted by judith at 2:30 PM on May 6

It's not great. SFO is nuts. I've made 20-minute layover flights, but in tiny stick airports (and even then, yes, you have to run from one side to the other). If one plane is late, you're probably screwed.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:13 PM on May 6

The last time I went through Terminal 3 at SFO there was a sign for some sort of inter-terminal bus that was inside the secure area - I assume it's to shuttle passengers between terminals without having to clear security again. But I did not take this shuttle and merely walked by it so I cannot say for sure whether it was what I thought it was. It was on the right as you exit right before you leave the secure gate area.
posted by GuyZero at 5:06 PM on May 6

Thanks for all of your answers! I've decided to play it safe and have an overnight layover before my flight home.
posted by etoyasu at 7:51 PM on May 6