46 minute layover at JFK?

[FlaMariner]

How real is a 46 minute layover at JFK?  Delta shows that as an available option.  

 

The price is right and if we're delayed into JFK and miss the flight, there are several later flights to Heathrow after that.......But seriously folks?  Thoughts/experience?

[Ashland]

Just my opinion...I wouldn't do it. Just because it's a legal option doesn't make it personally doable. Just a hassle I would prefer not to do. But do it if you don't mind the dash to get to your gate. Best of luck.

[tompeter]

8 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

How real is a 46 minute layover at JFK?  Delta shows that as an available option.  

 

The price is right and if we're delayed into JFK and miss the flight, there are several later flights to Heathrow after that.......But seriously folks?  Thoughts/experience?

What time of year (weather) might impact my decision. Also your mobility, as terminal 4 can be a long walk depending on gate assignments.

[FlaMariner]

1 hour ago, tompeter said:

What time of year (weather) might impact my decision. Also your mobility, as terminal 4 can be a long walk depending on gate assignments.

 

It's early October.....And we can run but would prefer not to run......

 

What's frustrating is the 46 minute layover flight pair costs 35,000 miles......And if I fly out earlier and have a comfortable 2 hour layover at JFK, Delta charges 45,000 miles......and it's the same flight across the pond.

 

We want to arrive in England as early as we can......and this is the first flight of the evening so thinking if we missed it they would move us to the next flight....assuming it's available.

 

 

[FlaMariner]

Update:  It's never static with air fares.....So looked this morning and the flight with the reasonable 2 hour layover dropped back to 35,000 miles.....We are booked!

 

Do you think Delta adjusts prices based on what you are searching and when they see that you have zeroed in on a certain flight they change the fee/miles the next time you log in?  

[fbgd]

If this is for October next year then chances are you'll experience at least several involuntary reschedules, most likely on your flight into JFK. Depending upon how much that changes you can get a free switch to a different connecting flight. 

 

It depends on the itinerary but generally speaking I wouldn't go with a 46min layover at JFK, especially onto an international flight where the doors close early. However:

1) Some domestic flights are massively padded so you could end up with a true layover time of much more than 46mins.

2) If you're on the first flight of the day to JFK then there's opportunities (if there's availability) of being moved to the later flight.

[FlyerTalker]

40 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

Do you think Delta adjusts prices based on what you are searching and when they see that you have zeroed in on a certain flight they change the fee/miles the next time you log in?  

 

No.  An absolute urban legend.

 

Pricing of flights, whether revenue or award, is done on a continuous and dynamic process.  Revenue management gnomes toil in dark basements crafting very sophisticated algorithms to adjust inventory to maximize revenue - at blinding speed across hundreds of thousands of flights and flight combinations.

 

Further, it is not the "fare" that changes in those adjustments.  Those are pre-loaded and relatively fixed, and consist of both the "costs" and the associated fare rules and restrictions.  What you find changing is the inventory allocation of the multitude of various "fares".  So rather than changing the dollar costs to maximize yields, the algorithms evaluate current vs projected ticket purchases and adjust the number of seats in each of the various "fare buckets".  They don't stop to say "Hey, Mariner likes this flight, let's screw him over by charging more".  The computers are just saying "actual purchases are trending in a particular way, let's move the inventory allocation."

 

 

[FlaMariner]

On 11/9/2020 at 9:47 AM, FlyerTalker said:

 

No.  An absolute urban legend.

 

Pricing of flights, whether revenue or award, is done on a continuous and dynamic process.  Revenue management gnomes toil in dark basements crafting very sophisticated algorithms to adjust inventory to maximize revenue - at blinding speed across hundreds of thousands of flights and flight combinations.

 

Further, it is not the "fare" that changes in those adjustments.  Those are pre-loaded and relatively fixed, and consist of both the "costs" and the associated fare rules and restrictions.  What you find changing is the inventory allocation of the multitude of various "fares".  So rather than changing the dollar costs to maximize yields, the algorithms evaluate current vs projected ticket purchases and adjust the number of seats in each of the various "fare buckets".  They don't stop to say "Hey, Mariner likes this flight, let's screw him over by charging more".  The computers are just saying "actual purchases are trending in a particular way, let's move the inventory allocation."

 

 

 

Good to know and thanks for explaining.....

 

It seems so odd that day 1 you are looking at a flight a year in advance and it's 35,000 miles and then you look in day 2 and it's 45,000 miles and then on day 3, it's back to 35,000 miles......

 

One can only suspect that they are playing games with me!  Glad it's not so......or rather, hope you are correct!

 

 

 

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, FlaMariner said:

 

Good to know and thanks for explaining.....

 

It seems so odd that day 1 you are looking at a flight a year in advance and it's 35,000 miles and then you look in day 2 and it's 45,000 miles and then on day 3, it's back to 35,000 miles......

 

One can only suspect that they are playing games with me!  Glad it's not so......or rather, hope you are correct!

 

 

 

 

FlyerTalker is correct. Airline pricing does very odd things. I book hundreds of thousands of miles each year for myself and some colleagues, and it's crazy how a flight can be $2000 one day, $1400 the next, and $2200 the next. I have seen it many times. It's just a matter of buying it when you're comfortable with it, and then ignoring the pricing unless you can do something about it (which, usually, you can't). 

[FlaMariner]

LOL....Just looked now and the Delta flight to Heathrow we booked a couple of days ago at 35,000 miles is now 70,000......It's changed 3 times in a week and the flight is a year out.....

 

Glad I'm locked in and can let it go!

 

 

[alidor]

I’ve been a travel agent for 45 years, so have tons and tons of experience here.  Flights can change every 4 HOURS, depending on demand.  Someone with a lot of experience can somewhat beat the system, but it is almost impossible.

[FlyerTalker]

As CC and FT member Gardyloo said: 

 

Anybody who believes they can out-think the airlines' revenue/yield management computer algorithms is, in my view, delusional.

 

(I have that in my sig, but many folks have those disabled, so I wanted to share)

[alcpa1]

FlaMariner,

Periodically monitor your flights. Sunday nights are best after the weekend IT updates are concluded. You may or may not get notifications of itinerary changes so be proactive. Then if you have a change that exceeds 90 minutes, flight cancellation or a change that puts you under the official connection time you can easily modify your itinerary. A call is best. The agents are particularly pleased to have your alternate flight options when you call.

There's bound to be changes. 

[AF-1]

FlaMariner;  glad you could use less skymiles.  I am glad you have two hour layover.  I have flown thru JFK many times and it is my least fav US airport; due to delays getting in and out