Connection time in Abu Dhabi (page 3 of 3)

Thanks, I’ll follow your scattered tips 😄

Thanks, I’ll follow your awesome tips! 😄

Good evening,

Just now, the last two passengers boarded one minute before the official departure time, which was respected as the jet bridge was closed and retracted immediately after. And this is something I’ve seen often. I thought of you when I saw that 😄. TK1263 Maybe we just don’t have experience with the same airlines.

Michel

Good evening,

Just now, two last passengers boarded one minute before the official departure time, which was respected as the jet bridge was closed and retracted right after. And this is something I’ve seen often. I thought of you when I saw that 😄. TK1263 Maybe we just don’t have experience with the same airlines.

Michel

Hello,

This isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Here’s my own experience:

After successfully claiming compensation from Iberia for three delayed flights (three hours or more to final destination), I took another connecting flight with Iberia.

Before departure, I checked the schedule. There had been a slight change, making the layover in Madrid just under the Minimum Connecting Time (MCT). I arrived in Madrid and noticed the schedule had been adjusted again (not delayed, but actually changed). I was no longer below the MCT.

I reached the gate for the second leg of the flight. Someone called out to me from a distance: "Paris?" From just as far, I replied "yes." They checked my documents, I boarded the plane, and the door closed behind me. I took my seat—there was a flight attendant sitting there. I settled in, and the plane took off almost immediately.

Another, more common scenario: A passenger whose checked baggage has already been loaded arrives at the gate after the boarding cutoff. It’s important to know that, unless it’s a case of luggage that didn’t follow its owner from a previous flight, a suitcase can’t travel without its owner on the plane.

The airline has to make a choice:

- If the passenger’s luggage hasn’t been located yet to be offloaded, stop the search and let the passenger board; or - Refuse the passenger and continue searching the hold to offload the luggage.

The choice is quickly made!

Conclusion: Even with an airline that strictly enforces the MCT, there are exceptions.

Best regards

Conclusion: Even with an airline that strictly enforces the MCT, there are exceptions.

Yes, of course. In the vast majority of cases, passengers make their connection—no airline wants the hassle of putting passengers up for the night unless it’s absolutely unavoidable. I love Turkish Airlines, and most of my flights are with them because they’re pragmatic, professional, and genuinely attentive to passengers. That’s why I trust them.

Michel

At Etihad’s hub, there might also be a bypass that allows passengers with very short connections to skip the security checkpoint. There could be something like that behind this short connection. I’ve also learned since that Abu Dhabi’s MCT is 45 minutes.

Michel

Question about these short connections: back in the day, there used to be agents waiting at the end of the jet bridge with a sign showing a flight number and destination, shouting "Tokyo?", "Paris?", and then running off as soon as they’d gathered all their passengers to the right boarding gate.

That doesn’t exist anymore, and it’s been replaced by "bypass" systems… maybe one day they’ll be paid services for those who get anxious about short connections?

Good evening,

It no longer exists, and has therefore been replaced by "by-pass" formulas... and might one day be chargeable for those anxious about short connections?

It still exists, but it's become rarer. I can mainly speak for Istanbul, which I know best; signage there allows you to bypass the security checkpoint if you have a connection under 90 minutes. That said, the other day, all connecting passengers—including me—were directed straight to the main hall without any further formalities or screening.

It’s also increasingly common for the connection option to be explicitly announced in the cabin before landing, with gate numbers and reassuring words.

Michel

Hey, Has the trip already happened?? If so, it’d be great if you could tell us about the layover!! Hoping you made your second flight without any issues!! Anyway, is a one-hour connection at Etihad’s hub doable?!

Not yet, trip planned for March 2026 😉