Which connecting flight would you pick?

We always go with a longer connection. We would rather have the bit of extra time then have to rush. We check baggage so that makes a difference too. Given the various challenges at airports the past year, extra time seems even more important these days.

Hank,

I really want to do 12:45pm - don't like layovers and first class is same $ as coach on 11:20am flight. But then again there is some risk with the shorter connection.

I’d choose the 11:20AM flight.

I don’t like layovers either…

Back in 2019, we had a 5 hour layover at JFK.
Our other choice was a short layover, but I didn’t want to risk missing the once per day flight from JFK to our destination in Europe!

Enjoy your trip!

To give your bike extra time to switch planes, and give you a better chance of making your second flight, I would take the 11:20am.

First class is no big deal on that short flight. I thought at first it was first class for the whole trip which would have been a different answer! : )

Just plan to have a leisurely lunch at Portland and walk the concourse to exercise your legs before the longer flight.

If you didn't have checked bags, I'd take the later flight. But if you want to improve the odds of your bike making the connection, take the earlier flight. As others have said, first class on that short flight is not even worth worrying about.

I guess there's a reason to fly via Portland instead of SEA-FRA direct on Condor. And I've never connected through PDX, only been in the airport once. But it's well known as an easy airport compared to SEA or others, and even your "short" connection is two hours, so the chances of missing it after such a short flight seem negligible.

But the safest bet, as you know, is the earlier SEA-PDX flight, and maybe it's worth the extra hour at PDX to feel more sure that your bike will fly with you across the ocean. You'll be tired and maybe cranky when you land at Frankfurt, and having to wait around for the bike won't be fun.

And hey, first class is first class even for the short flight! Maybe you'll get a really nice snack and a cloth napkin, not to mention the extra legroom. ;-)

I like to leave an one flight buffer if connecting on different tickets. If something went wrong on the 11:20 flight, you would still have a back up option that would get you to Portland in time.

PS : Not sure first class is worth it for this short of flight…….

Portland is a small and very easy airport. Although I do like to have plenty of room for connections, I personally would even be looking for a later flight than the 12:45. I take the flights between Portland and Seattle at least twice a month. Two hours in PDX is plenty of time for your bike to be transferred and for you to eat lunch, have a few drinks, shop, go out of security, come back through security and have another beverage before you board. As others have said, no need for first class on this leg of your flight. You won’t be served in either class.

The only thing that would concern me is your Condor leg. They literally only have one plane here for that flight. If the plane isn’t here or it has a mechanical then you’re not going to Frankfurt.

thanks for the feedback so far - much to think about!

I am curious why you wouldn’t just take the Condor flight from Seattle. Is there a big price difference?

I'd go with the earlier flight. Alaska flights arrive at Concourse B; the Condor flight leaves from Concourse D. There used to be a connecting walkway between the two sides of the airport so passengers could get to all connecting flights without going through security. That walkway is closed due to construction. That means you will exit B, walk out of the secured area across the airport to Concourse D/E, then go through security. I see they do have an "Express Lane" for passengers making connecting flights. More information is here under "Checkpoints".

Don't let any of this discourage you! PDX is my home airport; I'd fly from there over SeaTac any day of the year! It's a very manageable size, and has a good selection of restaurants past security.

I really want to do 12:45pm - don't like layovers

You may not like layovers, but in this instance it appears that you would like arriving without your bicycle even less. I would adjust accordingly to give myself as much chance for success with the crew's transfer of my luggage as possible.

Portland airport is easy to navigate but under construction. Your Alaska flight will likely land at B or C gates, and you will definitely have a long walk (and security) to get to the D gates for your Condor flight. Do yourself a favor and take the longer layover for your sanity and your bicycle - which BTW you'd have to wait more than a day or two for at FRA if it misses the connection, as Condor only has three flights a week PDX-FRA. If you have time to kill, eat brunch at Country Cat, I recommend the salmon benedict.

I'm guessing that you have priced this travel by separate flight segments. There are several reasons to buy a single itinerary. That way, the airline is responsible for the transfer.

Lola Condor from PDX to FRA was 55k Alaska miles for a lay flat seat in Condor's brand new business cabin. Business unavailable for miles from SEA, $4400 to buy the seat. Since I have lots of Alaska miles it seems worth the $160 connecting flight to Portland to sleep relatively well for 6-7 hours on the flight over.

As for why Portland, when we fly business over to Europe we actually try to find the longest flight so we can unwind and then sleep longer. But connecting to LA, Las Vegas etc is more of a PITA. So Portland and Vancouver are preferred departure airports if mileage tickets are unavailable (or "expensive") out of Seattle.

Incidentally, flat bed seats from the western USA/Canada are almost without exception the only thing we spend miles/points on. I'm perfectly happy to buy an economy seat on the way home for cash - don't want to sleep much coming east to west anyway. But business class on the long flight west to east is a great luxury, and the value you get for saver miles fares compared to dollars cost is fantastic, 10 cents per mile or more sometimes.

CL that's SUPER helpful info. Early flight it is, thanks very much.

OK, got it. That is a good option if business class from SEA was not available with your Alaska miles. We took the Condor flight from Seattle last September and the business class on the A330 was fine. I tried to book it again for next September on the day the reward seats were released for booking with Alaska miles and failed. So if you could get the flight from PDX that’s great.

I agree with others you definitely want the earlier flight from Seattle, just to be safe.

Lola- In my experience, Condor actually releases both their Business Class redemptions and their cheapest economy (25k) mileage fares closer to your travel dates. For instance, they just released the ones for this summer in the past couple of weeks. Their cash fares have come down recently too.

Yes, I'm checking in every once in a while to see if business award tickets come available on the SEA-FRA flight ...

Which type of plane are the flights?

Most are ERJ 175, but some are 737s.

If the 12:45 is a 737, my guess is it would be 'safe' as relates to transferring your bike as it has the bigger baggage hold and less likely to be a problem to handle expeditiously.

The worst thing about a long wait at PDX is some locals will probably have a big pink box from Voodoo donuts and you will be the kid 'on the outside' looking in.

Joe, I connected last week in Denver and saw someone carrying a pink box of VooDoo donuts! I asked him where he got them? He got them in Denver! They've branched out. So yeah, those ubiquitous are not just a Portland thing anymore...

Weird postscript, I went to book the earlier flight but there was a new flight suddenly available, leaving at noon, nearly exactly between the two flights I was debating. I booked the noon flight. It was cheaper than the other two flights, and on a 737, not a commuter jet. Every seat on the flight was available when I picked mine.

Maybe the earlier and later flights on smaller planes will be consolidated into the noon flight on the bigger plane? In any case the new 1pm arrival is perfect.

Good job, Hank! I'd prefer a 737 to a prop plane too! And the time looks great.