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PhrasesOn the PlaneHo una coincidenza. Arriveremo in tempo?
B1

Ho una coincidenza. Arriveremo in tempo?

I have a connecting flight. Will we arrive in time?

Pronunciation

co-in-ci-DEN-za — stress on fourth syllable. ar-ri-ve-RE-mo — stress on fourth syllable.

When to use it

When your flight is delayed and you are worried about missing your connection.

What it means

'Coincidenza' (connection/connecting flight) literally means coincidence — the two flights coincide in time and place. 'Arriveremo in tempo' (will we arrive in time) uses the future tense 'arriveremo' (we will arrive). This is a question you may need to ask on board when running late.

Variations

Il mio volo in coincidenza parte tra cinquanta minuti.

My connecting flight leaves in fifty minutes.

State your time constraint to get priority disembarkation

Se perdo la coincidenza, cosa succede?

If I miss my connection, what happens?

Ask cabin crew or airline staff for rebooking options

Posso scendere tra i primi passeggeri?

Can I get off among the first passengers?

Request priority disembarkation for tight connections

Mini Dialogue

— Ho una coincidenza a Francoforte. Arriveremo in tempo? — Abbiamo venti minuti di ritardo. Che ora è la sua coincidenza? — Parte tra un'ora. — Dovrebbe farcela. All'atterraggio vada subito al gate — glielo indicano le hostess. — Grazie. Posso scendere prima?

— I have a connecting flight in Frankfurt. Will we arrive in time? — We are twenty minutes late. What time is your connection? — It leaves in one hour. — You should make it. On landing go straight to the gate — the flight attendants will show you. — Thank you. Can I get off first?

Cultural Note

Passengers with tight connections can ask cabin crew for a priority disembarkation announcement. The pilot may also mention tight-connection passengers. At Italian airports, staff hold signs with tight-connection passenger names after disembarkation for very short connections.