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There should be a monitor with connecting flight info right after you get off the jet bridge. If you have a smartphone you may want to consider getting the delta app so you can check gate info as your taxing into ATL. You can also have them send you text messages for your flight status. (Delta Messenger Flight Notifications & Alerts | Delta Air Lines)
If your seat is in the back of the plane for the flight to ATL, you may want to consider paying the premium for an economy comfort seat so you can get off the flight quickly. Not to make you more nervous but I would consider packing a change of clothes in the carry on, you could make the connection, but your bag may not.
If you have a smart phone with the Delta app, you can check the gate and status of your next flight while still in the air. Gogo wireless is free when using the Delta app. The gate information will probably be available before you even leave MKE since international flights start boarding much earlier than domestic.
Make sure you let the gate agent in MKE and flight attendant know you are making a tight connection. They might be able to move you to a better seat so you can deplane faster (including the chance of free premium economy). Also, do not be shy about asking people to let you through when deplaning. I've had flight attendants announce that several passengers (including me!) were making tight connections, and asked people to remain seated so we could deplane quickly. My fellow passengers completely ignored this, but were happy to set aside and let me through when asked.
I fly to MKE about 30 times a year. MKE is a pleasure, and as you probably know, the airport doesn't have many delays in summer except for minor thunderstorm delays. It is much more reliable than ORD in that respect. At this very minute, ORD and MDW have delays but MKE doesn't. It's pretty typical.
Look at your bag tags when you take the bags to TSA in Milwaukee, and make sure that your tags have MGA on them (assuming that's where you are going). Tell gate agent, and flight attendant that you have A. REALLY. SHORT. CONNECTION. If you're nice, you might get quite a bit of mileage out of that (which could even include a seat up front if the flight isn't full).
When you get to ATL, you will have to go from B to E, which, assuming you have a far gate, is going to take maybe 15 minutes. Assuming the gate agent and the FA took care of you, add another 5 for getting off the plane. Then give yourself another 5 for a farther E gate. You should be in good shape, just look at the ATL airport map and understand you have to go down, get on the train (or move fast through the walkway) and go back up to the other gates. The gate agents already know the connections, so they know if you landed and are on the way.
Update us on how it goes, if you think about it. And have a good trip.
You guys are awesome. Annerk, yes both legs are w/Delta. What I didn't think of & what someone mentioned is that I might make the flight but my luggage won't. I mean, if I could miss it w/only a 45 min layover, how will my luggage make it?? And my flight out of Managua to Big Corn Island leaves at 6 the next morning. Surely if my luggage misses that ATL flight it won't get to Managua by 6 the next morning. This trip to Little Corn Island has been a pain in the ass to plan & correlate times. Thanks for the advice about telling the agents about the tight time frame, I will definitely do that!
Now you guys are making me nervous. How the hell am I supposed to know where I'm going on such tight notice???
Ask the flight attendant on your first flight - I did that when flying to ATL with a short layover. The flight attendant had someone close to the front change seats with me for landing so I could fly out the door. I made it fine. Have everything totally organized (with terminal map printed out) and go like hell!
PS make sure you have some essentials in your hand luggage (soap, tooth brush, shirt, panties etc.) It's amazing how you can travel with tiny samples of things you use daily.
Question: I am flying out of Milwaukee to Nicaragua. There is a layover in Atlanta that is 45 minutes. Now, I'm assuming I will NOT have to pick up my luggage in Atlanta, correct? I'm assuming Milwaukee will tag it all the way through to Nicaragua. I'm really hoping so because if I have to claim my luggage before boarding my flight to Nicaragua, I'm screwed. There will not be enough time. Anyway, is 45 mins enough time to make it to the international terminal for my flight? I've only been in the Atlanta airport once & that was domestic so I have no idea the layout. Thanks!
You shouldn't have to pick up luggage in Atlanta. I have made a flight on time in Atlanta with a 45 minute layover but it was domestic, I've never had to go to the international terminal there.
I think it's 50/50 whether you make the connection or not. And that's assuming you fly like the wind (I actually did this a month ago. I think it was ATL terminal 2 to ATL terminal 4 in about five minutes gate to gate) But I'd put the odds of your checked baggage making it through much lower. And this is all assuming your first leg arrives on time.
No no, what I would do is call Delta. Since it's their connection they will either tell you to try and make it (really not good imo) or they will give you a new itinerary that actually has a chance of making it. In your case, since there's only a once daily from ATL to MGA that would require them putting you on an earlier flight to ATL. You might even ask them if they'll comp your hotel stay if you miss the connection. That might encourage them to work with you.
That said, I don't know Delta's policy. I've been rerouted by United a few times before, including an international flight, because they felt they had given me an itinerary with too short a layover. In both cases my flight times had been modified slightly post-booking, which might explain the short layover slipping through the cracks.
-.02 cents from a frequent flyer with no "insider knowledge" of the airline industry.
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for one thing they either don't fit or you are guilty 
