Connection time in Abu Dhabi
FR

Translated into English.

Original post
LE
Hi, I’m planning a trip to Australia—Paris to Melbourne. I’m flying with Etihad and have a 1-hour connection in Abu Dhabi. Does that seem doable to you? Thanks for your feedback and experiences!
CL ClaireEnOz ·
Hello, In theory, if Etihad offers it for sale on their website, it means it's doable (they run calculations, and connections that aren't feasible aren't offered). But in reality, it's stressful because if there's a slight delay on the first flight, you might miss the second one. (Though if it's all on one ticket, the airline should find you a solution, it's still a hassle.) The other risk is that even if you make the second flight, your luggage might not. (That just happened to us with a 1h20 connection in Paris—we made it, but our bags didn’t.) And finally, between two long flights, it’s actually nice to have 2 or 3 hours to walk around. So I’d say if you can get a longer connection, it’s better! !
EL ElviajeroPar Globetrotter ·
Hi there,

The issue is that if the first flight segment has even the slightest delay, you’ll miss your connection. In this case, the airline must re-route you free of charge via another flight and provide (or reimburse) meals (and accommodation if you have to stay overnight) while you wait for the re-routing, plus compensation of 600 € per paying passenger. https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2021/03/02/remboursement-frais-en-attente-du-vol-retarde-ou-de-reacheminement/ https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2022/04/18/retard-premier-vol-correspondance-manquee/

To do: If this happens, as soon as you get off the first flight, check https://www.google.com/travel/flights?hl=fr to see what the "earliest possible" re-routing is—whether with the same airline or another. Start the booking process but stop just before paying, taking screenshots. If the airline offers a later re-routing when you can PROVE there was an available seat on an earlier flight, they can’t use any excuse to deny your compensation. Keep your final destination hotel’s phone number or email handy to notify them of the delay. https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2023/09/29/indemnisation-meme-si-circonstance-extraordinaire-droit-reacheminement-dans-les-meilleurs-delais/ and an example procedure: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/reacheminement-catastrophique-droit-indemnisation-meme-circonstances-extraordinaires-2/

The second issue with a very short layover is that checked baggage won’t make it. Your checked bag will be delivered later to your hotel.

To do: Pack essentials in your carry-on, including a change of clothes for 48 hours. At your final destination, don’t leave the baggage claim area until you’ve obtained a P.I.R. (Property Irregularity Report). For long-haul flights, expect around 48 hours due to the heavy administrative procedures for transporting luggage without its owner.

What not to do: Don’t waste money on phone calls to the airline—it’ll be at your expense and completely unnecessary since everything needed is done once you have the P.I.R. They won’t send a private jet for your suitcase.

Best regards
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
Hello, I’m planning a trip to Australia: Paris to Melbourne. I’m flying with Etihad with a 1-hour connection in Abu Dhabi. Does this connection time seem doable to you? Thanks for your feedback.

1 hour—knowing that the boarding gates close 40 minutes before departure—I wouldn’t risk it, even if the airline offers it. Any hassles will be on you.
TA Tatra Globetrotter ·
Hi,

If the airline sells it that way, it means it works out in at least 90% of cases. For the rest, just know you’ll be rebooked—nothing critical, just make sure you don’t have any obligations at your destination within, say, 24 to 36 hours after your scheduled arrival.

Personally, I always try to avoid these kinds of plans since they quickly ramp up the stress as soon as you board the first flight. I don’t know who’s saying the gates close 40 minutes before the scheduled departure, but I don’t buy it—it’s usually about a quarter of an hour, pretty much everywhere.

Michel
LE Letizef ·
Thanks for the info, Tatra! 😊
LE Letizef ·
Thanks for the info, Claire! 😊
LE Letizef ·
Thanks for your reply! 😊
LE Letizef ·
Thanks for the info 😊
EL ElviajeroPar Globetrotter ·
Hello,

If the airline sells it that way, it means it’s allowed,

Michel

Hello,

Back when I was unaware of air passenger rights, another airline (Iberia) sold me a connection in Madrid that was a few minutes shorter than the MCT in the past. As a result, my connection was canceled, and I was rebooked on a later flight (over 3 hours later), even though I was still in the air on the first leg, which had no delay.

So, you can’t just say, "If the airline sells it that way, it’s allowed."

Iberia ended up having to compensate me because they initially refused to do anything.

Best regards,
TA Tatra Globetrotter ·
In this case, the MCT, as you call it, is 60 minutes.

So, my connection was canceled, with re-routing on a later flight (more than 3 hours later), while I was still in the air on the first flight segment, which had no delay.

"So" isn’t the right word—there’s no causality here.

So, you can’t say "If the airline sells it this way, it must work out."

Re-routings usually don’t thrill them all that much.

I know your quasi-profession here seems to be suing the whole world for a few dozen euros or a procedural point that gives you this or that right, but in my view, most travelers value their time and freedom more and stay pragmatic.

Michel
EL ElviajeroPar Globetrotter ·
Hello,

In this case, the MCT, as you say, is 60 minutes.

In Madrid, the MCT between terminals T4 and T4S was, at that time, 65 minutes. Then it was reduced to 55 minutes.

"So" isn’t the right word—there’s no causality.

??? My connection was canceled because it was shorter than the MCT.

I know that your quasi-profession here consists of suing the whole world for a few dozen euros or a procedural point that gives you this or that right.

Michel

What you call a "quasi-profession" is the fact that I don’t tolerate airlines (not the "whole world"!!!) believing, and what’s more, habitually, that they’re above the law.

It’s not about the "whole world" (sic!), and even less about "a few dozen euros" (!!!). Finally, a "procedural point" never gives "this or that right." Passenger rights in the European Union regarding air transport aren’t found in "a procedural point" but in Regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and Council and in the case law established under it, primarily by the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Best regards
EL ElviajeroPar Globetrotter ·
I don’t know who’s saying that boarding closes 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time, but I don’t buy it—it’s more like a good fifteen minutes, pretty much everywhere.

Michel

Hi,

Just as a simple example, Air Caraïbes:

Best regards,
TA Tatra Globetrotter ·
It's still 30 and not 40.... 30 is the maximum I've seen, knowing that Turkish, Lufthansa, KLM, Cathay, Emirates, ANA, JAL, and the American airlines are around 20 minutes. And in reality, you’ve seen plenty of passengers boarding well after that.

Michel
TA Tatra Globetrotter ·
My connection was canceled because it was shorter than the MCT

Well, no, it was canceled because they had closed the gates before you could reach them.

I know your long legal texts by heart, which I’ve often skimmed before giving up. That’s great, it’s your thing, but the hassle and time we spend on it also have a cost, and you consider it negligible. To get me to write or even receive registered letters, I really need to be *very* motivated 🙂.

Michel
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
I don’t know who’s saying that the gate closes 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time, but I don’t buy it—it’s about a good quarter of an hour, pretty much everywhere.

Michel

Hi,

Just as a simple example, Air Caraïbes:

Best regards

Thanks for the fact-checking, but I didn’t react because of the condescending tone in the message and the poster’s tendency to always want the last word. Proof is in their latest reply: “It’s 30, not 40, nanana” 😅.
TA Tatra Globetrotter ·
Good evening,

Even if circumstances have mostly led you to experience some of the worst airlines in this regard, you can also be open to listening to others 🙂. 40 minutes—I’d never seen that before, and even ChatGPT can’t find evidence of this practice beyond a few isolated, documented cases that stand out precisely because they’re unusual. For Etihad at its hub, the consensus in the literature is 20 minutes.

People are often scared on this site (and others, for that matter). Confidence is undermined by constantly highlighting the negatives, the risks, the dangers—everything that *might*, *could*, or *occasionally* go wrong. I find this mindset really off-putting.

Michel
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
Even if circumstances have mostly made you deal with some of the worst airlines in this regard, you can still listen to others 🙂. 40 minutes—I’d never seen that before, and even ChatGPT can’t find any record of this practice beyond a few isolated, documented cases that stand out precisely because they’re so unusual. For Etihad at its hub, the consensus is 20 minutes.

I’ve often played with connections, sometimes knowingly to get a paid stopover (which didn’t work out often). But never with just an hour, and certainly not in Abu Dhabi, given the size of the hub.

Whether it’s 20 or 40 minutes, what bothered me was your tone—“I don’t know who’s saying this” when you *do* know. Condescension or contempt, you’re not the teacher, and I’m not the student.

People are scared a lot on this site—and on others too, for that matter. We undermine their confidence by always highlighting the negatives, the risks, the dangers, everything that *might*, *could*, *perhaps* go wrong. I find that mindset unpleasant. Michel

I could agree with you on that. But if the original poster is asking the question, it’s because they have doubts. And in this case, with just an hour, I wouldn’t take the risk. That’s all I said.

PS: If there’s one medium (but is it even one?) that doesn’t have my ear, it’s definitely AI 😅

Have a good evening
AT Attila Globetrotter ·
A lot of fear-mongering happens on this site, and others too for that matter. We undermine people’s confidence by systematically highlighting the negatives, the risks, the dangers—everything that *might*, *could*, or *occasionally* go wrong.

I disagree.

We’re not scaring people or undermining their confidence—we’re giving them objective information!

It’s honestly not helpful to promise them the moon when the path to get there isn’t guaranteed.

For some, a trip is a major investment—their savings from months or even years. It’s also limited time; not everyone is retired or financially independent. Five weeks of paid leave isn’t much if unexpected obstacles disrupt the journey.

Travelers dream for months before departure, so it’s only fair to help ensure that dream goes as smoothly as possible by avoiding the most obvious pitfalls.

The pitfalls with flights? Delays, cancellations, or missed connections. It’s also about the airline or the third-party seller where the ticket was bought.

Here’s my advice:

- Always buy your ticket directly from the airline’s website - If booking separate flights, allow at least a 24-hour buffer during layovers - Avoid tight connections, especially on the outbound trip - Never schedule anything non-refundable or expensive in the first two days - Don’t return the day before an important event (job interview, exam, etc.) - If traveling with others, split everyone’s belongings across different suitcases - Pack a change of clothes and essentials in your carry-on - Never book a low-cost airline if you can’t afford a last-minute return ticket in case of cancellation (or handle unexpected changes on your own)

It’s just common sense.
TA Tatra Globetrotter ·
We’re not here to scare, we’re not here to undermine confidence—we’re just sharing information objectively! It’s really not doing anyone any favors to promise them the moon when the path to get there isn’t guaranteed.

I’m not talking about making any promises here. This whole Etihad connection issue is just representative of a certain mindset. Objectively, since that’s the word you like, objectively, if it’s on the airline’s schedule, if it’s being sold, on routes that are sold and flown every day, then it works out fine in the vast, vast majority of cases. So, 90–95% of the time, there’s objectively no problem. Then there’s the mix of fears and the rather perverse effect of too much information. I’m often a victim of it myself: too informed to be well-informed, I end up creating problems for myself, imagining things, speculating about possible, probable, or likely situations with factors I can’t even measure. That famous "precautionary principle" has really worn down our minds and done a lot of damage to our European civilization. I agree with your list of cautious tips, but the risk itself might be acceptable—you just have to own it.

Michel

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